Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-dh8gc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-16T16:33:10.686Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Introduction – TV Horror: What a Time to Be Alive… and Undead

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 February 2024

James Rendell
James Rendell
Affiliation:
University of South Wales
Get access

Summary

Abstract

This chapter considers the often-overlooked longstanding connections between horror and television, before reading the genre's graphic shift as emblematic of the new/current golden age of TV horror. Located within a post-TV paradigm, the chapter considers television's portalization facilitated by internet technologies that alter the production, distribution, curation, and consumption of horror TV. A pertinent feature of posttelevision, the chapter examines the complexity of transmedia: fostering hyperdiegetic depth and commercial opportunities for industry players, and outlets for fan participatory practices. Finally, the chapter develops the abject spectrum model, broadening audiences’ affective engagement with horror beyond being scared. It also considers audiences’ ideological deconstructing and aesthetical evaluation of horror. The chapter ends by providing an overview of the book.

Keywords: horror, post-TV, portals, transmedia, audiences, abject spectrums

As we move into the third decade of the twenty-first century, far from dwelling in niche shadows or underground catacombs, horror television is being feasted upon by hordes of ravenous viewers as it takes centre stage on many TV outlets. Stranger Things’ (Netflix 2016–) inaugural season saw it rank among the top three series on Netflix (Holloway, 2016), while season two was the most streamed show in the world before season three, at the time, shattered the record for most viewed series or film in the platform's history (Katz, 2018; Mumford, 2019). In 2022 season four then became the most viewed English-language series on Netflix and the second series after the South Korean dystopian horror hit Squid Game (Netflix 2021) to total over one billion hours of audience viewing (Hailu, 2022). Other genre fare has also proven extremely popular. Season five of Black Mirror (Channel 4 2011–2014/Netflix 2016–2019) was the most consumed text on Netflix in the UK (James R, 2019), American Horror Story's (FX 2011–) third season premiere was the second most viewed FX episode of all time with 5.54 million viewers (O’Connell, 2014), while The Walking Dead's (AMC 2010–2022) ‘debut in 2010 […] was the most-watched premiere in AMC history. Its

Type
Chapter
Information
Transmedia Terrors in Post-TV Horror
Digital Distribution, Abject Spectrums and Participatory Culture
 , pp. 11 - 66
Publisher: Amsterdam University Press
Print publication year: 2023

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×