Blog Post 3

Dana Macaluso

Blog Post 3

      For this final blog post, I decided to analyze and discuss how the television show Talking Dead relates to specific theories and concepts that we have covered in this course.  The Walking Dead is one of the most popular television shows currently on television, attracting millions of viewers each week and is also one the highest-rated series that is currently on television. This show has created a large dedicated fan base, who tune in every Sunday night making sure they never miss an episode. As a result of the huge popularity of this show, the Talking Dead was created. This show directly relates to the idea of interactivity because of what the show is about and what happens during the show.

     

     For those who have never seen Talking Dead, it is essentially a talk show that only discusses the events that occurred in the previous Walking Dead episode. Each week different people, often cast mates and other celebrities who are fans of the show, come on the show and express their opinions and discuss their questions concerning the episode that had just aired.  What really shows how Talking Dead uses interactivity to connect with its large fan base is all of the ways the viewers can connect and contribute to the show.

     

     One example is that before every commercial break, there is usually live polling of a question asked about the previous Walking Dead episode. People tuning in can go online and answer the questions and you can see the percentages changing right before your eyes. This give viewers the sense of a connection to the show, because they can visually see how they are able to interact with it from the comfort of their home. This in a sense helps the show form a relationship with its viewers. As Caldwell describes this, "Interactivity, then, was not a cybernetic product, but a way for programs to seal a relationship with viewers."(Caldwell, 260).

     

     Talking Dead does many things to try to create a relationship with its viewers. Aside from the polling questions, the host and the guests answer questions that people post on Twitter. Also, there are times that the show plays video submissions that viewers have sent in. In my opinion, Talking Dead is one of the most interactive shows that is currently on television.

Works Cited

Caldwell, John T. “Televisual Audience: Interactive Pizza.” Televisuality: Style, Crisis, and Authority in American Television. New Brunswick: Rutgers UP, 1995. 249-83.