historical texts TASK 12

CaGnEy aNd lAcEy
http://www.cagneyandlacey.com/index.aspx

Cagney and Lacey are two female New York policewomen doing their job as best they can in a male-dominated police department. The weekly program was variously a "cop show", a relationship drama, and an "issues vehicle" The script for the movie was written in the mid-1970's. It took many years for the script to be produced because the networks felt that there was no audience for a realistic show about policewomen. When the TV movie aired, it was a ratings smash and inspired a successful series of the same name. Television police drama starring two female cops as partners. Their contrasting personalities (one is tough and the other sensitive) strengthen them as a team, allowing each a different perspective on both personal and professional situations. The show was canceled at the end of the 1982-83 season, due to low ratings. In response, viewers wrote to CBS, protesting the cancellation. This effort, combined with the show's increasing ratings during the summer reruns, prompted the network to reverse the decision. Although the cast members had just been released from their contracts, they were soon brought back to work on the show. The series was reinstated in March of 1984, and ran until 1988.
watched episode "heat"-->cagney and lacey
They have the feminine and masculine feel to them which can be referred back to the book i read, working girls(by Yvonne tasker) , as they referred to cagney and lacey and talked about the feminine and masculine characters between the two females. This specific episode was found on you tube and i watched all 7 parts of the episode :). It was long but it works well with my independent study. 2 females are shown dominant in the episode and the story revolves around them, something that wasn't seen very often back in the 80's.
*Heat won awards for the character roles in that episode*
But the story concept is taken over my men and the only two females around are cagney and lacey, which shows the under representation of women in the police force.(Tuchman symbolic annihilation of women in media)

Cagney and lacey is a historical test which can be related back to my CSI independent study.It revolves around the police and crime genre, however CSI is a more indepth series about murder investigations. other programmes which relate to my sutdy are CSI ny and CSI miami, but cagney and lacey seems like the most related historical text.cagney and lacey's character roles are mostly in-synch with CSI:crime scene investigation. their are 2 females surrounded by males. the feminine/masculaine roles are also adopted by catehrine and sara within CSI, so there are many similarities.both programmes show the women as strong and emotionless. the roles have changed according to society changes but this only relates to the problems and changes in america.both prgorammes stil show relationships important in a females life, but focusing on CSI (because it also has male protagonists) the men are shown fully involved and obbsessed wtih relationship, they either have gambling problems or are devoted to their work. the males personal lives are almost a mystery, whereas everything about the females are known, their past, and their relationships are all on show for the programme.so according tot hese 2 texts its not much of a difference, but as i watch more cagney and lacey i may be able to find differences.
Books that will link to cagney and lacey which I can refer back to in my essay.

• Working girls(by Yvonne tasker)

• Defining women: TV and the case of cagney and lacey by Julie D’Acci (1994)

• Spectacular bodies: gender, genre and the action cinema By Yvonne Tasker(1993)

• Representing women myths of femininity in the popular media By Myra MacDonald (1995)