Jonathan Bignell presents a wide-ranging analysis of the television phenomenon of the early twenty-first century: Reality TV, exploring its cultural and political meanings, explaining the genesis of the form and its relationship to contemporary television production, and considering how it connects with, and breaks away from, factual and fictional conventions in television. Relationships with surveillance, celebrity and media culture are examined, leading to an appraisal of the directions that television culture is taking in the new century. His highly-readable style is accessible to readers at all levels of Culture and Media studies.

This is a fascinating examination of the explosion of black television programming in the 1980s and 1990s. Locating a persistent black nationalist desire -- yearning for home and community -- in the shows produced by and for African Americans in this period, Zook shows how the Fox hip-hop sitcom both reinforced and rebelled against earlier black sitcoms from the sixties and seventies.

"Rose presents a comprehensive historical explanation of the related changes in television and in the four performing arts. . . . Highly recommended for both culture students and enthusiasts of the performing arts." Library Journal

"A timely intervention into debates on the representation of feminist and feminine identities in contemporary visual culture. The essays in this collection interrogate how and why certain formulations of feminism and femininity are currently prevalent in mainstream cinema and television, offering new insights into postfeminist media phenomena"--

Long overlooked by scholars and critics, the history and aesthetics of German television have only recently begun to attract serious, sustained attention, and then largely within Germany. This ambitious volume, the first in English on the subject, provides a much-needed corrective in the form of penetrating essays on the distinctive theories, practices, and social-historical contexts that have defined television in Germany. Encompassing developments from the dawn of the medium through the Cold War and post-reunification, this is an essential introduction to a rich and varied media tradition.

Ever wondered how the crew of Serenity would fare if they landed back on Earth-That-Was? Would we see etiquette classes by Inara? Remedial math lessons from Jayne? Could River make it as a psychic poker champ? And what kind of carnage could Saffron cause with a charity kissing booth? Find out in this cute cartoon collection from Joey Spiotto.

Americans have been watching and enjoying British television programming since the mid-1950s, but the information on the personalities involved is difficult, if not impossible, to find in the United States. This guide provides biographical essays, complete with bibliographies, on 100 of the best known and loved actors and actresses from Richard Greene (Robin Hood) and William Russell (Sir Lancelot) in the 1950s through stars of Masterpiece Theatre, including Robin Ellis and Jean Marsh, to the new generation of British comedy performers such as Alexei Sayle and Jennifer Saunders. Not only are serious dramatic actors and actresses, such as Joan Hickson and Roy Marsden to be found here, but also the great comedy stars, including Benny Hill and John Inman. Among the many shows discussed in the text are Absolutely Fabulous; Are You Being Served?; Dad's Army; Doctor Who; EastEnders; Fawlty Towers; The Good Life; The Jewel in the Crown; Poldark; Rumpole of the Bailey; Upstairs, Downstairs; and Yes, Minister. The guide offers not only factual information but also samplings of contemporary critical commentary and in-depth interviews with Terence Alexander, Richard Briers, Benny Hill, Wendy Richard, Prunella Scales, and Moray Watson. This is a reference source that also serves as a fascinating entree into the wonderful world of British television, one that is as fun to browse as it is to use for factual documentation.

How does culture articulate, frame, organise and produce stories about social class and class difference? What do these stories tell us about contemporary models of success, failure, struggle and aspiration? How have class-based labels been revived or newly-minted to categorise the insiders and outsiders of the new 'age of austerity'? Drawing on examples from the 1980s to the present day this book investigates the changing landscape of class and reveals how it has become populated by a host of classed figures including Essex Man and Essex Girl, the 'squeezed middle', the 'sharp-elbowed middle class', the 'feral underclass', the 'white working class', the 'undeserving poor', 'selfish baby boomers' and others. Overall, the book argues that social class, although complicated and highly contested, remains a valid and fruitful route into understanding how contemporary British culture articulates social distinction and social difference and the significant costs and investments at stake for all involved.

The high-pressured, fast-paced environment of television production leaves little time for producers to reflect on how the potentialities of texts and images will be interpreted outside of the immediate broadcast imperatives. This volume brings together the producers and analysts of television in a formal and productive way.

With the popularity of crime dramas like CSI focusing on forensic science, and increasing numbers of police and prosecutors making wide-spread use of DNA, high-tech science seems to have become the handmaiden of law enforcement. But this is a myth,asserts law professor and nationally known expert on police profiling David A. Harris. In fact, most of law enforcement does not embrace science-it rejects it instead, resisting it vigorously. The question at the heart of this book is why. "" Eyewitness identifications procedures using simultaneous lineups-showing the witness six persons together,as police have traditionally done-produces a significant number of incorrect identifications. "" Interrogations that include threats of harsh penalties and untruths about the existence of evidence proving the suspect's guilt significantly increase the prospect of an innocent person confessing falsely. "" Fingerprint matching does not use probability calculations based on collected and standardized data to generate conclusions, but rather human interpretation and judgment.Examiners generally claim a zero rate of error - an untenable claim in the face of publicly known errors by the best examiners in the U.S. Failed Evidence explores the real reasons that police and prosecutors resist scientific change, and it lays out a concrete plan to bring law enforcement into the scientific present. Written in a crisp and engaging style, free of legal and scientific jargon, Failed Evidence will explain to police and prosecutors, political leaders and policy makers, as well as other experts and anyone else who cares about how law enforcement does its job, where we should go from here. Because only if we understand why law enforcement resists science will we be able to break through this resistance and convince police and prosecutors to rely on the best that science has to offer. Justice demands no less. Visit the author's blog here.

This biography profiles Jon Stewart, television's most incisive deliverer of the fake news. As the host of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, he has attracted a vast audience that sees him as one of the few credible sources of cultural critique TV. As comfortable and adept at interviewing Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, U.S. President Barack Obama, activist Al Sharpton, or political commentator Bill O'Reilly as he is chatting with Angelina Jolie, Bill Gates, or Denis Leary, Jon Stewart has emerged as one of the hottest television personalities and most powerful media icons of the 21st century. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, currently Comedy Central's longest running show, has launched the successful careers of Stephen Colbert (host of The Colbert Report) and Steve Carell (star of The 40 Year Old Virgin and the popular television series The Office), and an appearance on Stewart's half-hour segment is coveted by both political figures and Hollywood celebrities as one of the most important places to be seen. Well-read, impossibly well-versed in current events, charismatic, and self-deprecating, Stewart has successfully garnered a broad-based following of viewers, from teens to senior citizens. Ideal for students and general readers alike, this biography profiles the always controversial, always prepared Stewart, including his early life, his first break in comedy, and his meteoric rise to joining an elite group of well-known and often-quoted media personalities.

Providing new and challenging ways of understanding the medieval in the modern and vice versa, The Medieval Motion Picture: The Politics of Adaptation highlights how medieval aesthetic experience breathes life into contemporary cinema. Engaging with the subject of time and temporality, the essays examine the politics of adaptation and our contemporary entanglement with the medieval: not only in overtly medieval-themed films but also in such diverse genres as thrillers, horror films, performance animation, and even science fiction. Among the films and TV shows discussed are productions such as HBO's award winning series Game of Thrones, Francis Ford Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula, Akira Kurosawa's Ran, and M. Night Shyamalan's The Sixth Sense.

When the BBC launched the world's first regular, high-definition television service on 2 November, 1936 it was the culmination of decades of technological innovations. More than this, however, the service meant that the principle of television had finally found its place. The Birth of British Television - A History traces the early history and development of television, from the experiments of amateurs to the institutionalised developments that led to the world's first regular, high definition television service. Author Mark Aldridge provides a clear, in-depth and accessible introduction for those either exploring the period for the first time or seeking new insights into the beginnings of the industry. In tracing the origins and development of television, Aldridge focuses on a number of important factors including the attitude of the press towards early television and examines the way that expectations of television changed over time prior to its official launch. Utilising new research, this illuminating study examines how the aims for a new television service developed, and the extent to which content and technology were linked. The Birth of British Television approaches this formative period from several perspectives, from private individuals to the BBC and government, while also examining the broader opinions at the time towards the new medium through press reports and feedback from the general public. Also included is an assessment of early programming, which helps to offer a new and profound evaluation of the development of early television. Mark Aldridge is a Lecturer in Film and TV Studies at Southampton Solent University, UK. He specialises in British television and both film and television history. His previous publications include T is for Television (2008), an analysis of the work of Russell T. Davies, co-written with Andy Murray.

A richly illustrated companion volume to the acclaimed "7 Up" film series, this book is based on Michael Apted's award-winning documentaries which cover the lives of 14 British children from age seven until they turn 42. 100 photos.

Engagingly written as a journal of fond memories, life experiences, lessons learned, and tragedies overcome, this is the story of the family that gave the world actress Jennifer Aniston. Written by her mother, Nancy Aniston, this tender, poetic, and charming memoir represents a healing exercise, and most importantly serves as an example of how to cope with and understand estrangement between parent and child.
During the meteoric rise of Jennifer's popularity on the hit television comedy Friends, Nancy and her daughter had a misunderstanding imposed on them by a tabloid TV report. In the three years since they last spoke, Nancy learned that separation from grown children is a national epidemic and that scores of parents suffer the same feelings of pain, guilt, and shame. This knowledge inspired Nancy Aniston to record family memories in this compelling volume, "and in the process of detailed retrospection a miraculous healing took place."
Nancy chronicles her own childhood of poverty, abandonment, failed marriages, and the difficult early years as a single mother. She recalls Jennifer's early love for the theater, the therapists, career managers, and hangers-on who endangered family bonds as she guided her daughter through the exciting, sometimes disappointing, stages of an acting career that came to realize phenomenal success.
While refusing the lure of celebrity gossip, Nancy Aniston strives to secure her story's inherent dignity, hoping it will be helpful to those trying to overcome their own childhood trauma, fallout from divorce, single-parenting issues, and the "dark hole of child/parent estrangement."

Television was one of the forces shaping the cultural revolution of the 1960s and 1970s, when a blockbuster TV series could reach up to a third of a country's population. This book explores television's impact on social change by comparing three sitcoms and their audiences. The shows in focus - Till Death Us Do Part in Britain, All in the Family in the United States, and One Heart and One Soul in West Germany - centered on a bigoted anti-hero and his family. Between 1966 and 1979 they saturated popular culture, and managed to accelerate as well as deradicalize value changes and collective attitudes regarding gender roles, sexuality, religion, and race.

This biography examines the life of a person raised in poverty and a single mother at 14, who is now one of the richest and most influential people in the world-Oprah Winfrey. Oprah's life is a bonafide rags-to-riches story that is much more compelling because of her empathy, sense of humor, and ability to communicate and connect with people. Beyond the estimated 30 million American viewers who tune into her television show each week, there are devoted fans in 140 countries where Oprah's show is broadcast. Her life and businesses continue to expand, now encompassing a radio channel, two magazines, and the forthcoming OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network television channel. This book documents the different aspects of Oprah's life, incorporating the details of her public, private, and philanthropic personas. The seven chapters of Oprah Winfrey: A Biography, Second Edition span the time period from her childhood in rural Mississippi to her present-day status as a global superstar and philanthropist. Provides a chronological list of important dates in Oprah's life Contains new information about Oprah's efforts to reach out to poor and poorly educated girls in America and Africa This revised edition includes current information about Oprah's ongoing career and life

Every baby boomer in America knows who that masked man was. He was mysterious and mythic at the same time, the epitome of the American hero: compassionate, honest, patriotic, inventive, an unswerving champion of justice and fair play.