CTCS-467: Television Symposium, Spring 2023

January 9, 2023 - May 8, 2023, Monday nights from 7:00 - 10:00 P.M.

The Ray Stark Family Theatre, SCA 108, George Lucas Building, USC School of Cinematic Arts Complex, 900 W. 34th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90007

The SCA Division of Cinema & Media Studies
Invites ALL USC Students of ANY MAJOR to
Enroll in the Spring 2023 Course:

CTCS-467: Television Symposium

Taught by Professor Mary McNamara
Pulitzer Prize-winning Television Critic
at The Los Angeles Times

Monday Nights @ 7:00 P.M.
The Ray Stark Family Theatre, SCA 108

Find CTCS-467 on the USC Schedule of Classes:
https://classes.usc.edu/term-20231/classes/ctcs/

This Spring 2023 semester, the School of Cinematic Arts will offer a very special course called CTCS-467: Television Symposium, a four-unit elective class open for enrollment to ALL USC STUDENTS OF ANY MAJOR that brings you face-to-face with the leading television writers, producers, directors and actors working today.

Each week, students watch contemporary television programming selected from the best shows on the air, followed by an exclusive Q&A with the creative team behind the show. The class is taught by MARY MCNAMARA, Pulitzer Prize-winning television critic and cultural editor for the Los Angeles Times and meets in person every Monday night @ 7:00 P.M. in the Ray Stark Family Theatre, SCA 108.

Recent guests have included: Danny Strong (Dopesick), Dong Hyuek (Squid Game), Jonathan Igla (Hawkeye), Molly Smith Metzler (Maid), Gloria Calderón Kellett (With Love), Marta Kaufman (Grace and Frankie), Tracy Oliver (Harlem), Jim Hecht & Jason Shuman (Winning Time), Michael Waldron (Loki), Annie Weisman (Physical), Brad Ingelsby (Mare of Easttown), Ilana Peña (Diary of a Future President), Amanda Peet (The Chair), Jac Schaeffer (WandaVision), Steve Yockey (The Flight Attendant), Scott Frank (The Queen's Gambit), Malcolm Spellman (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier), Simon Evans (Staged), Susan Downey & Tim Van Patten (Perry Mason), Raamla Mohamed (Little Fires Everywhere), Joe Mantello (The Boys in the Band), Eric Kripke (The Boys), Jay Roach & Sarah Paulson (Coastal Elites), Prentice Penny (Insecure), Kerry Ehrin (The Morning Show), Jon Favreau (The Mandalorian), Adam McKay (Succession), Alena Smith (Dickinson), Stephen Williams (Watchmen), Chris Mundy (Ozark), Susannah Grant (Unbelievable), David Mandel (Veep), Steven Canals (Pose), Sam Levinson (Euphoria), Raphael Bob-Waksberg & Kate Purdy (Undone), Marti Noxon (Sharp Objects), David Kajganich (The Terror), Tanya Saracho (Vida), Matt Duffer & Ross Duffer (Stranger Things), Liz Flahive & Carly Mensch (Glow), Hiro Murai (Atlanta), Noah Hawley (Fargo), Ron Moore (Outlander), and Kenya Barris (black-ish).

About Professor Mary McNamara

Mary McNamara is a Pulitzer-prize winning television critic and cultural editor for the Los Angeles Times, where she has worked since 1990. Previously she was an editor at Ms. Magazine and for Whittle Communications. In her 26 years at The Times, McNamara has worked as an assigning editor for the Los Angeles Times Magazine, a feature writer for Life & Style and a reporter and columnist for Calendar. She covered the film industry for four years before becoming a television critic ten years ago. She was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for criticism in 2013 and 2014 before winning in 2015. She has won numerous other awards for her work as a feature writer and critic. McNamara is also the author of the Hollywood mysteries Oscar Season and The Starlet, both published by Simon & Schuster. A native of Maryland, she attended the University of Missouri-Columbia and holds bachelor’s degrees in journalism and women’s studies. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, three children, two dogs, one hamster and a very large bottle of Advil.

Contact Information

Name: Alessandro Ago
Email: aago@cinema.usc.edu