Battle Royale goes YA: The Hunger Games

Those who have seen such films as Battle Royale, (dir Kinji Fukasaka, 2000) and read books such as 1984 (George Orwell, 1949) will undoubtedly be no stranger to the story of struggle in a totalitarian empire, and being forced to endure, and be responsible for violent acts for entertainment.

The difference here is that this is a story told for a young adult market.  The Hunger Games books,written by Suzanne Collins, and published between 2008 and 2010 have grown immensely in popularity, particularly in recent months due to the clever marketing strategies of the films.

Though its growth and popularity have been likened to Twilight (Stephenie Meyer, 2005), the two worlds could not be further apart and the female protagonists could not be more different.  Having read all three books in The Hunger Games trilogy in just over a week and having gone to see the film the week after I am impressed.

The politics of a controlling totalitarian state and the storyline set against a backdrop of hunger and struggle will be familiar to anyone who has either read or studied political history.  Particularly for example European history from the 19th and early 20th centuries such as the regimes of Stalin and Mussolini, and the various revolutions occurring against such autocratic rule.

In fictional terms we can cite Richard Bachmann (Stephen King), George Orwell and Margaret Atwood as authors who have created a dystopian, nightmarish world.  Indeed Bachmann's Running Man (1982) tells a similar tale of a future world where The Running Man, a violent gameshow where contestants are targets is the top entertainment and the protagonist fights for survival. 

The political aspect of the books, which grows and evolves through the trilogy, becomes more and more frightening, showing us the harsh but worthy price of rebellion and standing up for your beliefs.  Furthermore, Collins cleverly makes the reader question the motives of the rebels, forcing us to consider if we are better off with what we have, even if it is a corrupt society, and if the rebels are any better than those they are fighting against as characters harden and change throughout as the action continues.

In the first book we are introduced to the idea of killing people as Katniss and her friend Gale consider the games, however in the final book Mockingjay,(2010), killing people arguably no longer holds such importance, as the significance of the bombs being designed by the rebels is just how much damage they can do.  This is chilling when juxtaposed with the innocence of both Katniss and Gale and the start of the trilogy:

' "Its not just hunting.  They're armed.  They think." I say

  " So do you.  And you've had more practice.  Real practice." He says.  "You know how to kill."

"Not people" I say

"How different can it be really?" says Gale grimly.

The awful thing is, that if I forget they're people, it will be no different at all.' (pg 48)

Indeed it is this sense of self and morality which sets apart he charachers.  As we are told the story from Katniss’ point of view, through her eyes, we naturally side with her however she, as we learn throughout the books, is not perfect.  She herself frequently wishes she had some of the characteristics of Peeta, a character who has high moral standards, is faithful, loyal and protects those whom he loves at all costs.  Katniss shares these traits, but compares herself to Peeta, even though initial distrust mars their relationship.  She wonders throughout the trilogy the real meaning of his words before the Games, only to realise much later the significance of them:

“No when the time comes, I’m sure I’ll kill just like everybody else.  I can’t go down without a fight.  Only I keep wishing I could think of a way to…to show the Capitol they don’t own me.  That I’m more than just a piece in their games” (172.)

When the games quickly become real it is the strength of will of Katniss, and of Peeta, which are the true force of the books and the film.  Katniss is a survivor, however she will not sacrifice who she is and the lives of her friends.  The love she has for her mother, her sister Prim and her community back in District 12 motivate her to get through the games in one piece, whilst the “careers”, tributes from Districts 1, 2 and 4 are shown to favour and even enjoy killing, characters who will betray anyone to survive and win at all costs.  These tributes, who are enthusiastic for the Games are shown as opposites of Katniss, Peeta, Rue, and back in District 12 the characters of Gale, Greasy Sae, and those frequenting the Hob, the black market of D12.

During the first book then in which we are introduced to the world of Panem we are quickly shown the lives and community spirit of District 12, and as this worsens through the trilogy, and as Katniss matures, forced to grow up too quickly for her age, we begin to see that spirit and survival are pitted against control and state manipulation.  I could not wait to read how this panned out through the next two books Catching Fire and Mockingjay and see the truly 21st Century feminism shown by Katniss develop.  This I shall later explore.  For now, let the games begin, and join me in my Hunger Games obsession.

Samantha Carter - Not your average Scientist.

Children of the Gods

The Pilot episode Children of the Gods provides a great introduction to the storyline that takes us through the first season and into future seasons.  During the first episode we are introduced, through Major Samuels to Colonel Jack O’ Neill, who in the film is played by Kurt Douglas, and here is played by Richard Dean Anderson.  We are also introduced to the characters of Feretti and Kawalsky, who will be familiar to viewers of the film, as both Feretti and Kawalsky initially went through the gate alongside Colonel O’Neill and Daniel Jackson.  At the moment then it is a primarily male team.

The characters of O’Neill, Feretti and Kawalsky alongside the intrusion of the as yet unknown enemy,  introduce  both character and threat into the show Stargate SG1 and moves the plot forward from the original film.  We see the Stargate being “guarded” by several relaxed airmen, one of whom is taken as hostage when intruders appear through the Stargate.  Jack is called for because of his previous experience in going though the gate as it ids thought that the gate will only go to one destination – Abydos, where they killed the threat in the film Ra.  Thus far it seems, the Stargate has been unused since the last mission, one year ago.  This time it seems, the threat is all the more pervasive as the enemy thought to be dead has come to Earth.

The character of Sam Carter however, I believe, is used for a different agenda altogether than the men as she is new to the mission and the impending threat , as are the audience.  Her character is introduced a little way into the episode, after the threat to Earth has been established, and after the authorities have begun to formulate a plan.

The introduction of her character in the briefing room scene has been discussed at length by critics and fans alike, mainly due to the power-play and sexual tension between O’Neill and Carter that the scene brings to the fore.  Whilst these are important and worth discussion, this will be looked at in more detail in another chapter.

Firstly Carter is shown here as extremely knowledgeable about the Stargate programme already.  We are told that she has been working on the “Stargate Project” for 2 years prior to the Abydos mission and should have been part of this mission, though we are not given the reasons why.  This time she is determined not to be left out.  This explanation of her background works on tow different levels.  It serves as a way to show the nature of her character as she already stands up to her new Commanding Officer and telling him despite any doubts or misgivings he may have, that she will be going through this time.   This interaction is a challenge for O’Neill.  This woman seems to be no pushover.   She demonstrates both confidence and enthusiasm.

It is this enthusiasm which shows us another level.  The character of Carter is used as a connection between the show and the audience.  She has “practically memorised” the mission reports and cannot wait to explore the potential of the Stargate technology, just as the audience excitement and anticipation is heightened.  Whilst Jack and his men provide the potential for action and danger, Carter provides excitement and wonder.

As we can see from the Gateroom scene as the team are preparing to go through the gate, Carter is the only one who has not been through before.  Whilst for the rest it is something to brag about for a few minutes before being “business as usual”, for Carter, it is the culmination of years of work, dedication, academic study and a major scientific discovery.  She is, after all, a ‘theoretical astrophysicist’  as well as a Captain in the US Airforce who has flown in the Gulf War.  \she also has the potential for action alongside O’Neill:

“I logged over one hundred hours in enemy airspace during the Gulf War.”

This action will come later however, along with deeper character development and relationships.  For now, her use is to let the audience marvel in the wonder of the CG technology of the programme, and importantly to further suspend disbelief.

There is a short interaction between Carter and O’Neill on the ramp:

Carter:  “You’ll like me once you get to know me.”

O’Neill: “Oh I adore you already Captain.”

This is followed by him initially waiting for her to explore and see the event horizon up close, giving her (and the audience) a moment to fully appreciate the phenomenon before ending her wonder at the wormhole by pushing her through.

In this extended episode then, we connect with her as a character straight away as she is the eyes and voice for the audience.  She marvels at the wonder of the Stargate and allows the viewer the time to do so, they guys having already ‘been there, done that.’    On Abydos upon leaving the building after the sandstorm, the camera pans out, taking in the desert around the building and it is Cart’s voice we hear exclaiming “This is incredible”, allowing or inviting the viewer to suspend our disbelief and think the same; to explore the alien planet and all its threats and possibilities with her.  We are therefore already linked with her character as we go through it for the first time with her, the newest member of the team.

During the episode, Daniel Jackson shows the team the cartouches and symbols that he has seen and has attempted to translate.  He wants to explain his findings and does so, not to O’Neill, the leader, the Commanding Officer, the military man, but to Carter, whose potential for military strength and action and for intelligence is shown in Jackson’s enthusiastic usage of both her rank and salutation:

Daniel: “Captain Doctor you’re going to love this!”

His confusion over the use of both her military rank of Captain and her academic title of Doctor serves to provide a catch all for the audience.  She is an officer in the Airforce and thus must be used to its rules and regulations and actions, and yet she is also academic, appealing to those who want intelligent science fiction.  After the fast paced scientific dialogue between Carter and Daniel, Carter launches into an explanation of why, so far, the Stargate has only worked between Earth and Abydos and explains her ability to compensate for the years of stellar drift and get the gate working again for the thousands of possible destinations they may have just discovered.  She, importantly, now provides the impetus for the show to move on past the pilot and provides the possibility for many plots and storylines, as well as this one we are now watching unfold.  It is now another member of the team who is needed for the audience as a translator, as we need a simpler explanation:

“So what did we just figure out?”

It is clear from this that as with Daniel, Carter is also enthusiastic about her work and highly intelligent.  This part of her character has been firmly introduced and cemented into the minds of the audience.  That thus far in the programme here is a woman who respects authority, but is still forceful and has her own opinions.  She is very intelligent and is able to figure out and explain important details easily.  Her military prowess has yet to be determined.  The first time that this is referred to  other than her flight experience in the Gulf, is on Chulak having just arrived on the planet.  She returns from a group of trees  to O’Neill and Kawalsky who seem to be discussing tactics:

Carter: “I set up a line of Claymores along that ridge at 10 meter intervals.”

O’Neill: “Sound about right Kawalsky?”

Kawalsky: “Yeah that’ll work.”

Her initiative and her use of the amount of explosives here proving tactical field experience and she is beginning to gain approval from both Kawalsky and O’Neill.

Throughout the pilot Children of the Gods, Carter, despite the planting of explosives does not use any other weapon.  She has her weapon taken from her as they are all taken prisoner on Chulak, just as the others in the team do.  Whilst O’Neill is given a Goa’uld staff weapon by Teal’c, Carter’s role here is just as important however, as she with the help of Daniel, guides the Chulak refugees to safety through the Stargate back to Earth.  Daniel and Carter remain together as Carter is supposed to blow the Claymores, however this order is changed and overruled by O’Neill as he has this ultimate responsibility to be the last person there and to protect the team.  He gives a different order which is to dial Earth and activate the Stargate sending their IDC code through, and ensuring the safety of the refugees.

Therefore here in this section of the episode we can see the characters beginning to develop through the initial roles taken in this episode.  Jack O’Neill and Teal’c (along with Feretti and Kawalsky) provide action and weapons fire.  Daniel is used primarily for explanation and as a go-between between us and the ‘aliens’.  He provides the possibility for other worlds and other interactions through his translations of the cartouches as well as giving important background information on the Egyptian Gods and by extension the background of the Goauld (along with Teal’c).  Finally we have Samantha Carter.  So far we have seen her demonstrate courage, both in standing up for herself and in the field, tactical field training, and a great intellect.

Though there is a sexual edge to the storyline through the stripping of Sha’re and the sergeant of their white dresses and inviting the Goa’uld parasite to survey the potential new hosts, there is non-sexual penetration through the back of the neck, and the programme goes no further to explore this angle.  Nor does it attempt to sexualise Carter in any way here, preferring the audience to connect with her on an intellectual level rather than physically being made to gaze upon her body.  Her uniform remains the same as the men, her tactical weapons the same and she significantly is never in any danger of Goa’uld penetration.  She is never taken as Sha’re and Skaara are, and she remains instrumental to the success of the mission.  She and Daniel ensuring the safe return of SG teams 1 and 2, and the people of Chulak. Her importance within the team structure regardless of gender is reinforced right at the end of the episode as Teal’c emphasises that he is no longer working for the Goa’uld enemy by submitting his staff weapon not to Colonel O’Neill or to General Hammond, but to Carter.  This wordless act means she is no different to any other members of the team and Teal’c as outsider and of different culture accepts her importance without questions.

Throughout the episode then many facets of the character of Samantha Carter have been formulated and shown to the audience.  Much of her military skills are yet to be seen, yet the episode, through several hints shows that she does have these skills and other abilities and we can see that they may be explored through future episodes.  In addition, as we have connected with her already and have gone through this first experience with her, though it is not shot from a first person viewpoint we are still connected through her comments on what is happening around her, we can look forward to doing so throughout the coming episodes.

Stargate's Samantha Carter: Soldier, Scientist...Role Model.

In the last ten years, there seems to have been a surge of Sci-Fi programmes with women female leads.  From shows such as Star Trek (1966 onwards) at the beginning of the Scf-Fi genre, and its various spin-off series, to the newer output containing strong, well written female characters such as Kara “Starbuck” Thrace (Battlestar Galactica 2004 – 2009), Echo/Caroline (Dollhouse, 2009 – 2010) Sarah Connor (The Sarah Connor Chronicles 2008 – 2009 ), Anna (V 2009 – present), Dr Helen Magnus (Sanctuary 2008 - present and arguably the most well known and influential character, Colonel Samantha Carter (Stargate SG1 1997 – 2007, Atlantis 2004 – 2009)

In this essay I shall explore the character of Carter and the impact she has had on television and film theorists and audiences alike.  Firstly I am to explore the definitions of genre television and the way in which we think of the metaverses and characters these shows give us, and then secondly I will go on to discuss the ways in which sci-fi television and other genres have been discussed previously by feminist scholars, then I will explore the character of Samantha Carter in depth by discussing the formation of the character in the Pilot episode, the development of the character as team member and as leader, and the relationship between her and Jack O’Neill.  Finally I will explore some of tie ideas introduced here by looking at fan reaction to Carter.

When we look at Stargate SG1 and certainly when looking at character and feminism within sci-fi we need to look back at the show’s predecessors.  Pearson, in her 2003 paper Kings of Infinite Space: Cult Television Characters and Narrative Possibilities, discusses the form and characterisation of cult television and uses Star Trek as her model in doing so.  The differences between cult film and cult tv is her starting point and when we are discussing characterisation is very significant as she explains that:

Fannish devotion figures prominently in accounts of both cult film and cult television, but the two audiences have quite different relationships to their loved objects.  (2003:2)

She points out that the fans of cult television interact with their favourite characters and favourite television shows by repeated viewings of episodes, discussions in forums and by the writing and consumption of fanfiction as well as art, and she states that:

Cult film fans value textual rarity, cult television fans revel in textual plenitude  (2003:2)

This distinction between cult film and television and cult or genre television and the wider output of programming is as important as part two of Pearson’s paper in discussing the role of the female character in current sci-fi television as it is this mapping of the distinctions of genre and cult television which allows us to look more closely at audience consumption of characters.  As Sara Gwennlian Jones argues in her exploration of the notion of virtual reality and the landscape of the metaverse, we should recognise the self-reflexivity of sci-fi television and cult television as these shows are becoming increasingly more aware of the roles that the shows and their characters play in the lives of the fans:

The cult fiction exceeds its primary textual expression (as television text) and, as virtuality, invites and supports intense imaginive viewer engagements that may be immersive or interactive or both.  (2004)

In fact the recent programme starring Tapping Sanctuary’s  start as a series of webisodes and clever use of this interactive media and the dual use of the show slogan “Sanctuary for all” invites fans on the journey as well as and at the same time as one of the protagonists of the show Dr Will Zimmerman (played by Robin Dunne).  Even more recently V  has made clever use of social networking sites Facebook and Twitter, and the Stargate SG1 franchise arguably was one of the first programmes to make use of this new technology throughout its run, with the official website showing full episodes, containing free wallpapers and widgets   This creates a new level of fan interaction with both character and actor, functioning both inside and outside the landscape of the metaverse.

Indeed as Pearson shows, if a film is a two hour spectacle, it is watched and enjoyed many times yet it keeps the closed, linear storyline and its definition is in the fans almost obsession with the product in this manner.  They are operating as collectors, merchandisers, vying for status within the fan community.  The sci-fi television fan however enjoys their product weekly if not more as new episodes are broadcast and fans also engage by rewatching through DVD box sets, reruns on different television channels long after the programmes’s original run has ended, and can enjoy the metaverse through fan fiction:

While fannish devotion to certain cult fims might approximate that, for Start Trek, or the X-Files , the complexity of the authorised diegetic universe does not: the ninety to one hundred and twenty minutes of a single fim, or even the several hours of a series such as Star Wars, cannot possibly provide the scope for narrative developments offered by the hundreds of hours of a long running television programme. (2003:4)

Her meaning here, and a point with which I wholeheartedly agree, is that whilst a film has only its span of 120 minutes on average to tell the story, explain the (sometimes vast) metaverse, move through time, which could be days, months or even years, but at the same time remaining true to its narrative and structural form, and making sense throughout whilst keeping its continuity.  A series such as Star Trek or Stargate SG1 my own study, has many years in which to advance the plot, and increase the character development and it happens much more closely to “real time”.  One season of a show may equal roughly one year, and whilst days or weeks may have occurred between episodes which we do not seem the writers are more free to explore aspects of the narrative and character development than in a two hour film production where many years may have passed between one scene and another, yet the audience must be able to understand the entire concept of the story.

For Stargate SG1 then, a show which has spanned ten years and has produced two spin-off shows, the successful Atlantis, (2004 – 2009) and the recently cancelled Universe,(2009) as well as movies Continuum (2008) and Ark of Truth (2008) as well as merchandise, websites, and fan produced texts, the show fits into Pearson’s category extremely well.  The many websites and fan communities work to keep the metaverse alive whilst re-runs are shown continually on television channels such as Sky 1 and SyFy.  The characterisation is one aspect of the show’s continued success and it is no accident that Tapping has been asked to reprise the role of Carter in Atlantis and in guest spots on Universe.  Carter is an incredibly important character in the development of Sci Fi television, at first joining the only other protagonist in Sci Fi show Dana Scully and then surpassing her as the show became more successful.

Carter:  “Captain Samantha Carter reporting for duty sir.”

Ferretti: “But you go by Sam right?” (Pilot episode)

This dialogue from the pilot episode is reminiscent of eighties and nineties feminist theory when scholars believed that strong female characters were the result of masculinisation.  Indeed Carol J Clover’s influential work Men, Women and Chainsaws, Gender in the Modern horror Film, (1993) centred around the survivor in the slasher film genre and the significance of the (male) names of those girls.   Whilst recently, Stephanie Tuszynski has attempted to look into the meaning of Carter’s name and argues that she is only called Samantha a handful of times, these times are usually ones of crisis, such as Singularity (S1), when Carter stays in an underground Bunker with Cassie, a living bomb, defying a direct order or leave the girl there. (2006:54-6)

However this kind of feminist theory has moved on and critics in the latter part of the nineties began writing about “Girl Power” and adopting texts such as Scream (1996) and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997 – 2003).  Kathryn Rowe Karlyn begins her paper by suggesting that young girls and women are the group most driven by feminist icons and images in the media today, and notes the differences between what is contained in mainstream culture and what is offered in subculture.  She writes:

…popular culture infuses the world in which today’s young women live, and the face of feminism today, for better or worse, is being written across media culture. (2003)

Karlyn goes on to address the fact that women are still often portrayed as one dimensional, whether tough, hysterical, sentimental and so on.  The subject of her paper the Scream trilogy, she explains, “raises the bonds of women across time” (2003).  This is an important distinction.  Cult and genre texts such as Scream and Buffy the Vampire Slayer are arguably, specifically created with the “Girl Power” ethos in mind.  This taps into a specific mode of feminism and a specific target demographic, using he sound bite of “Girl-Power” as a catch-all definition and aiming to be new and alternative.  Supposedly aiming to be a fresh new take on feminism for the new generation.  However sci-fi television and literature as a genre has been male dominated for years and as Adam Roberts explains:

…its focus was on technology as embodied particularly by big gleaming machines with lots of moving parts, physical prowess, war, two dimensional heroes, adventure and excitement. (2000:92)

Significantly in the sixties and seventies as more women were involved in the genre, and as Roberts points out Star Trek began broadcasting, more and more women became involved in sci-fi fandom.  He puts this down to:

…the way Star Trek represented, in the first instance, human interaction and the social dynamic as being at the heart of SF story and, in the second instance, and less obviously because Trek, unusually for a 1960’s US TV show, was interested in representing difference. (2000:95)

Star Trek may have paved the way for women, and the more recent Voyager (1995-2001) featuring a female Captain certainly goes some way to promote feminist ideas, however Stargate SG1, whilst it focuses on the importance of storytelling and themes of difference, does not put its females in tight uniforms, and miniskirts.  Nor does it sexualise Carter in the “Girl Power” ethos.

All of these ways of thinking could then be said to be outmoded concepts of feminism.  Carter is not masculinised, nor is she overtly feminised.  Stargate SG1 is not aimed primarily at a teenage audience like Buffy, and whilst it gives a nod every now and then to Star Trek, and other classic sci-fi texts, it gives a new outlook, though the character of Samantha Carter, on what it is to be female in the 21^st Century.

The character of Colonel Samantha Carter, one of the four original members of SG1 played by Amanda Tapping has attracted a huge fanbase.  Both the actress and the character have been the subject of numerous articles in SFX, Cult Times, on websites and so on.  This is due largely to Tapping’s portrayal of the character as a strong, intelligent, independent woman, and to the writers not allowing Carter to become a stereotype.

Carter is a scientist, with a PhD in Theoretical Astrophysics and has several years research into the Stargate programme behind her when she joins the team.  Throughout the different seasons we learn that she is no “bimbo”:

Carter: Sir, I’ve been thinking

O’Neill: Carter, I’d be amazed if you ever stopped. (Red Sky 5:5)

This intelligence is coupled with a strong military background.  Her father Jacob Carter himself a General in the United States Air Force meaning Carter has been brought up in the military lifestyle.  Carter is trained at the Airforce Academy and has risen through the ranks or the military form Captain in Seasons one and two, to Major at the start of season three, and is later promoted again to Lieutenant-Colonel.  She is a mix of level-headed but enthusiastic scientist, a little like Doctor Daniel Jackson, and trained military officer like her Commanding Officer Colonel Jack O’ Neill.  Indeed there are several episodes which concentrate on this conflict of science versus military, and this often is resolved through Carter’s strength of character and problem solving abilities, as we shall see later.

Interestingly, Tapping’s current role is again that of scientist and doctor as she plays Dr Helen Magnus in Sanctuary. Unlike Carter however, who is “one of the team” and begins Stargate SG1 on a personal mission to prove herself, Magnus is firmly in charge and has no need to prove herself to anyone.  Interestingly here, it is the male protégé Will Zimmerman who takes on the role here.  The audio commentary for Sanctuary touches on this culmination of the female character in Sci-fi and we can see a link from Carter to Magnus through Tapping’s own development.  This will also be significant later in discussions of fan interaction. 

Carter then is important in the overall development of the female in sci-fi as her development over the ten years of SG1 and several years of Atlantis, SGU and the films, allow the character to grow and influence other texts.  The journey that Carter goes through shows us just how far sci-fi television has come.

Henry Jenkins states that in Star Trek, perhaps the forerunner for every modern TV show, that:

The women of Star Trek are represented wither as being too emotionally and sexually volatile to perform their duties adequately, or as having totally repressed all emotions and much of their femininity in order to function within a male-centred workplace. (1995:199)

Indeed in an interview for the website “Den of Geek”, Tapping herself mentions the significance of the Star Trek legacy and mentions Uhura explaining that she was herself influenced by the strong characterisation of Uhura in Star Trek.  Tapping explains that she had a say in this influence, but that this was not an easy task to begin with:

…I actually got called to task because I made mention of her and said that even though she still had to wear a short skirt, the fact of the matter was she was this incredibly strong, incredibly intelligent character who paved the way.  Sci-fi has always done that, they’ve always put strong women out there. (2008)

It is clear that the characterisation of Samantha Carter is positioned within a rich history of wanting strong female protagonists, and the development of all aspects of Carter has influenced both audiences and other sci-fi shows.  In the next chapters I will examine how Carter is positioned within the team, and how she functions both as team member and as leader, how she is defined in her relationships with other characters, and particularly with O’Neill, and, how her character is formed within the plot and developed throughout the ten year span of the hugely successful show Stargate SG1 and the various spinoff programmes. 

 

Buffy the Vampire Slayer,  Creator, Joss Whedon.

Children of the Gods, Pilot episode. Stargate SG1, 1997, MGM

Clover, Carol J.  Men, Women and Chainsaws, Gender in the Modern Horror Film, 1993,

Den of Geek denofgeek.com/…/Amanda_tapping_int published 1 May 2008, accessed 26 March 2011.

Gwenllian Jones, Sara, Virtual Reality and Cult Television, 83, Cult Television. Ed. Gwenllian Jones, Sara and Pearson, Roberta E, University of Minnesota Press. 2004

Jenkins, Henry.  Science Fiction Audiences, Watching Doctor Who and Star Trek, Tulloch, John and Jenkins, Henry, 199, 1995, Routledge

Pearson, Roberta Kings of Infinite Space, Cult Television Characters and Narrative Possibilities,  Scope November 2003,

Red Sky, Stargate SG1, S5, episode 

Roberts, Adam, Science Fiction (The New Critical Idiom)  2000:9

Rowe Karlyn, Kathryn.  I’m Not My Mother: Scream and the 3^rd Wave Feminism, Genders Online Journal, 38, 2003

Sanctuary, 2008 – present, creator Damien Kindler, Sanctuary 1 Productions, Stage 3 Media.

Scream , 1996, Dir, Wes Craven, Dimension Films, Woods Entertainment

Tuszynski, Stephanie,”Way smarter than you are”:  Sam Carter, Human Being. Reading Stargate SG1, ed, Beeler, Stan and Dickson, Lisa, 2006. IB Tauris

V 2009-2011, The Scott Peters Company, Warner Bros Television.

Voyager , Star Trek, 1995 – 2001, Paramount Television

Sci-Fi Television: It's all about aliens innit?

Science fiction programmes have for a while thought to have been the output of a niche market, viewed arguably, as the choice of geeks and fanboys, whose dedication to their favourite television shows has been parodied both in television and in films such as Fanboys. (2009)

However, terrestrial channels have always shown genre television in prime time spots, television in decades such as the 50’s providing viewing for all the family.  Sci-fi television here, as explained by M. Keith Brooker derived from cinema shorts and was primarily aimed at children and young people:

“…to a generation of young Americans, they offered thrilling images of other planets and other times that presented an exciting alternative to a dreary Depression-era world that was drifting towards global war. “ (2004:4)

As television, and by extension Science Fiction television became more popular, budget and technological limitations meant that the majority of programmes made in this era were enjoyed by children.(2004:4)  As the decades have gone on, it seems that science fiction television has grown in production values, audience, and appeals to other then children.  The programmes made from the late 50’s onwards have, as many critics such as Booker and Steve Neale argue, provided us with something more than just children’s entertainment and provide us with socio-political commentary.  (2004:4)

Steve Neale suggests in his book The Genre Television Book that though early sci-fi can be seen as low culture due to its budget, as technology has improved, sci-fi has gained in status, and like Booker, he recognises that sci-fi television through the years has had a major part to play in commentary on the state of our lives and the world around us.  He says that:

“Significantly, what science-fiction television does, like its counterpart in the cinema, is to reflect contemporary social and political concerns.” (2008 :4)

It seems to be this that marks sci-fi television and sets it apart from other television categories such as dramas, soaps and so on.

As television as well as other areas of cultural production have developed over the years, so too has genre theory.  From being just a method for categorising cultural texts, it is now seen as a way for the audience to derive meaning from what they watch, as well as for more financial gain.  In today’s fast paced, multi choice world, viewers have many channels to available to them and can flick through from one channel to another until they find a programme that will satisfy their tastes.  This therefore, is also an important point that is explored in The Genre Television Book. (2008:5)

Genre theory then, takes into account more than just categorising output on similarity of themes.  Whilst sci-fi tv, as with other genres will have a set of conventions, sci-fi television encompasses many different themes.  It is not all about aliens and spaceships!  The rocketships and crude robots of the early 50’s, have now given way to interplanetary exploration, as well as survival on other worlds, where the “otherworldliness” serves only as a backdrop to the unfolding drama onscreen.  It also gives dystopian visions of a technological alternative world, frightening and amazing images of our own possible technological future, and much more.

Steve Neale explains that much of genre theory is down to audience expectation.  Therefore the reactions and opinion of the audience are just as important as the programmes and the studios that make them. (2008:3)

Science fiction then as a genre has been complicated by many things.  Firstly the difficulty of categorising programmes which are all different thematically.  Secondly by the development from children’s entertainment to sophisticated viewing,[1]  and lastly, the notion that unlike other genre tv, Sci-fi television provides us with a commentary on ourselves as humans and at the world we live in.  Programmes can be responsible for creating culture and ideology as much as they are responsible for talking about them.  For example certain phrases and words have entered our everyday vocabulary, and we are all familiar with the idea of ‘using the force’ and of the high tech futuristic transporters and holodecks of the Star Trek franchise (1966 onwards), and such familiarity has led to phrases such as the famous ‘beam me up Scotty’ used in popular culture.  (1966)  These aspects have leaked into other areas of cultural consumption in speech, other television programmes, song, merchandise and influencing clothing and fashion.

Lastly, and significantly, as Neale further points out, genre hybridity and crossovers are occurring in cultural texts and these are important to recognise.  He argues that hybridity can be seen in all forms of culture, and that television by nature is “generic”. (2008:5) We can see hybridity occurring in television just as we can in film. It is easy to see that the boundaries between sci-fi and horror for example are blurred in films such as in the Alien franchise,(1977)  Dark City  (1998), and many more.  In television we see similar crossovers happening in Buffy the Vampire Slayer  (1997-2003) which goes back and forth between fantasy, sci-fi and horror, as well as television shows such as The X-Files  (1993 - 2002), Sanctuary  (2008 – present), Farscape  (1999 – 2003) and newer forms of sci-fi television. 

We can see then that there is much to explore within the realm of the sci-fi genre.  From its history, narrative and stylistic conventions, characterisation, ideology and much more, sci-fi television is rich in meaning and gives much scope for discussion. 

Alien 1979, Scott, Ridley, Brandywine Productions, Twentieth Century Fox Productions.

Booker, M. Keith, The Praeger Television Collection: Science Fiction Television. 2004. Praeger.

The X Files, Creator : Carter, Chris, 1993-2002, Fox

Creeber, Glen, The Television Genre Book, ed Creeber, Glen, 2008:1, Palgrave Macmillan

Neale, Steve. The Television Genre Book, ed Creeber, Glen, 2008:3-4, Palgrave Macmillan

Sanctuary, Creator: Kindler, Damien, 1998-present, Sanctuary 1 Productions, Stage 3 Media

Farscape, Creator : O’Bannon, Rockne S, 1999-2003, Jim Henson Productions, Hallmark Entertainment

Dark City, Dir. Proyas, Alex, 1998, New Line Cinema

Star Trek, 1966, Roddenberry, Gene, Paramount Television.

Firefly, Creator: Whedon, Joss, 1997-2003 Twentieth Century Fox

Fanboys, Dir: Newman,Kyle, 2009. The Weinstein Company, Trigger Street Productions