Product Description
Thinking Television tells the story of an innovative media literacy project focused on the creation of media programming that "makes money" and "makes a difference." Woven around critiques of student-produced concepts for "television that thinks," this book offers new directions for critical media literacy, popular culture studies and the interdisciplinary concerns of cultural studies. ... Read more

Product Description
This book explains the fundamentals of cable television systems, the equipment they use, what services they can offer, and how cable television fits and compares with other broadcast technologies.Cable television (CATV) is a television distribution system that uses a network of cables to deliver multiple video, data, and audio channels. This book provides an overview of cable television system technology including cable modems, digital television, high definition television (HDTV), along with how cable systems are evolving to offer advanced services such as ultra broadband and video on demand (VOD).Described are the basic parts of cable television systems including set top boxes, cable modems, distribution systems, and head end equipment. Analog and digital video technology fundamentals are provided including the different types of analog video (NTSC, PAL, and SECAM) and the key types of digital video compression (MPEG-2, MPEG-4 and VC-1).You will discover why and how cable system operators are converting some of their networks from analog to digital to give more channel capacity and to provide for broadband Internet (cable modem) services. Described are the fundamentals of the data over cable service interface specifications (DOCSIS) and what each revision of DOCSIS provides to cable system operators.Explained are the different types of subscription services and value added pay per view (PPV) services including near video on demand (NVOD), video on demand (VOD), and personal video recorders (PVRs). You will learn how cable systems can upgraded to offer telephone services and why cable operators are transitioning from proprietary telephone systems to industry standard voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) systems.MMDS and LMDS wireless cable technology is described along with how cable operators can efficiently use these wireless systems to extend the range of their cable systems. The future of cable television is discussed including advances in interactive television and addressable advertising. Some of the most important topics featured in this book are:. Components and operation of CATV systems. Differences between analog and digital CATV systems. NTSC, PAL, and HDTV television signals. Video and audio compression. Cable modems using DOCSIS. MPEG digital formats. Video on demand (VOD). Cable telephony. MMDS and LMDS wireless cable. How CATV is evolving into IPTV ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Good for a quick overview
I am researching the television industry and I think this is a good book to get an overview of the cable end of the business. This is the second book of Lawrence Harte that I have read and what I like about him is his simple, precise explanation of technology concepts. Excellent for people like me without an telecommunications or broadcast background.

Having said that, I wish the book could have added a little more punch in the technology areas. I was left wanting to know a little more about the headend processes, equipment and set top box architecture and do not know where to turn. That way the book disappoints me. I think it does what it sets out to do which is why I give it 3 stars. I just wish the author had tried to do a little more.

Introduction to Cable Television
This is an excellent book for individuals looking for a clear and simple explanation of the cable television industry. The book is well written with detailed pictures and drawings and is ease for the non-technical reader to understand.

Very good foundation
I would highly recommend this for anyone who is researching the broadcast industry. It answered a lot of questions for me. ... Read more

Product Description
This collection of irreverent and surprising essays about the popular television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer includes pieces by leading science fiction and fantasy authors. Contributors include bestselling legend David Brin, critically acclaimed novelist Scott Westerfield, cult-favorite vampire author Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, and award-winner Sarah Zettel. The show and its cast are the topics of such critical pieces as Lawrence Watt-Evans's "Matchmaking in Hellmouth" and Sherrilyn Kenyon's "The Search for Spike's Balls." An informed introduction for those not well acquainted with the show, and a source of further research for Buffy buffs, this book raises interesting questions concerning a much-loved program and future cult classic. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (26)

Into every generation, a Slayer is born and people will write stuff about her
Just goes to show, fantasy & sci-fi writers are human, too, and they fall prey to frenzied fandom as much as you and I. BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER has been gone for a few years now, and I still miss it, and I still look around for some sort of substitute to satisfy Buffy withdrawal. There's Joss Whedon's Season Eight as chronicled in comic book form, so that's cool. But SEVEN SEASONS OF BUFFY is another alternative that might tide you over. It's a book anthology of Buffy-centric essays as written by some fairly big names in the sci-fi & fantasy genre. These articles - twenty-two of them, as well as the foreword from Drew Goddard (he co-wrote "Conversations With Dead People") - vary from insightful to droll to tongue-in-cheek, to sometimes all three. Topics span a wide range but all related to the Slayer's universe. For fans who just enjoy reading articles about the Slayer and her world or for fans who struggle to articulate just what Buffy means to them or why exactly is it that Buffy matters on a pop culture level or on a public consciousness level, well, this book might help.

The beauty of this anthology is that differing viewpoints are offered, and it's up to you to agree or disagree. For example, I really liked Seasons 6 & 7 so I wasn't down with how Justine Larbalestier closes her very passionate essay. I'm not a fan of Riley, so while I concede certain points to Michelle Sagara West's piece, it still left me feeling kind of meh. On the other hand, as a proponent of the last two seasons, I totally dig Nancy Holder's "Slayers of the Last Arc." So, I'm saying, this book should have something for everyone, but it'll also possibly have stuff that'll cheese you off.

A few of the essays are framed creatively, but not as creatively as Roxanne Longstreet Conrad's "Is That Your Final Answer ...?" which purports to be a lowly hellion's demonic term paper which presents Xander Harris as the Greatest Force for Good in Sunnydale. David Brin's "Buffy vs. the Old-Fashioned 'Hero'" asserts that the Slayer celebrates the inclusion of the common folk while other popular epics such as LORD OF THE RINGS and STAR WARS tend to cling to elitist ways.

There's an inescapable theme of sensuality and sexuality in the show, and so we get Nancy Kilpatrick's saucy delving into Buffy's love life in "Sex and the Single Slayer," with Jennifer Crusie's "Dating Death" covering similar ground. Carla Montgomery's "Innocence" explores the relationship entanglements Buffy and her friends get into, and the growth and loss of innocence that come with the package of falling in love. Michelle Sagara West's "For the Love of Riley" makes a case for Riley Finn's being THE ONE for Buffy. Elsewhere, Lawrence Watt-Evans' fun "Matchmaking on the Hellmouth" arrives at a startling "ideal romantic interest" for Buffy (which, okay, you do see coming mainly because the writer eliminates every other suspect from the list). Meanwhile, Jean Lorrah's "Love Saves the World" suggests that Buffy's makeshift "family" of friends, however dysfunctional, is actually the Slayer's biggest asset in fighting the forces of evil, best evidenced in Xander's saving the world at the end of Season 6 by getting thru to Dark Willow.

Sherrilyn Kenyon's "The Search for Spike's Balls" suggests that Buffy herself is a sort of vampire in that she sucks virility and masculinity from the menfolk in her life. In "Lions, Gazelles and Buffy," Chelsea Yarbro discusses her "Prey & Predator" theory with Buffy, naturally, cast in the role of the predator.

Scott Westerfeld pushes his theory of two recurring plot devices - the "Alternate World" and the "Trespass" story (basically, the Trespass theme is "A stranger comes to town..."). Westerfeld labels BUFFY as inherently a "Trespass" story, except the few instances when the show becomes an "Alternate World" show. And then there's Scott's sub-theme of the "Elasticity of Trespass" in which everything reverts to status quo by episode's end (more prevalent in the monster-of-the-week episodes). Scott goes into BUFFY's occasional stabs at subverting the "Elasticity of Trespass." I'm describing this really clunkily but it doesn't change the fact that Scott Westerfeld writes an entertaining piece here. Conversely, Margaret L. Carter's "A World Without Shrimp" breaks down the "alternate reality" episodes ("Superstar," "Normal Again," and "The Wish").

Laura Resnick's "The Good, the Bad, and the Ambivalent" explores the show's dark, twisty character arcs - and, honestly, going by sweet, nerdy first season Willow, did anyone guess she'd transform into Dark "I just want to end the world" Willow? Resnick also asserts that Spike is the show's most ambivalent character. Marguerite Krause's "The Meaning of Buffy" targets the relationships and connections that the characters form. And then there's Krause's quest for the show's strongest, healthiest relationship (can you guess?).

In "A Buffy Confession" Justine Larbalestier articulates her obsession with BUFFY, her increasing paranoia that upcoming episodes won't live up to standard, and her worst fears being realized with Season 7. Sarah Zettel's "When Did the Scoobies Become Insiders?" covers the Scoobies' topsy-turvy evolution from misfits to insiders, and how sad that kind of was. She also mentions Jonathan who, more than just about anyone else in the show, typifies the ultimate loser and outsider. It's telling that when Jonathan gets a chance to alter reality to one in which he is the "Superstar," he chooses the Scooby gang to validate his inclusion to the in-crowd.

Kevin Andrew Murphy's "Unseen Horrors & Shadowy Manipulations" relates how outside criticism and sponsorship and fan outpouring can sometimes influence the show. Murphy cites the infamous "Double Meat Palace" fiasco as one example.

Peg Aloi's "Skin Pale as Apple Blossom" is an ode to Amber. Christine Golden's "Where's the Religion in Willow's Wicca?" first addresses the awesomeness that is Willow Rosenberg and then goes on to debunk her identity as a Wiccan. In "A Reflection on Ugliness" the sassy Charlene Harris accuses Joss Whedon of bias against ugly people. She expounds.

Jacqueline Lichtenberg's "Power of Becoming" attempts to sell television as an artistic medium that is on its way to becoming Great Literature, and how BtVS figures prominently in this evolution. As a fan of television, who am I to beg to differ? BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER was a pretty cool show.

For the fans, by the fans
Seven Seasons of Buffy is a motley collection of essays, written by academics, professional writers and fans alike.This book is definitively not for the casual Buffy viewer.In-depth analysis quotes episode titles by name, and often gives little else for reference.The essays are somewhat choppy in quality.They range from dry scholarly monographs to earnestly geeky sqeefests.As one can easily expect, the smoothest to read and most enjoyable of the lot were written by previously published YA/teen fantasy authors.It's fun to see big names like Charlaine Harris, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Scott Westerfeld, and Justine Larbalestier reveal their nerdy side. Not a lot of new ground is covered... check any Whedon-themed internet message board, and you can find plenty of similar essays online, but this collection seems to pull together a nice selection representative of some of the best Buffy-inspired critical analysis out there.Published just in the wake of Buffy's final season, this book casts a good retrospective on the entire series.I would consider it a must for any hardcore Buffy fans.

Worst Buffy book ever.BIG disappointment!
I have several Buffy books as well as books about other tv shows, like Angel, Charmed, Alias, etc.I've read books about the philosophy & psychology of The Sopranos, The Simpsons, The Matrix and others.That said...

This book just wasn't interesting.It lacked depth, nuance, even a sense of humor.I read nothing new, radical or intelligent.I expected more and got even less.Don't waste your money!!!Buy "Bite ME!"- The Chosen Edition by Nikki Stafford instead, SERIOUSLY.

A great re-read
I re-read "Seven Seasons of Buffy" in a lull between book deliveries and enjoyed it about as much as last time. It's a collection of essays by sci-fi writers on what was definitely one of the best series on TV IMHO. It leans a little heavy on romance and "who's Buffy's ideal man", but is a very good read overall.Intelligent writers, good content.

If you liked Buffy you'll love this.

Ok--but I expected more
I was expecting a semi-academic work.Instead, the collected articles seem to be on par with what I would expect from a fan website--not a book for purchase.If you love all things Buffy, you may find some of the articles interesting.If you're looking for an academic analysis of Buffy, look elsewhere. ... Read more

Product Description
With the average payment for a screenplay over $100,000, every writer knows that screenwriting is where the money is. In this guide, successful screenwriter and teacher Cynthia Whitcomb shares her extensive knowledge on writing for the screen. This book will teach you her proven techniques, including how to:

• test an idea for its commercial potential
• plan a compelling script
• write great openings and endings
• create characters that grow and evolve
• revise and hone your script to attract Hollywood agents and producers

Includes lists of the best movies to study—and why!

Cynthia Whitcomb has sold more than 70 feature-length screenplays, 25 of which have been filmed. She has made millions of dollars for her work, and her scripts have won and been nominated for many awards, including the Emmy Award, Cable Ace Award, Edgar Allan Poe Award, Humanitas Award, and Writers Guild of America Awards. Her students have also gone on to write successful box-office hits. She has taught screenwriting for many years, including seven at the acclaimed UCLA Film School.

Whitcomb’s commercial success and teaching experience make this an essential resource for anyone who wants to write winning scripts for Hollywood. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (26)

Supposedly 2005 was the last rating if you can believe this BS
25 people rated this cock and bull Writing your Screen Play review 5 Gold stars? What a crock! Nothing has sold since 2005? I call this a bit suspicious to say the least! These reviews are clearly FRAUDULENT! Please avoid anything to do with this author and use extreme prejudice. All of these reviews are fraudulent.Unless you are feeble minded dimwitted or mentally challenge avoid this product.

A guide that actually guides you!
The Writer's Guide to Writing Your Screenplay: How to Write Great Screenplays for Movies and Television I have read lots of screenwriting books some OK some not but this book is the first one that actually showed me useful information and gave me the confidence to write my first screenplay.



Tim Dutton
Tim Dutton Investigations

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Pending screenwriter!

Worthy of all the five stars!
This book focuses on the writing of screenplays (while the advice can be applied to TV, it felt to me to relate more to movie screenplays as many of the examples are taken from motion pictures).There is little in this book about the process of selling your screenplay (apparently Whitcomb has another book devoted to that, which I plan to pick up).More, the book is about perfecting your script (from storyboard to FADE OUT) so that it will be ready to sell.

Whitcomb approaches screenwriting with the concept of the right brain and the left brain: leaving the initial stages of screenwriting to the logical side (structuring, what scenes happen where, etc.) and the actual writing of the script to the creative side.

Overall, the book felt like a very well organized collection of "tips."That sounds like it isn't quite worthwhile, but I don't mean it that way at all.I am usually hesitant of books that tell you "how to write."This, however, thankfully felt more like a guide, showing the reader how to set up your story so that it will have all the pieces to make a full picture, and then how to smooth out all the creases.What makes the book so helpful is that Whitcomb explains the reasoning behind the "tips," gives examples as to how they applied to films that have been hits, and helps the reader understand why there are "formats" in films that typically need to be followed.

While I didn't completely agree with *everything* Whitcomb advised, I doubt that will happen with any guide book, and overall I found myself nodding along as I read.My only complaint was that I would have liked to see an even more updated version of this book, so that it included more current films to be analyzed and exemplified.However, Whitcomb does a good job of selecting classics and popular films that the majority of readers have probably seen (they are just about a decade old or so).

I have already written a few scripts (nothing that I've ever sent out yet!) but it was helpful to read this book while working on rewrites.I think the first part is meant to be read before any actual writing has been done, but since I'd already started writing I could still apply the information and adjust my script accordingly.If nothing else, the book at least got me to think about my screenplay from a few different angles, and that, in of its self, is worth the investment for this book!

Writing Your Screenplay by Cynthia Whitcomb
This is an excellent book written by an author with an incredible depth of knowledge about writing for a camera.Everything you need to know about writing a screenplay can be found in this book, it is a wonderful resource.

Useful for other things
I enjoyed this book. Its full of good suggestions for how to plan your screen play so it works and offers some great ideas to kick start the creative process. I am not planning on using this book for writing screen plays, I'll be using it to write computer games with detailed characters and stories, so I think it has useful information for almost any kind of writer.

Its a terrific book Cynthia. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us. ... Read more

Product Description
ANALYZING TELEVISION takes television seriously and has as its premise that students and teachers are also taking television seriously in courses on television criticism and aesthetics. The text starts with a look at narrative structure in television. Then it examines television style in settings, in camera style and principles, in editing and in sound. Finally the text looks at a variety of critical approaches to the study of television. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Interesting Text Book
I was required to buy "Television: Critical Methods and Applications" for my Film and Television class, and it is by far the most interesting text book i've read so far in my college career. It addresses advanced concepts in language that is easy to follow and understand.

Author Comments
Television: Critical Methods and Applications encourages readers to think critically about TV.

Videography, editing, acting, set design, lighting and sound are analyzed and explained in terms of how they are used to tell stories, present news, and sell products to TV viewers.

This student-friendly text provides critical and historical contexts, discussing how critical methods have been applied to the medium and highlighting the evolution of television style through the decades.

Television is illustrated with hundreds of frame grabs from TV programs. Its companion Website presents color versions of these black-and-white figures and augments them with video clips, sample student papers, syllabi, and other material.

Reviews of the first edition:

"This is, quite simply, the best book out there for teaching introductory TV courses. The text is well-conceived and engaging, and Butler does a superb job of illustrating the formal and aesthetic structures of television in a clear and readable manner."

--Tara McPherson (USC School of Cinema-TV)

"An ideal text for courses introducing television to undergraduates."
--David Bordwell (U Wisconsin; Author, Film Art)

"The best textbook on television available today."
--Ellen Seiter (UCSD) ... Read more

Product Description
The movie, Jaws. The main character, a vicious shark coursing through the deep blue ocean taking victims along the way. Who among us can?t hum the ominous musical accompaniment to this? Would Jaws be what it is today without its recognizable score? What about the theme to Star Wars? The Good, the Bad and the Ugly? Movies and music go hand in hand, neither can exist alone. Is the ?shower scene? in Psycho made eerier with the musical score that plays hauntingly in the background? Absolutely! For some, simply hearing the music from movies such as The Exorcist is enough to evoke goose bumps and shivers. Music is powerful. Music is moving. "Keeping Score" features interviews with the top composers of Hollywood from the worlds of film, television, and games. The insightful conversations are both entertaining and informative, taking the reader behind the scenes of the film scoring industry like never before. As you read about what the composers have to say, you?ll find that their words present a new manner in which the typical movie fans can access ?behind-the-scenes? information about their favorite films. You?ll also notice that these composers are as creative with their words as they are with their music. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A powerful and important survey key to any film collection
KEEPING SCORE: INTERVIEWS WITH TODAY'S TOP FILM, TELEVISION AND GAME MUSIC COMPOSERS features interviews from the top composers of Hollywood, offering conversations that go behind the scenes of film scoring and reveal details about best films and how they are made. From handling film critiques to how music is chosen and paired with movies, this is a powerful and important survey key to any film collection.

And what a score it is...
If you're a fan of movies surely you love the music that accompanies them. The composers are the guys behind the scenes that make the movie flow from one emotion to the next. 'Keeping Score' gives you great insight of today's top film, TV, and video game composers. Written in interview format the author serves up down to earth conversations rather than commercialized propaganda. Sit back and learn the insights of today's best composers. ... Read more

Product Description
Television sports production is difficult, and producing a remote sports event is arguably the most complicated to orchestrate. Many factors can adversely affect your production, including weather, lighting, and natural sound. A successful production is dependent on extensive planning, from budgets, technology and location to the intricacies of the sport itself. With so much at stake, why not learn from the experts?

Learn television sports production from the ISB, producers of the Olympics, who rely on the very same guide to train their own production staff. "Television Sports Production" walks you through the planning, set-up, directing, announcing, and editing involved with producing an event. Detailed descriptions of mobile units/OB vans, cameras, audio equipment and lighting requirements enable you to produce live or taped coverage of sporting events like an expert. You'll learn about the special considerations involved with producing various types of sports--from camera placement in figure skating to where to put the microphone during a tennis match.

Whether producing a local high school football game, the Super Bowl, or something as complex as the Olympics, this book will give you an inside look at how a remote production operates and the role of each participant.

Key Features:
* Written by the same sports production experts who bring us the Olympics
* Details shooting in high definition and associated special considerations
* Teaches different techniques used by producers to capture the essence of individual sports, from alpine skiing to the rough and tumble motorcycle road race
* Includes essential diagrams and samples, even an Olympic broadcast planning document
* Glossary provides a quick and easy reference of essential terms ... Read more

Product Description
Derided as simple, dismissed as inferior to film, famously characterized as a vast wasteland, television nonetheless exerts an undeniable, apparently inescapable power in our culture. The secret of television's success may well lie in the remarkable narrative complexities underlying its seeming simplicity, complexities Kristin Thompson unmasks in this engaging analysis of the narrative workings of television and film.

After first looking at the narrative techniques the two media share, Thompson focuses on the specific challenges that series television presents and the tactics writers have devised to meet them--tactics that sustain interest and maintain sense across multiple plots and subplots and in spite of frequent interruptions as well as weeklong and seasonal breaks. Beyond adapting the techniques of film, Thompson argues, television has wrought its own changes in traditional narrative form. Drawing on classics of film and television, as well as recent and current series like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Sopranos, and The Simpsons, she shows how adaptations, sequels, series, and sagas have altered long-standing notions of closure and single authorship. And in a comparison of David Lynch's Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks, she asks whether there can be an "art television" comparable to the more familiar "art cinema." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A fine book on the differences between film and television narrative strategies
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this study concerning some of the contrasts in the ways that the movies and television handles narrative, not least because for the past year or so this has been one of the topics of most interest to me.At least part of my enjoyment of the book came because Kristin Thompson confirmed many of the conclusions I have drawn in reflecting upon the changes that have taken place in television over the course of the past two decades, though in the end I believe she missed on an opportunity to recognize one of the major developments in television narrative in recent years.More of this in a second.

The four chapters in this book originated in a series of lectures that Ms. Thompson gave a few years ago at Oxford University.Her background is film, but unlike many film theorists she obviously takes television quite seriously.Quite unusually, her analysis treats individual shows as texts to be analyzed on their own, unlike many today who analyze television primarily in the role its plays in culture as a whole.I do not think that that approach is completely void of interest, but I also believe that what should be foundational-the careful reading of individual shows-has been neglected to the detriment to most television theory.Most television theory focuses on the forest to the exclusion of virtually all the individual trees.The first chapter deals with this precise issue, by analyzing the negative and limiting impact that Raymond Williams's famous concept of "flow" has had on television studies."Flow" refers to an imagined way that television functions, taking the viewer from show to commercial back to show to another commercial and finally to the next show and so forth throughout the evening.Under such a way of conceiving TV, an individual show is merely one element among others.But as Thompson very correctly points out, viewers are far more likely to recognize commercial breaks as opportunities to dash to the restroom, check to see if the water for dinner is boiling, or chance to run to the kitchen and grab a snack.Thompson argues for a focus on individual shows.Since the lectures were given in 2001, the role of DVDs has utterly altered the landscape.Videos were unable to do this simply because of their sheer bulk.A single season of STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION could fill an entire bookshelf, whereas now one could fit the entire STAR TREK franchise, movies include, on a shelf and a half.Viewing a show on DVD makes "flow" irrelevant, since no one in their right mind would argue that somehow the show has been diminished by eliminating the commercial breaks.Ironically, there is a new kind of flow, as I recently experienced when rewatching the first season of VERONICA MARS, this time on DVD.

The second chapter focuses on analyzing television narrative through examining writing strategies for the medium by reference to screenplay writing manuals.I had never considered looking at such books for guidance in understanding television or film, but this strikes me as a good idea.I plan on looking at a few of the books she mentions in her discussion.More than any of the other chapters, this one deals with the real nature of television narrative.Although I agree with much that she says, I also differ with her, and I believe it is here that she misses turning this book into a study of the first rank.She points out that in the history of the medium, television primarily consisted of series with stand alone episodes.Each week the main characters would undergo a series of experiences that would be completely resolved by show's end.Moreover, there was a timelessness to each week's action.As she points out, one could easily shuffle the order of the episodes and not lose a single thing thereby.It was only in the seventies (with comedies like THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW) and the eighties (with series such as HILL STREET BLUES) that plots began to become complicated and started spilling out over more than one episode.I agree completely with her and also strongly agree that she gets precisely correct the important shows in this transformation.But I fault her account on one important point:she fails to detect the development of a third kind of television narrative.Beginning with TWIN PEAKS (which ironically is the subject of her final chapter), continuing with THE X-FILES, and fully maturing with BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER (and perhaps finding its most complete expression in LOST), a new genre of show began to appear that was not merely concerned with juggling a variety of arcs, but also with an overarching or master arc, a grand narrative that structured the show as a whole.THE X-FILES was a blend of stand alone episodes and episodes that continued the arc about the government's conspiracy to hide the truth about alien invasion.There is absolutely nothing comparable to this in HILL STREET BLUES or NYPD BLUE or CHINA BEACH or CAGNEY AND LACEY or NORTHERN EXPOSURE or ST. ELSEWHERE or the many other fine shows that develop their narrative by expanding multiple story arcs.BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER had a variety of smaller arcs, but each season featured one very big arc that more or less resolved that year.But BUFFY also contained very large arcs that extended for seasons, and one, Buffy's struggle with a destiny as slayer that robbed her of everything she most desired in life, continued from the first episode until the last few seconds of the last one.The number of shows driven by master narratives remains rather small-FARSCAPE, ANGEL, DARK ANGEL, WONDERFALLS, SMALLVILLE, LOST, and VERONICA MARS are a few examples-but their numbers are growing and often comprise many of the best shows on TV.Their presence also contradicts something else that Thompson assumes.She states that one of the challenges of TV lies in its shorter format.I understand what she means.An individual movie script can run to 90 to 180 minutes.A typical hour long script, adjusting for commercials, runs 47 (according to her-I find that most of my shows run 42-44).But ultimately I think she gets it wrong.Shows with master narratives extend over a large number of episodes and involve vastly more running time than any film.For instance, the first season of LOST was essentially one story (the show as a whole, when it runs its full length in four more seasons, will tell a single story).The total run time for the year was well in excess of a thousand minutes.Now, when even a very, very long movie is only 180 minutes, how can television be considered short format except in terms of each individual script.The fact is that a television show like BUFFY or LOST has a luxury of time that no movie can compete with.The differences between a show like LOST and a show like NYPD BLUE seems to be as significant as those between HILL STREET BLUES and any earlier series that employed the stand alone format exclusively.

The third chapter dealt with the differences between film and television narrative by discussing adaptations and spin offs.She chooses to write of a television series that was a spin off from a movie and a movie that an adaptation of a television series.Interestingly, in both instances the movies were vastly less successful than the television shows.The films/series were BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER and THE AVENGERS.Although these are two of my all time favorite series, as a whole I found this the least interesting chapter in the book.The points she makes here are completely valid, but they simply were not very substantive.

The final chapter raises the question of whether there can be art-television just as there are art movies.She discusses THE SINGING DETECTIVE as one candidate before going into detail into another, David Lynch's TWIN PEAKS.I thoroughly enjoyed this chapter, but I think the approach somewhat wrongheaded.I think it ultimately futile to attempt to characterize productions as "artistic" based on specific qualities that they possess.One of my favorite books is C. S. Lewis's AN EXPERIMENT IN CRITICISM, in which Lewis argues that we ought to focus on whether books promote and sustain good reading rather than whether a book is good or bad (one could easily substitute "art").I think both TWIN PEAKS and THE SINGING DETECTIVE can be experienced as serious television; PETTICOAT JUNCTION and HEE HAW and perhaps even LAW AND ORDER (which intentionally eliminates character development) cannot. I would hesitate to describe BUFFY as "art" television, but yet it has received vastly more academic attention than THE SINGING DETECTIVE and TWIN PEAKS combined.Perhaps I am wrong, but I am not sure that trying to locate an "art" television is a project that would ever be especially fruitful.

Despite my disagreements with the author at certain points, I regard this as a first rate book on television narrative.I urge anyone interested in the way that television narrative has evolved or in the fundamental differences between film and TV. ... Read more

Product Description
From Perry Mason and The Defenders in the 1960s to L.A. Law in the 80s, The Practice and Ally McBeal in the 90s, to Boston Legal, Shark and Law & Order today, the television industry has generated an endless stream of dramatic series involving law and lawyers. This new guide examines television series from the past and present, domestic and foreign, that are devoted to the law. ... Read more

Product Description
In this completely revised and updated edition (including eight new chapters), Jeffrey Jones charts the evolution and maturation of political entertainment television by examining The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Colbert Report, Politically Incorrect/Real Time with Bill Maher, and Michael Moore's TV Nation and The Awful Truth. This volume investigates how and why these shows have been central locations for the critique of political and economic power and an important resource for citizens during numerous political crises.In an age of Truthiness, fake news and humorous political talk have proven themselves viable forms of alternative reporting and critical means for ascertaining truth, and in the process, questioning the legitimacy of news media's role as the primary mediator of political life. The book also addresses the persistent claims that these programs have cynical effects and create misinformed young citizens, demonstrating instead how such programming provide for an informed, active, and meaningful citizenship. The new edition takes account of the many changes that have occurred in television and political culture since Entertaining Politics' initial release. ... Read more

Product Description
In this completely revised and updated edition (including eight new chapters), Jeffrey Jones charts the evolution and maturation of political entertainment television by examining The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Colbert Report, Politically Incorrect/Real Time with Bill Maher, and Michael Moore's TV Nation and The Awful Truth. This volume investigates how and why these shows have been central locations for the critique of political and economic power and an important resource for citizens during numerous political crises.In an age of Truthiness, fake news and humorous political talk have proven themselves viable forms of alternative reporting and critical means for ascertaining truth, and in the process, questioning the legitimacy of news media's role as the primary mediator of political life. The book also addresses the persistent claims that these programs have cynical effects and create misinformed young citizens, demonstrating instead how such programming provide for an informed, active, and meaningful citizenship. The new edition takes account of the many changes that have occurred in television and political culture since Entertaining Politics' initial release. ... Read more

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The amusingly odd protagonist and narrator of Jean-Philippe Toussaint's novel is an academic on sabbatical in Berlin to work on his book about Titian. With his research completed, all he has left to do is sit down and write. Unfortunately, he can't decide how to refer to his subject--Titian, le Titien, Vecellio, or Titian Vecellio--so instead he starts watching TV continuously, until one day he decides to renounce the most addictive of twentieth-century inventions.

As he spends his summer still not writing his book, he is haunted by television, from the video surveillance screens in a museum to a moment when it seems everyone in Berlin is tuned in to Baywatch.

One of Toussaint's funniest antiheroes, the protagonist of Television turns daily occurrences into an entertaining reflection on society and the influence of television on our lives. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Funny in parts, but it drags
The protagonist and narrator of Jean-Philippe Toussaint's novella has decided to stop watching TV. On sabbatical in Berlin, and living off of grant money, Toussaint's unnamed antihero is supposed to be working on a book--a monograph having to do with Titian and Charles V. Television, distracting as it is, must go. But the narrator's continued interest in TV, whatever his noble intentions, runs through the rest of the narrative. Still, the book isn't so much about television and its pull as it about the protagonist's continued procrastination, even with the TV off, his literary paralysis. In the course of the summer, plagued by doubts about whether to refer to the painter as "Titian" or "le Titain" in his book, he manages to write only two words: "When Musset." He is inordinately pleased with them.

Toussaint's book is amusing at times, as when the writer runs into the man who gave him his grant money at a nude beach. And Toussaint writes very well about his narrator's failure to write:

"Sitting on the couch in the living room, I then began to muse on the little problem that had been occupying my mind on and off for what would soon be three weeks, which is to say the name I should give Titian in my monograph, and I tried to console myself for not having made a definitive choice by observing that, paradoxically, what would truly have justified the accusation of avoiding my work and enjoying an easy summer in Berlin would surely have been settling straight down to write without fully considering the question of the artist's name, and that in fact I had every reason to be pleased with myself for having, in a spirit of scholarly scrupulousness and perfectionism, maintained myself for nearly three weeks in a state of perpetual readiness to write, without taking the easy way out and actually doing so."

The best and funniest part of the book by far, however, is the drama connected with the narrator's agreement to water his neighbors' plants while they're away, a task he sees to with the assiduity he applies to his writing.

But for the most part the book drags, with a great number of episodes that don't seem to have much point to them except to underline that the narrator still isn't writing (e.g., the flight around Berlin, the trip to a museum). The book is short, but I found myself wishing it was shorter, or that a larger percentage of it had to do with watering plants.

-- Debra Hamel

4.5 out of 5:An everyday, mundane, and delightfully humorous life
This is an amusing novella about a man on a sabbatical in Berlin, hoping to work on his "monograph" about Titan, who gives up watching television. The book demonstrates the pervasiveness of television in society. A wry glimpse into an everyday, mundane, and delightfully humorous life, which is unrecognized by the narrator. Delightful if a bit frothy.

VERY entertaining
This book is a lot of fun to read, and the English translation, while I can't vouch for faithfulness to the original, is very good.If anything, a translation enhances the sense of seeing the story through a telescopic lens, as we are, as is the narrator himself.His musings on how television is the enemy of thought are a delight, while at the same time his obsession with television never ends.Many other parts are laugh out loud funny. Less than 200 pages, not too much heavy lifting.Of course we never hear about that Titian paper, whether it's completed, but that's ok.

hardly working
Imagine:you are on sabbatical in Berlin, expecting to begin work on a monograph about the painter Titian.Your family is away on holiday.You've had it with television, and you've decided to give it up.But television is everywhere, as are its cousins:video monitors, surveillance cameras, etc.Such is the premise of this novel, Television, by Jean-Philippe Toussaint.

Like Toussaint's novels _Monsieur_ and _The Bathroom_, Television is about a rather pathetic everyman-sort of protagonist.He gives up television (or so we think?).He can't begin to get past the first two words of his Titian monograph.He hangs out with his friend John Dory.He visits an art museum.He swims at a nude beach.John Dory and the protagonist take an airplane ride over the city.His neighbors are away on holiday, and they would like him to water their houseplants.He can't quite remember to do that.Ostensibly on a plant-watering trip, he watches television in their home, and rationalizes that he never meant to give it up completely (what if the Olympic 100M dash were televised, and he wished to watch that 10 seconds of broadcast?should he deny himself that?a measly 10 seconds?).

Toussaint's protagonist seems very likeable, very anti-heroic, and very human: warts, foibles, and all.The musings on television (as passive entertainment, as constant companion, as whatever) are not tiresome at all.They are a welcome complement to the plot, such as it is.Among Toussaint's special gifts is a reserve, a distance that he places between himself and the actions of his characters and scenes.At the same time, the minutiae of those scenes are vividly realized.

_Television_ is very funny, and it is quite well written.

Toussaint has become one of my favorite novelists.Highly recommended. ... Read more

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This unique workbook can be used as a stand-alone text or supplemental text for any course designed to enhance the work of radiologic technology students. It will also serve the needs of graduate radiographers as well as the physician in learning specific areas of the Fluoroscopic Image Intensifier such as: ... Read more

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A disturbingly cautionary tale, Is Anyone Responsible? anchors with powerful evidence suspicions about the way in which television has impoverished political discourse in the United States and at the same time molds American political consciousness.It is essential reading for media critics, psychologists, political analysts, and all the citizens who want to be sure that their political opinions are their own. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Shanto Iyengar- Is Anyone Responsible
In his book Is Anyone Responsible? (1991), Shanto Iyengar evaluates the framing effects of television news on political issues. The book explores the agenda-setting role of television news. When he refers to the term framing the concept given refers to "subtle alterations in the statement or presentation of judgement and choice problems, and the term "framing effect" refer to changes in decision outcomes resulting from these alternations."Shanto Iyengar, professor of political science and communication studies at UCLA, has pioneered the research in the framing effects of news coverage on public opinion and political choice. He explains that viewers are "sensitive to contextual cues when they reason about national affairs. Their explanations of issues like terrorism or poverty are critically dependent upon the particular reference points furnished in media presentations." The frames for a given story are seldom conscientiously chosen but represent instead the effort of the journalist or sponsor to convey a story in a direct and meaningful way. As such, news frames are frequently drawn from, and reflective of, shared cultural narratives and myths and resonate with the larger social themes to which journalists tend to be acutely sensitive.

Through a series of laboratory experiments (reports of which constitute the core of the book), he finds that the framing of issues by television news shapes the way the public understands the causes of and the solutions to central political problems. The research reported in Is Anyone Responsible? examines two ways in which television news frames issues, these issues being episodic and thematic. Episodic framing depicts concrete events that illustrate issues, while thematic framing present's collective advice or general advice. Television news is routinely reported in the form of specific events or particular cases - Iyengar calls this "episodic" news framing - which is counterpoised to "thematic" coverage which places political issues and events in some general context. "Episodic framing depicts concrete events that illustrate issues, while thematic framing presents collective or general evidence."Iyengar found that subjects shown episodic reports were less likely to consider society responsible for the event, and subjects shown thematic reports were less likely to consider individuals responsible. In one of the clearest demonstrations of this phenomenon, subjects who viewed stories about poverty that featured homeless or unemployed people (episodic framing) were much more likely to blame poverty on individual failings, such as laziness or low education, than were those who instead watched stories about high national rates of unemployment or poverty (thematic framing). Viewers of the thematic frames were more likely to attribute the causes and solutions to governmental policies and other factors beyond the victim's control. The episodic frame is the more prevalent one. It ordinarily takes the form of a report based on an event. An example of this would be the depiction of the terrorism issue in the context of an Irish Republican Army bombing in Northern Ireland. On the other hand, the thematic frame provides a broader perspective; it reports the issue in the context of "collective outcomes, public policy debates, or historical trends" . An example would be a news story that discusses the terrorism issue against the backdrop of the historical bitterness between Northern Ireland's Protestants and Catholics. Yet the news media systematically filter the issues and defect blame from the establishment by framing the news as "only a passing parade of specific events, a `context of no context.'Iyengar found that subjects shown episodic reports were less likely to consider individuals responsible. Viewers of thematic frames on the otherhand were more likely to attribute the causes and solutions to governmental policies and other factors beyond the victim's control.On the basis of experimental research, Iyengar concludes that the episodic framing on television encourages viewers to assign the blame for society's problems to individuals, rather than to social and political institutions, such as political parties. Because television news emphasises episodic framing, says Iyengar, it deflects the blame for problems from government, resulting in a weakening of political accountability- hence the title of the book.

Iyengar says that television focuses "on concrete acts and breaking events" , this form of reporting did not originate from television. This model of journalism, which dates back to the 1830s, is the dominant form of newspaper reporting and has been taught in schools of Journalism since the early 1900s. in fact, newspaper journalists depend even more heavily on episodic reports than do television journalists.Compared with the newspapers' inverted pyramids, television emphasises the interpretative news report due to its need for tightly structured stories. If stories are to be readily understood by a listening audience, they cannot be allowed to trail off as a newspaper story may. Accordingly, television news stories tend to be built around inferential sentences, often an unattributed nature. Iyengar's experimental methods offer a precision of measurement that the media effects research seldom attains. I believe, moreover, that Iyengar's notion of framing effects is one of the truly important theoretical concepts to appear in recent years. Iyengar's challenge is to balance his noteworthy methods and concepts with an equally measures accounting of the substance of American politics and journalism.According to the arguments set forth by Iyengar, the breakdown of public confidence in media reportage is a result of the way campaigns are framed. "Nowhere is the debilitating influence of episodic framing on political accountability more apparent than in presidential election campaigns . . . [which] guarantee that coverage of the issues and the candidates' policy proposals will receive minimal attention."The significance of media sources becomes immediately apparent in the context of media framing. As Iyengar writes in the American Political Science Review (September 1987), "the invoking of different reference points triggers completely different strategies of choice or judgement." Merely altering the description of the alternatives can profoundly alter choices between risky prospects. Framing the prospects in terms of possible losses, for example, induces risk-seeking behaviour while describing the identical prospects in terms of potential gains makes people risk averse. ... Read more

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Hailed by the New York Times as "illuminating...vivid and clearheaded," Pierre Bourdieu's "acid appraisal [of television] will provide shudders of recognition for American readers" (Publishers Weekly). France's leading sociologist shows how, far from reflecting the tastes of the majority, television, particularly television journalism, imposes ever-lower levels of political and social discourse on us all. Quickly selling out its first hardcover edition, On Television has provoked widespread comment among journalists, academics, and television viewers. Katha Pollitt wrote, "anyone seriously interested in journalism must read this book," and Todd Gitlin called it "indispensable." Amazon.com Review
Television permeates our culture like no othermedium. Sitcoms, sports, murder trials, fast-food commercials, anddistant wars are beamed into our homes in an endless stream. Given itspervasiveness, and the ways in which it shapes our view of the worldoutside our homes, it is vital that a rigorous critical apparatusexists to help us understand what all this TV means. OnTelevision is a transcript of two lectures given by French criticPierre Bourdieu, in which he expresses his concern that television inits current form is "a threat to political life and to democracyitself." He argues that television provides only the illusion offreedom, and that almost every image that reaches the screen isthoroughly mediated by corporate and political interests. The desirefor larger audiences results in a medium that caters to the shortestattention span, and the news is reduced to a series of prepackagedsound bites and sensational video footage. On the networks, if itbleeds it leads.

Bourdieu's critique may be dismissed by some as excessivelypessimistic, and he offers few solutions to the problems that hedescribes. Yet although the end may not be as nigh as Bourdieuimagines, the influence of television continues to grow, and this is afascinating contribution to an increasingly importantdebate.--Simon Leake ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

On Pierre Bourdieu's On Television
An incredible friend of mine recommended this book to me, and I must do the same for you. If you are interested in social theory and are concerned about why reality shows and other unintelligent or unintelligible shows are proliferating and becoming more prominent, then you need this book. Though this book slightly predates reality television, Bourdieu's book is a concise beautifully written treatise discussing practical reasons why such absurdities are chosen for us to watch. I highly recommend that you read this book.

Unreal.
I read this book in French. The quotes are my translation and the page refs are to the French edition. The book is quite short. It brings together the edited text of two talks Bourdieu gave on French TV in March 1996, and an article on the same topic from March 94. The topic is not really television, but rather the effect of TV on journalism. The foreword ends, p. 8: "...I hope [my analyses] will help supply tools or weapons to those who, in the image trade itself, are fighting in to prevent what could have been a formidable instrument for direct democracy from turning into an instrument of symbolic oppression."

If this sounds sensible to you, then read the book, you may appreciate it. Moreso if you also have a taste for comments on the French lit-TV scene. (In France, lit-TV at the time took some of the space occupied in the US by political talk shows. It's half disappeared since then.)

To me, however, the quote sounds Pollyanna. (You read it here first, "Bourdieu has his Pollyanna side".) With a large helping of naïveté, it could have been reality-based back when The Honeymooners was the talk of the town (ask you grandma). Or, more to the point, when Dan Rather first stepped into a TV station. The spirit of the whole book, unfortunately, is faithful to the sentence.

It's not that there is nothing to learn, here and there, from Bourdieu's remarks. It's that at best the pickings would simply fill a scrapbook. They define no particular social phenomenon and no particular aspect of the TV domain in modern society. The book *claims* to be about television, but this is television minus the money shots (aka ads), the soaps, the sports, the generic talk shows, the kids' programming -- TV minus everything but news and public affairs, TV reduced the part where "journalists" get paychecks. Furthermore, while, at the time Bourdieu was writing TV, had been the dominant news source in France for almost as long as it had been in the US, this dominant journalism is measured by the standard of print journalism (which then as now was slipping faster in France than in the US). The French have a word for this, passéisme, past-ism.

The meager theoretical contribution in the book (mostly near the end of the second talk, and in the appended article) concerns the "effets de champ" in journalism, what in America would probably be called systemic effects, and especially their extent (emprise) within the field. Dan Rather's end-of-career misfortune will teach you more, and with a better grounding in reality.

One star because this is definitely in the lower quintile of what one would expect from Bourdieu on television.

A Critique on Journalism
Bourdieu's book, which is actually a lecture transcibed, is a look into the world of journalism on print and on television. Print, now being rivaled by the television news casthas to follow the steps in which television provides the material and the print media has to be there tocreate a uniformity in competition. If one veers, then people are unsure ofwhat to read, and given the times and the message Bourdieu is giving, Iwould assume most would follow the TV news. The title of the book might bemisleading in that its more about journalism than television itself. Theauthor makes many profound obsevations as well as unveiling some of thecompetition that actually goes on in journalism where he asks the question"Where does news come from?" Answering quite plainly that thejournalists do indeed choose what is news, and what isn't. A good read, ashort book, however at some points dense and other points dry andrepetitive. Overall highly reccomended for those interested in mediatheory.

A devastating critique of television journalism.
Turn off your television set for an hour to read this book, and then seeif, after finishing it, you feel like turning the set back on. Bourdieu, aFrench sociologist and one of the world's leading intellectuals, hasperformed a profound critique of what nowadays passes for journalism, bothon television and, increasingly, off it as well. The main body ofBourdieu's text was originally given as lectures and is accessible andstimulating to any concerned reader. The translation is excellent and theendnotes are helpful in defining the French context of Bourdieu's remarks.Highly recommended, especially to anyone who practices journalism in anymedium. ... Read more

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Since late evening cartoons first aired in 1960, prime-time animated series have had a profound effect on American television and American culture at large. The characters and motifs from such shows as The Flintstones and The Simpsons are among the best-known images in world popular culture; and tellingly, even series that have not done well in prime time—series like The Jetsons, for instance—have yielded similarly iconic images. The advent of cable and several new channels devoted exclusively to animated programming have brought old series back to life in syndication, while also providing new markets for additional, often more experimental animated series. Even on the conventional networks, programs such as The Flintstonesand The Simpsons, not to mention Family Guy and King of the Hill, have consistently shown a smartness and a satirical punch that goes well beyond the norm in network programming. Drawn to Television traces the history of prime-time animation from The Flintstones initial extension of Saturday mornings to Family Guy and South Park's late-night appeal in the 21st century. In the process, it sheds a surprising light on just how much the kid inside us all still has to say.

Drawn to Television describes the content and style of all the major prime-time animated series, while also placing these series within their political and cultural contexts. It also tackles a number of important questions about animated programming, such as: how animated series differ from conventional series; why animated programming tends to be so effective as a vehicle for social and political satire; what makes animated characters so readily convertible into icons; and what the likely effects of new technologies (such as digital animation) will be on this genre in the future.

Customer Reviews (1)

This guide is key for university level Media Studies programs.
Drawn to Television: Prime-Time Animation from The Flintstones to Family Guy joins others in Praeger's 'Television Collection' series, suitable for college-level media studies collections. The history of prime-time animation from Flintstones to modern times examines not only individual shows and their evolution and influences, but the changing nature of childhood and the social and political influences of children's programming as a whole. From the technical specifications of how animated children's programming differs from others to how it's used to impart social commentary, this guide is key for university level Media Studies programs. ... Read more

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"This intellectually sexy collection features some of the best and brightest academic media analysts from Britain and the United States." -- Voice Literary Supplement

"The essays in this volume rigorously engage the challenges of postmodern cultural criticism and theory, the central contemporary debate in the humanities." -- Communication Abstracts

"Mellencamp has produced a challenging and an invigorating text.... It should provide much inspiration." -- Journal of Communication

"This is a particularly good collection of thirteen papers with, overall, much more theoretically interesting yet less obscure and more pleasure-giving content than the norm. Give it priority." -- Media Information Australia

These essays, on the cutting edge of theoretical debate in the humanities, rigorously engage the challenges of postmodern cultural critique and theory. They range widely from detailed historical research to broad questions of theory and method.

Contributors are Patricia Mellencamp, Meaghan Morris, John Caughie, Charlotte Brunsdon, Lynn Spigel, William Boddy, Eileen R. Meehan, Andrew Ross, Lynne Joyrich, Jane Gaines, Margaret Morse, Mary Ann Doane, and Stephen Heath.

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The Ultimate Guide to Commercial Success
Acting in television commercials is a highly competitive business, but it can also be very lucrative. Whether you’re looking for your first break or want to take your acting career to the next level, Squire Fridell will give you the insider’s edge. Arguably the king of TV commercials, Fridell distills four decades of experience in this comprehensive, humorously written guide that has been indispensable to aspiring TV commercial actors since the first edition hit the shelves in 1980. This fully updated fourth edition gives the lowdown on how online and digital technologies have changed the industry and tells you everything you need to know about:

• Getting a terrific headshot
• Writing a winning résumé
• Finding (and keeping) the perfect agent
• Honing the skills that every serious commercial actor should have
• Auditioning well and getting the job
• Using the best online services for posting your headshot, résumé, and reel

You’ll learn how to launch your commercial acting career and–more important–how to sustain it and be successful. ... Read more

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We watch TV on computers, phones, and other mobile devices; television is now online as much as it is "on air." Television and New Media introduces readers to the ways that new media technologies have transformed contemporary broadcast television production, scheduling, distribution, and reception practices. Drawing upon recent examples including Lost, 24, and Heroes, this book examines the ways that television programming has changed—transforming nearly every TV series into a franchise, whose on-air, online, and on-mobile elements are created simultaneously and held together through a combination of transmedia marketing and storytelling. Television studios strive to keep their audiences in constant interaction with elements of the show franchise in between airings not only to boost ratings, but also to move viewers through the different divisions of a media conglomerate.

Organized around key industrial terms—platforming, networking, tracking, timeshifting, placeshifting, schedule-shifting, micro-segmenting, and channel branding this book is essential for understanding how creative and industrial forces have worked together to transform the way we watch TV.

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"TV is for when you don't have anything to do, or when you'relonely, or something. It's for you to learn, things and stuff...sayyou don't have anything to do, you can always turn it on for light orwhatever...I'm alone, I don't like to leave the TV off. Unless I'mgetting ready to go to sleep or something, I turn out all thelights...And then I leave it on, I go to my room and watch videos. Ijust like it."
—TeniyaSerita, age 12

Why talk with young people about TV? This is the question from which JoEllen Fisherkeller begins her insightful examination into the uses and power of TV in youth culture.

Fisherkeller studies the experiences of young adults watching TV and talking about TV, with their peers at home and at school. They discuss their hopes for the future as well as the challenges they currently face, and reveal how television plays a role in their everyday life.

As the most significant cultural symbol in the US, television is a powerful educational and socializing force; Fisherkeller examines how youth are attracted to TV programs and persona that help them work through their own personal dilemmas. And TV as a system shows them how "making it" is as much a question of image creation as it is a process of hard work.

Throughout the book there is a range of young adults' voices about how they live with television, and an essential acknowledgement of the power that television has on individuals and social relations. Growing Up with Television is a groundbreaking book that should speak to a multitude of disciplines on the educative and societal power of this uniquely ubiquitous medium. ... Read more