Barbara J Selznick
- Associate Professor, School of Theatre/Film and Television
- Member of the Graduate Faculty
Contact
- (520) 621-5528
- Louise Foucar Marshall Bldg., Rm. 231
- Tucson, AZ 85721
- selznick@arizona.edu
Biography
Dr. Barbara Selznick, Associate Professor, focuses on research that situates films and television series in the industrial, social, and cultural contexts of their production. Dr. Selznick's book on art film exhibition, Sure Seaters: The Emergence of Art House Cinema, was published by the University of Minnesota Press in 2001 (published under her maiden name of Wilinsky). Global Television: Co-Producing Culture was published by Temple University Press in 2008. Her latest book TV's American Dream: U.S. Television after the Great Recession will be published by Bloomsbury in February 2025. Dr. Selznick has also researched the importance of branding for understanding U.S. television, looking at how business practices have impacted television content (such as Doctor Who, Broadchurch, and Ozark) as well as television networks (SyFy, Freeform, and FX). Her work has appeared in anthologies including From Networks to Netflix and Very Special Episodes and the journals TV/Series, MAI: Feminism and Visual Culture, and Journal of Science Fiction Film & Television.Degrees
- Ph.D.
- Northwestern University
- M.A.
- Northwestern University
- B.S.
- Cornell University
Work Experience
- The University of Arizona, Department of Media Arts (2005 - Ongoing)
- The University of Arizona, Department of Media Arts (2000 - 2005)
- The University of Arizona, Department of Media Arts (1998 - 2000)
- University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, Department of Communication, Program of Radio-Television-Film (1997 - 1998)
Awards
- Writing Across the Curriculum Fellowship
- University of Arizona, Spring 2022
- Charles and Irene Putnam Excellence in Teaching
- Spring 2009
- Wakonse Fellowship
- Summer 2007
- Student Faculty Interaction Grant
- Fall 2006
- Foreign Travel Grant
- Spring 2006
- Spring 2005
- Outstanding Academic Title
- Spring 2002
- NATPE Faculty Fellowship
- Spring 2001
Interests
No activities entered.
Courses
2024-25 Courses
-
Intro Film and TV Industries
FTV 270 (Spring 2025) -
U.S. Film + TV Now
FTV 370 (Spring 2025) -
Issues Film + TV Industries
FTV 434 (Fall 2024) -
Practicum
FTV 394 (Fall 2024) -
Screen Narratives
FTV 460 (Fall 2024)
2023-24 Courses
-
Intro Film and TV Industries
FTV 270 (Spring 2024) -
Senior Seminar: Film & TV
FTV 496C (Spring 2024) -
Film Styles and Genres
FTV 465 (Fall 2023) -
Issues Film + TV Industries
FTV 434 (Fall 2023) -
Practicum
FTV 294 (Fall 2023) -
Practicum
FTV 394 (Fall 2023) -
Practicum
FTV 494 (Fall 2023)
2022-23 Courses
-
Intro Film and TV Industries
FTV 270 (Spring 2023) -
Senior Seminar: Film & TV
FTV 496C (Spring 2023) -
Intro to General Ed Experience
UNIV 101 (Fall 2022) -
Screen Narratives
FTV 460 (Fall 2022)
2021-22 Courses
-
Intro Film and TV Industries
FTV 270 (Spring 2022) -
Senior Seminar: Film & TV
FTV 496C (Spring 2022) -
Issues Film + TV Industries
FTV 434 (Fall 2021) -
Senior Seminar: Film & TV
FTV 496C (Fall 2021)
2020-21 Courses
-
Intro Film and TV Industries
FTV 270 (Spring 2021) -
Screen Narratives
FTV 460 (Spring 2021) -
Senior Seminar: Film & TV
FTV 496C (Fall 2020) -
Topics in Film + TV Studies
FTV 335 (Fall 2020)
2019-20 Courses
-
Issues Film + TV Industries
FTV 434 (Fall 2019) -
Senior Seminar: Film & TV
FTV 496C (Fall 2019)
2018-19 Courses
-
Honors Thesis
FTV 498H (Spring 2019) -
Intro Film and TV Industries
FTV 270 (Spring 2019) -
Senior Seminar: Film & TV
FTV 496C (Spring 2019) -
Honors Thesis
FTV 498H (Fall 2018) -
Issues Film + TV Industries
FTV 434 (Fall 2018) -
TV and U.S. Culture
FTV 375 (Fall 2018)
2017-18 Courses
-
Intro Film and TV Industries
FTV 270 (Spring 2018) -
Topics in Film + TV Studies
FTV 335 (Spring 2018) -
Senior Seminar: Film & TV
FTV 496C (Fall 2017) -
TV and U.S. Culture
FTV 375 (Fall 2017)
2016-17 Courses
-
Intro Film and TV Industries
FTV 270 (Spring 2017) -
Senior Seminar: Film & TV
FTV 496C (Spring 2017) -
Issues Film + TV Industries
FTV 434 (Fall 2016) -
TV and U.S. Culture
FTV 375 (Fall 2016)
2015-16 Courses
-
Intro Film and TV Industries
FTV 270 (Spring 2016) -
Senior Seminar: Film & TV
FTV 496C (Spring 2016)
Scholarly Contributions
Books
- Selznick, B. J. (2010). Ruminations, Peregrinations, and Regenerations: A Critical Approach to Doctor Who. Cambridge Scholars Press.
- Selznick, B. J. (2008). Global Television: Co-Producing Culture. Temple University Press.
- Selznick, B. J. (2007). Global Television: Co-Producing Culture. Temple University Press.
- Selznick, B. J. (2005). Contracting Out Hollywood: Runaway Productions and Foreign Locations. Rowman and Littlefield.
- Selznick, B. J. (2002). Exhibition: The Film Reader. Routledge.
- Selznick, B. J. (2001). Film Exhibition Reader. Routledge.
- Selznick, B. J. (2001). Sure Seaters: The Emergence of Art House Cinema. University of Minnesota Press.
Chapters
- Selznick, B. J. (2022). “Freeform: Shaking off the Family Brand within a Conglomerate Family.”
. In From Networks to Netflix: A Guide to Changing Channels, 2nd edition(pp 121-131). Routledge.More infoSignificant revision of earlier chapter to update for new edition. - Selznick, B. J. (2021). “Due to Its Subject Matter:” Creating the “Very Special" Teen Sex Talk on 1980s Sitcoms. In A Very Special Episode: Event Television and Social Change(pp 58-72). Rutgers University Press.More infoFocusing on television sitcoms, this chapter examines the relationship between industrial and sociocultural contexts and the conversations that parents and teens have about sex.
- Selznick, B. J. (2019). “ABC Family/Freeform: Shaking off the Family Brand within a Conglomerate Family”. In The New Television Industries: A Guide to Changing Channels. Routledge.More infoThe chapter explores the reasons for ABC Family's name change to Freeform by looking at the network's role within the Disney conglomerate as well as shifts in television viewership and the role of television within the family.
- Selznick, B. J. (2018). Freeform: Shaking Off the Family Brand within a Conglomerate Family. In From Networks to Netflix: A Guide to Changing Channels(pp 219-228). Routledge.
Journals/Publications
- Selznick, B. J. (2021). ‘‘How Could You Not Know?’ The Epistemological Precarity of The Female Detective as Mother’. MAI Feminism and Visual Culture, https://maifeminism.com/how-could-you-not-know-the-epistemological-precarity-of-the-female-detective-as-mother/.More infoThis article examines how the particular influences on and consequences of the 21st century television ecosystem intersect with social changes to impact not only the representation of female detectives but one who is also a fundamental part of the family unit: the female detective as mother. The chapter focuses on the British serial Broadchurch and its U.S. remake Gracepoint to explore how sociocultural expectations mix with stylistic conventions to create a precarious epistemological position for the female detective/mother.
- Selznick, B. J. (2009). Branding the Future: Syfy in the Post Network Era. Journal of Science Fiction Film and Television, 177-203.
- Selznick, B. J. (2007). “The Complete Story: Religion and Race in Global Non-Fiction Programming”. Global Media Journal (electronic), http://lass.calumet.purdue.edu/cca/gmj/fa07/gmj-fa07-selznick.htm.
- Selznick, B. J. (2001). "Europudding: International Co-Productions and Televisual Representation". Spectator (USC), 10.
Presentations
- Selznick, B. J. (2021, March). Expanding the Audience and Saving the City: Superheroes in Tentpole Television. Society for Cinema and Media Studies. Virtual: Society for Cinema and Media Studies.More infoThis conference paper, which had been initially planned for the 2020 conference that was cancelled, examined the different ways the CW/DC (starting with Arrow) and Netflix/Marvel (with Daredevil) used superhero shows to expand their audiences, focusing primarily on their representations of wealth and power. This paper directly relates to my larger book project on the depictions of the American Dream in post-recession television.
- Selznick, B. J. (2017, March). ‘How Could You Not Know?’ The Crimes of Motherhood in Broadchurch. Society for Cinema and Media Studies Conference. Chicago, IL: Society for Cinema and Media Studies.More infoThis paper will explore how the first season of the successful British crime series Broadchurch (ITV) depicted families -- particularly, mothers, connecting these representations to international stylistic trends and ITV's industrial imperatives. The paper will also look at Broadchurch in comparison to the failed U.S. remake of the program, Gracepoint.
- Selznick, B. J. (2018, March). "Changing Representations of Class on Television in the Digital Age". Society for Cinema and Media Studies Conference. Toronto, Canada: Society for Cinema and Media Studies.
- Selznick, B. J. (2018, March). "Changing Representations of Class on Television in the Digital Age". Society for CInema and Media Studies. Toronto, Canada: Society for Cinema and Media Studies.
- Selznick, B. J. (2018, September). "Remakes and Reboots: The Value of Mining Television's Past". Flow 2018: Precarity, Preservation, Praxis. Austin, TX: University of Texas-Austin.More infoProposed and participated in roundtable discussion.
- Selznick, B. J. (2017, March). ‘How Could You Not Know?’ The Crimes of Motherhood in Broadchurch”. Society for Cinema and Media Studies. Chicago, IL: Society for Cinema and Media Studies.
- Selznick, B. J. (2010, Spring). Brands Before Branding: An Historical Examination of Television Logos and Slogans. Society for Cinema and Media Studies. Los Angeles, CA.More infoPanel Speaker
- Selznick, B. J. (2008, Fall). "There is No British Empire...Yet": Doctor Who for an International Audience. Film and History Conference. Chicago, IL.More infoPanel Speaker
- Selznick, B. J. (2008, Spring). Distributing the Future: Science Fiction and Television Distribution. Society for Cinema and Media Studies. Philadelphia, PA.More infoPanel Speaker
- Selznick, B. J. (2007, September 7, 2007). Connecting the Digital Dots: Rethinking International Television Distribution in the Digital Media Environment. Global Fusion Conference. St. Louis, MO.
- Selznick, B. J. (2006, March 2006). "Between Borders of Theory and Practice: Understanding International Co-Production". Society for Cinema and Media Studies. Vancouver, Canada.
- Selznick, B. J. (2005, June 2005). "Language and Identity: English Language in International Co-Productions". European Cinema Research Forum. Leeds, UK.
- Selznick, B. J. (2004, May 2004). "Reaching Children Where They Are: Plaza Sesamo in the United States". Console-ing Passions. New Orleans, LA.
- Selznick, B. J. (2003, April 2003). Co-Producing Culture: The Rise of International Co-Productions on U.S. Television. Broadcast Education Association. Las Vegas, NV.
- Selznick, B. J. (2003, March 2003). World Class Budgets and Big Name Casts: The Miniseries and International Co-productions. Society for Cinema and Media Studies. Minneapolis, MN.
- Selznick, B. J. (2001, July 2001). "Programming the World: Television Programming in the Global Media Environment.". Console-ing Passions. Bristol, UK.
- Selznick, B. J. (2001, March 2001). "Chicago TV's Portrait of America". Orphans of the Storm II Film Symposium. Columbus, SC.
- Selznick, B. J. (2001, May 2001). "The Unifying Dialogue of the Industry: Television Exhibition and International Program Sales". Society for Cinema Studies. Washington DC.
Reviews
- Selznick, B. J. (2017. Book Review of Doctor Who the Unfolding Event, by Matt Hills. The Journal of Science Fiction Film and Television.More infoReview of Matt Hills book on Doctor Who, branding and paratexts
- Selznick, B. J. (2011. Review of American Television Industry(pp 281-284). Journal of Science Fiction Film and Television.
- Selznick, B. J. (2006. Book Review: Museum Movies: The Museum of Modern Art and the Birth of Cinema. The Moving Image.
- Selznick, B. J. (2004. Book Review: The End of Cinema as We Know It(p. 3). Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media.
- Selznick, B. J. (2001. Historical Journal of Film Radio and Television.
Creative Works
- Whose Stories Matter?: AMC's Post-Network Brand; On-line portal; October 2010; In Media Res; As part of the "Branding" theme week, this post explores the ways that original programming is shaping the AMC brand.
- The Complete Story: Religion and Race in Global Non-Fiction Programming; University of Minnesota Press; March; The Persistence of Whiteness: Race and Contemporary Hollywood Cinema
- "Television's 'Bad' Mothers: Putting the 'Anti' in the Anti-Heroine"; On-line; Media Commons; February 2015; In Media Res; Examined the representation of the "anti-heroine" on television in relation to their balance of work and family life.
- Mothers and Daughters: Watching The Gilmore Girls; Media Commons; February 2008; In Media Res; This is a short essay designed to spark on-line discussion. My essay was part of a week-long series on "Guilty Pleasures."
- “‘The Worst Thing That Happened to Me Happened in My Own Front Yard:’ The Meaning of Home in Post-Recession Television Comedy.”; April 2023; Society for Cinema and Media Studies Conference