Abstract
The Wizard of Oz (1939) is one of the most often referenced, if not the most often referenced, text within US popular culture. The MGM classic starring Judy Garland has largely eclipsed L. Frank Baum’s vast universe of Oz and original book, as the songs (“Somewhere Over the Rainbow”), phrases (“We’re not in Kansas anymore”), and visual iconography (ruby slippers) of the film are regularly alluded to – and have taken on a life of their own. This not only raises The Wizard of Oz to mythic status, but it also allows for these references to serve as signifiers immediately understandable to a US-American audience, in what can be called “palimpsestic transmediality,” building on the theories of Gérard Genette, Marie-Laure Ryan, and Henry Jenkins. To illustrate this phenomenon, the article provides a close reading of the Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso (2020–23), where The Wizard of Oz is used to illustrate the titular protagonist’s journey of personal growth, and thus connects it to a televisual fantastic.
Published Version
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