“As Literature” Approaches and the Academic Canonization of Television Studies

This chapter considers the broader implications of the “as literature” approaches to television embraced in this book by examining the “academic canonization” of other media within the humanities—the process by which art forms become accepted areas of study. “As literature” approaches could suggest that the academic canonization of Television Studies within the humanities is still very much in process. However, the recent rise in scholarship pointing out the problems with such approaches also suggests that the academic study of television series is entering an important next stage of academic canonization, when it will no longer need to rely on other more established art forms for legitimization.