This title offers a comprehensive account of television from the perspective of the programmes themselves. From "I Love Lucy" to "The Simpsons", from "The Twilight Zone" to "The X Files", from the moon landing to the events of September 11th, 2001, this book chronicles some of the most fascinating and infulential shows and global events ever to hit the small screen. Each entry offers a basic guide to the history of the show, its textual and thematic context, its critical and popular reception, while also explaining and frequently reconsidering ways in which it may have been analysed in the past. Entries are followed by questions designed to develop students' analytical skills and awareness of the key issues raised, while recommended readings and an extensive bibliography enable readers to carry out further research.
This is a well-structured , comprehensive volume that gives students an important historical context for a medium that is only just coming to terms with its past. Its publication does indeed "stand as a marker for just how far television studies has come". The Times Higher VI Cultural, Media and Gender Stu