Engaging Viewers in Peak TV Through Music and Sound

One of the remarkable qualities of television series in the era of peak TV is their capacity to engage different types of viewers over extended periods of time. Large, mainstream audiences are gripped by the rich—and often suspenseful—narratives and complex characters; devoted fan communities seek to dig deep beneath the surface of television series to understand their complexity; and traditional cultural gatekeepers—such as professional critics and academics—are increasingly taking television seriously, whether as a worthy object of critical appreciation and aesthetic interest or as a form of contemporary media of preeminent cultural significance. This chapter examines the role of music and sound in relation to these different sorts of audio-viewing practices. I propose that thinking in terms of viewing frames can help us make sense of, first, how individual viewers engage with particular television series and, second, how particular television series encourage viewers to engage in certain practices. This chapter examines three different viewing frames in relation to music and sound. Through the “casual” viewing frame, we can see how sound design and scoring work to support storytelling and narrative comprehension, assisting viewers with keeping track of the highly complex narratives that are characteristic of peak TV. The second frame considers “forensic” viewership, for which music and sound offer invested viewers intertextual allusions, clues to plot developments, and various hidden Easter eggs. Finally, the “critical” frame considers music and sound in relation to the aesthetics and critical appreciation of television.