History Main / EntertainmentWorldHistory

** MediaNotes/TheSeventhGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames: The medium bursts OutOfTheGhetto. UsefulNotes/HighDefinition, {{Casual Video Game}}s, {{Exergaming}}, Platform/{{iOS}} games, Western developers, {{Indie Game}}s, older series RevisitingTheRoots, and avant-garde narratives bring video games on par with (and potentially exceeding) movies as a force in entertainment. [=PCs=] make their comeback as the "good enough" gaming PC becomes cheaper.

* UsefulNotes/TheJapaneseInvasion: The rapidly-growing influx and influence of UsefulNotes/{{Japan}}ese media into American pop-culture, giving us {{video game}}s, {{anime}}, TheMagnificentSevenSamurai, and all the histories that come with it all.
** UsefulNotes/KoreanWave: Not long after, UsefulNotes/SouthKorea would follow suit with its own catelog of unique K-genres.

** UsefulNotes/TheHollywoodBlacklist: UsefulNotes/ColdWar-induced fear of DirtyCommunists puts the film industry under heavy investigation, creating a very dark period of dog-eat-dog {{paranoia|fuel}}.
** UsefulNotes/FrenchNewWave: The end of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII allows an ArchiveBinge of American film into UsefulNotes/{{France}}'s theaters, inspiring many authors and critics to try their hand and directing. UsefulNotes/TheAuteurTheory is born.

** MediaNotes/TheFifthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames: The advent of 32/64-bit consoles ushers in the VideoGame3DLeap. While many were ultimately unsuccessful as the industry struggled to adapt, several innovations in both game-play and storytelling were born. At this point in history the UsefulNotes/PcVsConsole balance is firmly on the side of consoles.

* History of UsefulNotes/BikerMedia: The evolution of how the {{biker|Media}} UsefulNotes/{{subculture|s}} appears in entertainment.

* History of the UsefulNotes/WesternRPG: The evolution of Western RolePlayingGames

* History of MediaNotes/HeavyMetal: A look at the long, sprawling history of TheNewRockAndRoll, HeavyMetal, and its diverse range of subgenres and their various [[Franchise/HomestarRunner squeedlies, meedlies, and jugga-jiggy-wuggas]].

* UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfHipHop: A highly innovative, memorable, and Afrocentric turning point in the history of HipHop.

** MediaNotes/TheBronzeAgeOfComicBooks: UsefulNotes/TheComicsCode begins to loosen, and comics shake off most of the Silver Age's silliness. {{Captain Ethnic}}s, {{Fad Super}}s, {{Very Special Episode}}s and iconic issue-spanning {{Story Arc}}s take form.

You'll notice there's something of a pattern to these histories. First, there's an early age as {{creators}} experiment with this newly-established field, then technological advancements kick-start a GoldenAge as it makes its mark on the entertainment world. It doesn't take long for MoralGuardians to take notice, prompting a CensorshipBureau to demand heavy restrictions. More often than not, this leads to a Dark Age of homogenization that, while nostalgic for some, [[GhettoIndex winds up imposing long-standing stigmas on both the field and its]] {{fandom}}. Naturally, creators strive to reinvigorate the GloryDays, ushering in a Renaissance that helps to shake off the prior doldrums and bring things OutOfTheGhetto. Quite often, things end up going full-circle when FranchiseOriginalSin sets in, and the trends that breathed new life into the field [[OnceOriginalNowCommon start to sour]]. Eventually, things settle into a steady series of [[PopularityPolynomial peaks]] and [[AudienceAlienatingEra valleys]] for the various studios involved. Now in the time of TheInternet and other innovations of the digital age taking off, the winds of change blow faster than ever, and we might even be on the heels of a new era. It's hard to come to a consensus on when exactly eras came and went, but its certainly interesting to see how:

** MediaNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfHollywood: Tinseltown's unparalleled peak is both the best and worst of times for the industry; highly talented actors and directors deliver several all-time classics, but the unchallenged Studio System and UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode lead to rampant ExecutiveMeddling beneath all that glitz and glamour.

** UsefulNotes/FallOfTheStudioSystem: Two major Supreme Court cases, competition from UsefulNotes/{{television}} and foreign cinema, and major stars having enough of their restrictive contracts dismantles the institutions of Hollywood's dominance.

** MediaNotes/TheSeventhGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames: The medium bursts OutOfTheGhetto. UsefulNotes/HighDefinition, {{Casual Video Game}}s, {{Exergaming}}, UsefulNotes/IOSGames, Western developers, {{Indie Game}}s, older series RevisitingTheRoots, and avant-garde narratives bring video games on par with (and potentially exceeding) movies as a force in entertainment. [=PCs=] make their comeback as the "good enough" gaming PC becomes cheaper.

** UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks: ''ComicBook/ActionComics #1'' kickstarts the genre as we know it, evolving from its Pulp roots. Heroes were far-removed from the squeaky-clean role models they would since become, and PatrioticFervor, {{wartime cartoon}}s, and ValuesDissonance abounds.
** UsefulNotes/TheInterregnum: The end of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII plunges the genre into an all-time low. UsefulNotes/TheComicsCode is established.
** UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks: Holy GenreRelaunch, Series/{{Batman|1966}}! Superheroes regain prominence in LighterAndSofter and DenserAndWackier form. {{Camp}}, BlackAndWhiteMorality, {{Superdickery}}, the influence of UsefulNotes/TheSpaceRace, and NarmCharm are the era's hallmarks.
** UsefulNotes/TheBronzeAgeOfComicBooks: UsefulNotes/TheComicsCode begins to loosen, and comics shake off most of the Silver Age's silliness. {{Captain Ethnic}}s, {{Fad Super}}s, {{Very Special Episode}}s and iconic issue-spanning {{Story Arc}}s take form.
** UsefulNotes/TheIronAgeOfComicBooks: The current period of comics can be divided into two major sub-eras (or those two eras can be folded into a single super-age, depending on one's view). The AlternateContinuity rises so as to trim prior {{Continuity Snarl}}s.
** UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks: MaturityIsSeriousBusiness + Gen-X cynicism = the zenith of {{grimdark}}. 'Twas the DarkAgeOfSupernames, {{Crisis Crossover}}s, {{Bad Girl|Comic}}s, and of course, the NinetiesAntiHero.
** UsefulNotes/TheGreatComicsCrashOf1996: The comics market is glutted by gimmicky mint-condition VariantCover holofoil collector's edition issues, leading to an economic bubble burst.
** UsefulNotes/TheModernAgeOfComicBooks: Mainstream recognition and influence pulls the genre into present times (although its considered too early too tell exactly where the borders lay). Expect lots of ArmedWithCanon {{reconstruction}}s and ScheduleSlip.

** UsefulNotes/ThePreHollywoodEra: Filming technology is invented, and the first movies are produced. UsefulNotes/ThomasEdison's efforts to control what he deemed his industry led UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity filmmakers to move westward.
** UsefulNotes/TheSilentAgeOfHollywood: UsefulNotes/LosAngeles proves to be the perfect place for enterprising filmmakers to set up shop. Several high-profile studios and stars rise to prominence.
** UsefulNotes/RiseOfTheTalkies: The invention of synchronized sound marks a major shift in the industry, solidifying cinema's place in the entertainment world.
** UsefulNotes/ThePreCodeEra: This raw, uncensored era spanning the Talkies Age and the first few years of the Golden Age provides us with several iconic {{genre}}s.
** UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfHollywood: Tinseltown's unparalleled peak is both the best and worst of times for the industry; highly talented actors and directors deliver several all-time classics, but the unchallenged Studio System and UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode lead to rampant ExecutiveMeddling beneath all that glitz and glamour.

** UsefulNotes/NewHollywood: With the restrictions of the Golden Age gone, filmmakers young and old flex their AuteurLicence. Movies get DarkerAndEdgier, BloodierAndGorier, and HotterAndSexier before all that ProtectionFromEditors collaspses in on itself in this ShortLivedBigImpact era.
** UsefulNotes/TheBlockbusterAgeOfHollywood: The SummerBlockbuster, home video, multiplexes, and indie films usher in the industry's modern age. Key elements incluse adaptations, [[TheVerse cinematic universes]], and [[TheMerch moichandising, moichandising, MOICHANDISING!]] The rise of digital distribution and internet streaming (and the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic effectively necessitating these advancements) threatens to send theaters down the way of the arcade.

You'll notice there's something of a pattern to this histories. First, there's an early age as {{creators}} experiment with this newly-established field, then technological advancements kick-start a GoldenAge as it makes its mark on the entertainment world. It doesn't take long for MoralGuardians to take notice, prompting a CensorshipBureau to demand heavy restrictions. More often than not, this leads to a Dark Age of homogenization that, while nostalgic for some, [[GhettoIndex winds up imposing long-standing stigmas on both the field and its]] {{fandom}}. Naturally, creators strive to reinvigorate the GloryDays, ushering in a Renaissance that helps to shake off the prior doldrums and bring things OutOfTheGhetto. Quite often, things end up going full-circle when FranchiseOriginalSin sets in, and the trends that breathed new life into the field [[OnceOriginalNowCommon start to sour]]. Eventually, things settle into a steady series of [[PopularityPolynomial peaks]] and [[AudienceAlienatingEra valleys]] for the various studios involved. Now in the time of TheInternet and other innovations of the digital age taking off, the winds of change blow faster than ever, and we might even be on the heels of a new era. It's hard to come to a consensus on when exactly eras came and went, but its certainly interesting to see how:

!!Histories and historical events of the {{Music}} industry (could use expansion, please help)

* UsefulNotes/TheBritishInvasion: UsefulNotes/YanksWithTanks stationed overseas introduce UsefulNotes/{{Britain}} to the {{Blues}} and later {{Soul}}, inspiring underground Liverpool clubs to try their hand at the sound, which makes its way into American mainstream. There would be later similar invasions of BritishMedia into American pop-culture, but the first is considered the most important and iconic.

* History of UsefulNotes/HeavyMetal: A look at the long, sprawling history of TheNewRockAndRoll, HeavyMetal, and its diverse range of subgenres and their various [[Franchise/HomestarRunner squeedlies, meedlies, and jugga-jiggy-wuggas]].

We at Website/TVTropes often find ourselves fascinated by the long and illustrious history behind the {{media}} and {{genre}}s that houses all our favorite {{works}}. Just where did all of these creative enterprises come from, and how did the eternal march of {{technology|MarchesOn}} and society bring us everything we know today? Which {{trope}}s [[TropeMakers came]] and [[DiscreditedTrope went]] and [[OmnipresentTropes stayed]] and [[EvolvingTrope changed]] with the {{time|MarchesOn}}s? To that end, we've compiled several UsefulNotes on the histories behind these industries. These may not be the most in-depth guides out there, but we hope that they contain enough information to paint a comprehensive picture if these subjects fascinate you as well.

** UsefulNotes/EarlyAnimation: Long before cartoons as we know them existed, humankind has made many attempts to harness the Persistence of Vision through art and tools such as the Zoetrope, Magic Lantern Shows, and much, much more.
** UsefulNotes/TheSilentAgeOfAnimation: The medium of cartooning truly begins to take form. What we now recognize as the InkblotCartoonStyle and DerangedAnimation exist to make the most of this crude yet highly experimental era.
** UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation: The advent of sound (and eventually color) brings the sputtering medium into its heyday. The ambitions of Creator/WaltDisney pushes animation to new heights and coins TheTwelvePrinciplesOfAnimation, while other studios break the mold with their takes on the ZanyCartoon.
** UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfAnimation: Animation enters UsefulNotes/{{television}}, {{anime}} enters the scene, and the SaturdayMorningCartoon is born. Between LimitedAnimation becoming the norm and MoralGuardians bearing their claws, the AnimationAgeGhetto stigmatizes the medium. It wasn't all bad, though; adult animation also got its start in this era.
** UsefulNotes/TheRenaissanceAgeOfAnimation: After a wave of MerchandiseDriven shows causes a stir, several studios old and new make a concentrated effort to revitalize the medium with creator-driven, game-changing cartoons on both the silver and small screen. Dedicated cable channels start to make SaturdayMorningCartoon blocks obsolete.
** UsefulNotes/TheMillenniumAgeOfAnimation: Modern technology and values reshape animation as it enters the 21st Century. {{Anime}} makes its way into mainstream, and trends come and go faster than ever before as the boundaries between creator and audience grow thinner.

** UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfVideoGames: Specifically, it was the golden age for the VideoArcade. Nonetheless, it was when the medium first hit the big time.
** UsefulNotes/TheGreatVideoGameCrashOf1983: The American home console market comes very close to dying as quickly as it came thank to Creator/{{Atari}}'s mishandling of the nascent market. As for what saved it...
** UsefulNotes/The8BitEraOfConsoleVideoGames: Creator/{{Nintendo}} revitalizes the console market with a business strategy involving a TrojanHorse, a KillerApp, and a console eventually housing several iconic 8-bit hits.
** UsefulNotes/The16BitEraOfConsoleVideoGames: Advancements in hardware and graphical capabilities allows genres new and old to hit their stride. Fierce new competition takes root, leading to the most iconic battle of the UsefulNotes/ConsoleWars.
** UsefulNotes/TheFifthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames: The advent of 32/64-bit consoles ushers in the VideoGame3DLeap. While many were ultimately unsuccessful as the industry struggled to adapt, several innovations in both game-play and storytelling were born. At this point in history the UsefulNotes/PcVsConsole balance is firmly on the side of consoles.
** UsefulNotes/TheSixthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames: Online gaming for consoles emerges, and MultiPlatform titles become commonplace. The big three contenders of the modern UsefulNotes/ConsoleWars are set in place, and the "hardcore" gamer demographic becomes a thing.
** UsefulNotes/TheSeventhGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames: The medium bursts OutOfTheGhetto. UsefulNotes/HighDefinition, {{Casual Video Game}}s, {{Exergaming}}, UsefulNotes/IOSGames, Western developers, {{Indie Game}}s, older series RevisitingTheRoots, and avant-garde narratives bring video games on par with (and potentially exceeding) movies as a force in entertainment. [=PCs=] make their comeback as the "good enough" gaming PC becomes cheaper.

** UsefulNotes/TheNinthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames: Hard to see. Always in motion is TheFuture.

** UsefulNotes/TheEighthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames: With the modern era fully established, companies and developers continue innovating. Microconsoles emerge, and {{Indie Game}}s become a major presence in the industry.

You'll notice there's something of a pattern to this histories. First, there's an early age as {{creators}} experiment with this newly-established field, then technological advancements kick-start a GoldenAge as it makes its mark on the entertainment world. It doesn't take long for MoralGuardians to take notice, prompting a CensorshipBureau to demand heavy restrictions. More often than not, this leads to a Dark Age of homogenization that, while nostalgic for some, [[GhettoIndex winds up imposing long-standing stigmas on both the field and its]] {{fandom}}. Naturally, creators strive to reinvigorate the GloryDays, ushering in a Renaissance that helps to shake off the prior doldrums and bring things OutOfTheGhetto. Quite often, things end up going full-circle when FranchiseOriginalSin sets in, and the trends that breathed new life into the field [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny start to sour]]. Eventually, things settle into a steady series of [[PopularityPolynomial peaks]] and [[AudienceAlienatingEra valleys]] for the various studios involved. Now in the time of TheInternet and other innovations of the digital age taking off, the winds of change blow faster than ever, and we might even be on the heels of a new era. It's hard to come to a consensus on when exactly eras came and went, but its certainly interesting to see how:

* UsefulNotes/TheBritishInvasion: UsefulNotes/YanksWithTanks stationed overseas introduce UsefulNotes/{{Britain}} to the {{Blues}} and later {{Soul}}, ispiring undergood Liverpool clubs to try their hand at the sound, which makes its way into American mainstream. There would be later similar invasions of BritishMedia into American pop-culture, but the first is considered the most important and iconic.

** ProtoSuperhero: {{Pulp Magazine}}s create many iconic {{heroes}} long before the modern imagery was established.

See also our index in HollywoodHistory for the many historical ages and eras of RealLife. Our pages on TheTwentiethCentury serve as a point of reference for what was happening concurrently to most of what's detailed below and how it may have influenced all this.

** UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfAnimation: Animation enters UsefulNotes/{{television}}, {{anime}} enters the scene, and the SaturdayMorningCartoon is born. Between LimitedAnimation becoming the norm and MoralGuardians bearing their claws, the AnimationAgeGhetto stigmatizes the medium.

** The Primordial Era of Western {{RPG}}s: TabletopRPG {{nerd}}s and computer {{geek}}s program the first TextParser games.

We at Wiki/TVTropes often find ourselves fascinated by the long and illustrious history behind the {{media}} and {{genre}}s that houses all our favorite {{works}}. Just where did all of these creative enterprises come from, and how did the eternal march of {{technology|MarchesOn}} and society bring us everything we know today? Which {{trope}}s [[TropeMakers came]] and [[DiscreditedTrope went]] and [[OmnipresentTropes stayed]] and [[EvolvingTrope changed]] with the {{time|MarchesOn}}s? To that end, we've compiled several UsefulNotes on the histories behind these industries. These may not be the most in-depth guides out there, but we hope that they contain enough information to paint a comprehensive picture if these subjects fascinate you as well.

[[AC:Note: The page is meant to list off the pop-culture histories that are written about here on Wiki/TVTropes. If there is any such chronology you feel is missing from our coverage, we encourage any and all Tropers with an intimate knowledge of the subject to write up the needed article(s) and link them here.]]

** UsefulNotes/TheFifthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames: The advent of 32/64-bit consoles ushers in the VideoGame3DLeap. While many crashed against the PolygonCeiling as the industry struggled to adapt, several innovations in both game-play and storytelling were born. At this point in history the UsefulNotes/PcVsConsole balance is firmly on the side of consoles.

You'll notice there's something of a pattern to this histories. First, there's an early age as {{creators}} experiment with this newly-established field, then technological advancements kick-start a GoldenAge as it makes its mark on the entertainment world. It doesn't take long for MoralGuardians to take notice, prompting a CensorshipBureau to demand heavy restrictions. More often than not, this leads to a Dark Age of homogenization that, while nostalgic for some, [[GhettoIndex winds up imposing long-standing stigmas on both the field and its]] {{fandom}}. Naturally, creators strive to reinvigorate the GloryDays, ushering in a Renaissance that helps to shake off the prior doldrums and bring things OutOfTheGhetto. Quite often, things end up going full-circle when FranchiseOriginalSin sets in, and the trends that breathed new life into the field [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny start to sour]]. Eventually, things settle into a steady series of [[PopularityPolynomial peaks]] and [[DorkAge valleys]] for the various studios involved. Now in the time of TheInternet and other innovations of the digital age taking off, the winds of change blow faster than ever, and we might even be on the heels of a new era. It's hard to come to a consensus on when exactly eras came and went, but its certainly interesting to see how:

** {{Exploitation|Film}} Era: ''Film/TheWildAngels'' kicks off a boom of "Bikerploitation" films in the midst of 60s counterculture and codifies modern biker iconography. The efforts of apologist Sonny Barger and the film ''Film/EasyRider'' codifies a more sympathetic and free-spirited image, but the disastrous Altamont Free Concert damages audience goodwill.

[[AC:Note: The page is meant to list off the pop-culture histories that are written about here on Wiki/TVTropes. If there is any such chronology you feel is missing from our coverage, we encourage any and all {{Troper}}s with an intimate knowledge of the subject to write up the needed article(s) and link them here.]]

[[AC:Note: The page is meant to list off the pop-culture histories that are written about here on TVTropes. If there is any such chronology you feel is missing from our coverage, we encourage any and all {{Troper}}s with an intimate knowledge of the subject to write up the needed article(s) and link them here.]]

[[/index]]

We at Wiki/TVTropes often find ourselves fascinated by the long and illustrious history behind the {{media}} and {{genre}}s that houses all our favorite {{works}}. Just where did all of these creative enterprises come from, and how did the eternal march of {{technology|MarchesOn}} and {{society|MarchesOn}} bring us everything we know today? Which {{trope}}s [[TropeMakers came]] and [[DiscreditedTrope went]] and [[OmnipresentTropes stayed]] and [[EvolvingTrope changed]] with the {{time|MarchesOn}}s? To that end, we've compiled several UsefulNotes on the histories behind these industries. These may not be the most in-depth guides out there, but we hope that they contain enough information to paint a comprehensive picture if these subjects fascinate you as well.

** UsefulNotes/TheFifthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames: The advent of 32/64-bit consoles ushers in the VideoGame3DLeap. While many crashed against the PolygonCeiling as the industry struggled to adapt, several innovations in both game-play and storytelling were born.

** UsefulNotes/TheSeventhGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames: The medium bursts OutOfTheGhetto. UsefulNotes/HighDefinition, {{Casual Video Game}}s, {{Exergaming}}, UsefulNotes/IOSGames, Western developers, {{Indie Game}}s, older series RevisitingTheRoots, and avant-garde narratives bring video games on par with (and potentially exceeding) movies as a force in entertainment.