Date of Award

Spring 2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Communication & Theatre Arts

Program/Concentration

Lifespan and Digital Communication

Committee Director

Myles McNutt

Committee Member

Kate Mattingly

Committee Member

Tim Anderson

Abstract

This thesis argues that the success of television situational comedy revivals correlates with television’s technological affordances as they have evolved over the past half-century. Specifically, three revival series are examined within this study, consisting of The New Leave it to Beaver (1983-1989), Fuller House (2016-2020), and The Conners (2018-Present). This paper uses the revival case studies to showcase their parallel relationship with the introduction of cable television and streaming media, alongside the resurgence of broadcast television to highlight the changing media landscape and the intertwined nature between technological advancement and the revival form. The study’s investigation of how nostalgia intersects with the narrative patterns of the sitcom form offers a valuable historical framework for considering contemporary revivals, while simultaneously creating a foundation for analysis of future revivals.

Rights

In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

DOI

10.25777/a8vk-6922

ISBN

9798382773643

ORCID

0009-0006-6723-070X

Download

Share

COinS