Comparing Parks and Recreation and The Office – Newman’s Theory
Comparing Season 3 Episode 2 of Parks and Rec “The Flu” and Season 2 Episode 12 from The Office “The Injury”
This paper is an application of television theory/ close, textual analysis paper using Michael Newman’s “Beats and Arcs” article and a second article from the list below to construct a comparison/ contrast of two television series. Newman’s theory is primary, and you should probably use your original beats analysis paper as the first part of your paper. You would then add a second TV show and a second theory. You may introduce the second theory later in the paper or find a way to mention it in the intro.
First Theory: Newman (Beats & Arcs) and Second Theory Dunleavy’s hybridity in TV sitcom
Use the notes on your graded beats assignment to revise. Then, you should think about which second theory might be useful. This theory might come to you after you choose a second television program. For that second TV show, you should think of a show or episodes that is different in some way from the first so that you have some points to make about it.
The assumption is that you will begin by revising your assignment on story beats and then add to it. Thus, the first stepin this scenario is to revise your beats assignment to give your paper a formal structure. Your formal structure should set up Michael Newman’s theory and locate and explain some quotations from his work (not just the handout). You then will also need to apply his theories in a formal reading of the storytelling beats and overall structure of your chosen second TV series. In some cases, you might add in some of Newman’s theories about arcs.
Within your formal analysis you should be clearly drawing from Newman’s theory about how television episodes work, what their beats do, and how they may or may not be connected to A-plots and / or longer story arcs. Then you need to overtly draw form something in the second theory, and make overt reference to that theory in your discussion.
The final component is to give the paper a conclusion paragraph, and add an alphabetically ordered works cited list with the TV programs and the two articles listed in proper MLA or APA citation format.