ABSTRACT
The words ‘television viewer’ bring to mind caricatures of lazy couch potatoes, glued to their seats for hours on end, trying to escape reality by passively staring at addictive and mindless drivel on the screen. The word ‘tourist’, on the other hand, evokes visions of dynamic doers eager to explore new horizons and to partake in exciting, life-enhancing experiences. Yet viewers and tourists have more in common than these popular stereotypes may lead to believe. This chapter overviews some shared ground between the two, drawing on the existing literature and on a reception study of the American medical drama ER.1
