“Researching Starsky and Hutch is exquisite torture”: Female Television Audiences and 1980s Letterzines

Stevens, E. Charlotte (2020) “Researching Starsky and Hutch is exquisite torture”: Female Television Audiences and 1980s Letterzines. Alphaville: Journal of Film and Screen Media, 20. ISSN 2009-4078

Preview

Text Stevens Exquisite Torture Proofed.pdf - Accepted Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives. Download (224kB)

Abstract

This piece reflects on work-in-progress on archived media fans’ letterzines of the 1970s and 1980s. Growing out of the science fiction APA fanzine scene, letterzines collect letters of comment (LOCs) between female fans, and capture conversations about their television viewing. Zines from this period go beyond science fiction and includes fandoms for cop shows such as Starsky & Hutch (ABC, 1975-1979) and Simon & Simon (CBS, 1981-1989). Letterzines, which have not typically been used as a source for exploring women’s television history, contain a range of information of interest to historians: interpretations of character and narrative, reports on fan conventions and meet-ups, and discussions of how women related to contemporary television at a time when VCRs started to saturate the domestic market. These primary source documents can potentially nuance assumptions about what women watched, their views on the programmes, and the contexts in which they watched.

Item Type:	Article
Dates:	Date Event 9 November 2020 Accepted 31 December 2020 Published Online
Subjects:	CAH24 - media, journalism and communications > CAH24-01 - media, journalism and communications > CAH24-01-05 - media studies CAH20 - historical, philosophical and religious studies > CAH20-01 - history and archaeology > CAH20-01-01 - history
Divisions:	Faculty of Arts, Design and Media > College of English and Media
Depositing User:	Charlotte Stevens
Date Deposited:	27 Nov 2020 10:38
Last Modified:	12 Jan 2022 16:45
URI:	https://www.open-access.bcu.ac.uk/id/eprint/9871

Actions (login required)

View Item