A panel discussion, or simply apanel, involves a group of people gathered to discuss a topic in front of an audience, typically at scientific, business, oracademic conferences,fan conventions, and on television shows. Panels usually include a moderator who guides the discussion and sometimes elicits audience questions, with the goal of being informative and entertaining.[1][2] Film panels at fan conventions have been credited with boosting box office returns by generating advancebuzz.
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The typical format for a discussion panel includes a moderator in front of an audience.[3]
Television shows in the English-speaking world that feature a discussion panel format includeReal Time with Bill Maher,Loose Women,The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore, as well as segments of the long-runningMeet the Press.[4] Quiz shows featuring this format, such asQI andNever Mind the Buzzcocks, are calledpanel games.
Panels at sci-fifan conventions, such asSan Diego Comic-Con andNew York Comic Con, have become increasingly popular; there are typically long lines to get access to the panels.[5] The panels often feature advance looks at upcoming films andvideo games.[6] Panels and the early screenings at conventions have been credited as increasing the popularity of blockbuster films in recent years.[7]
One of the earliest film panels was at the 1976 San Diego Comic-Con, when publicist Charles Lippincott hosted a slideshow—in front of a "somewhat skeptical" audience—for an upcoming film calledStar Wars. Five years later, theBlade Runner panel at the 1981 San Diego Comic-Con featured a filmfeaturette, before featurettes were popular. At the 2000 event,The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring preview panel ushered in today's era of hugely popular panels.[8]
Amanel is a panel whose participants are all men. The term is aportmanteau word deriving fromthe man andpanel. TheOxford Dictionaries and Cambridge Dictionaries teams both published blog posts on the word in 2017, suggesting the term was new at that time.[9][10] In the second decade of the twenty-first century, such panels, in academia, the private sector, the media, government, and beyond, became the object offeminist critique and of extensive media discussion,[11][12][13] as well as academic research.[14][15] Commentators challenged conference organizers and speakers to refuse to present manels. Organisations responding includedThe Financial Times, whose board decided in August 2017 to end men-only conference panels, and encouraged its journalists not to participate in these elsewhere.[16]
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