The 20th century might be accurately described as the television century. Perhaps no technological invention in recent history has so vastly affected the American public. An involving mixture of scholarship and nostalgia, this volume offers an intelligent examination of the many ways that American society has shaped-and been shaped by-television. Roman provides thematic chapters on all of television's major genres. James Roman, author of Love, Light, and a Dream: Television's Past, Present, and Future (Greenwood, 1996), traces the evolution of American television programming from its beginnings as an experimental spinoff of radio broadcasting to its current role as an omnipresent and, some would say, omnipotent force of media and culture.

Résumé
Mixing scholarship and nostalgia, this volume examines how American society has shaped--and been shaped by--television.

Contenu

The Seeds of Television Programming: the Networks Steal from the Radio Tinsel Town Comes to TV From Prarie to Pavement: The Lawman's Lonely Ride Medicinal Myopia/Blind Justice: Television Makes House Calls Mirroring the Melting Pot: Gender, Race, and Religion The Sitcom: Innocence vs. Urban Chic Television and the Comics Television Drama Reality TV: Surviving the Trend Talk TV: Running at the Mouth Kids, Cartoons, Puppets, and Muppets From the Weird to the Bizarre: Television's Tell-Tale Tube Setting the Agenda: Television News Style and Substance Mini-Series/Docu-Drama: A Delicate Balance Sports and Television: The Tortoise Meets the Hare Trends and Issues