Television Show Trends, 2016-2020: Authenticity, Diversity, Sexual Candor, and Retrospection - Paperback

by Yvonne D. Leach (Author), Nicholas J. Natalicchio (Joint Author)

What do Euphoria, Normal People, Atlanta, Ramy, Vida, I May Destroy You, Stranger Things, and Lovecraft Country have in common? In the 2016-2020 time period they were created, these TV shows exemplified one (or more) of four noteworthy trends: authenticity, diversity, sexual candor, and retrospection.

This is the first book to examine live action, fictional television shows produced within a five-year period through the lens of the trends that they epitomize. For each show, the following is discussed: the significance of the platform and the format; the intentions of the creators and showrunners; pertinent background information; similar shows and precedents; the storytelling approach; the cinematic form; and finally, how the show is emblematic of that particular trend. Since trends have the possibility of becoming part of the mainstream, they are important to identify as they emerge, especially for viewers who have a keen interest in narrative television shows.

Author Biography

Yvonne D. Leach is a faculty member in the Cinema & Television Department at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She started her career as a filmmaker, but then became a television scholar, focusing on story and production topics, TV trends, and the depiction of gender, orientation, race, and ethnicity. Nicholas J. Natalicchio is a faculty member in the Cinema & Television Department at Drexel University. He is an award-winning filmmaker with extensive hands-on experience across multiple industries, and teaches film and television studies.