ABSTRACT
This article analyses the American network television police drama series produced by Jerry Bruckheimer Television in terms of the authorial coherence and unique artistic identity the producer imposes on a set of programmes that are commercial and formulaic. The article shows how paradigms of authorial style are not restricted to high-end boutique television of the likes of The Wire but are present in everyday generic procedural televisions which, although forsaking high art for more acquisitive motives, are by no means anonymous. The article contends that Bruckheimer’s commercial strategies for greater domination of the television market motivate aesthetic choices and techniques that intersect throughout his various series and franchises and therefore marry together the notion of the programme as an economic mechanism and part of an authorial brand. The article demonstrates how Bruckheimer’s production methods homogenize the product so that it serves as brand guarantee as well as increasing awareness of an authorial consciousness pervading the text. The article focuses on such textual characteristics as identical establishing shots and visual effects in series that bear Bruckheimer’s name, signature use of colour schemes and their commercial origins, and how Bruckheimer encourages authorial uniformity through preparing his programmes for syndication. The article ultimately argues that we do not have to raise television to a level of art and cultural value in order to apply relevant authorship criteria to it nor does the pursuit of commercial success over dramatic complexity preclude an interpretation of authorship, which is one that is usually more evaluative and taste driven.
