6. Watching Television Off-Television
Jonathan Gray (Fordham University), Henry Jenkins (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Jason Mittell (Middlebury College), Will Brooker (Kingston University); participants: Joel Greenberg (GSD&M), Kevin Sandler (University of Arizona) Derek Johnson (University of Wisconsin-Madison), Daniel Chamberlain (University of Southern California), moderator: Susay Broyles (University of Texas at Austin)

Question: Currently, a variety of new technologies are making it possible to consume large amounts of television off-television: for example, DVD sales of television are thriving; an increasing number of viewers are downloading episodes via BitTorrent; Apple offers episodes for download to iPods; Verizon offers clips for cell phones; Amazon is premiering a new talk show hosted by Bill Maher; Netflix and On Demand models of distribution pose a rival to broadcasting; and multiple official and unofficial fan sites allow the continued proliferation and extension of the television text online. How do these technologies change the nature of scheduling and programming? How do they shape the relationship between the viewer, the screen, and the show? And what does it mean when we watch television away from the television?

Will Brooker's Response

Jonathan Gray's Response

Jason Mittell's Response

Joel Greenberg's Response

Derek Johnson's Response

Daniel Chamberlain's Response