In this funny true story, Caplan tells of his experiences on various game shows, the celebrity hosts he met, and the money he made.

In this book, Curt Hersey explores the history of U.S. media, demonstrating how news parody has entertained television audiences by satirizing political and social issues and offering a lighthearted take on broadcast news. Despite shifts away from broadcast and cable delivery, comedians like Samantha Bee, Michael Che, and John Oliver continue this tradition of delivering topical humor within a newscast format. In this history of the television news parody genre, Hersey critically engages with the norms and presentational styles of television journalism at the time of their production. News parody has increasingly become part of the larger journalistic field, with viewers often turning to this parodic programming as a supplement and corrective to mainstream news sources. Beginning in the 1960s with the NBC program That Was the Week That Was, the history of news parody is analyzed decade by decade by focusing on presidential and political coverage, as well as the genre's critiques of television network and cable journalism. Case studies include Saturday Night Live's "Weekend Update;" HBO's Not Necessarily the News; Comedy Central's original Daily Show, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and The Colbert Report; and HBO's Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. Scholars of media history, political communication, and popular culture will find this book particularly useful.

A WALL STREET JOURNAL FAVORITE FOOD BOOK OF THE EAR From the author of Queen Sugar-now a critically acclaimed series on OWN directed by Ava Duvernay-comes a beautiful exploration and celebration of black farming in America. In this impressive anthology, Natalie Baszile brings together essays, poems, photographs, quotes, conversations, and first-person stories to examine black people's connection to the American land from Emancipation to today. In the 1920s, there were over one million black farmers; today there are just 45,000. Baszile explores this crisis, through the farmers' personal experiences. In their own words, middle aged and elderly black farmers explain why they continue to farm despite systemic discrimination and land loss. The "Returning Generation"-young farmers, who are building upon the legacy of their ancestors, talk about the challenges they face as they seek to redress issues of food justice, food sovereignty, and reparations. These farmers are joined by other influential voices, including noted historians Analena Hope Hassberg and Pete Daniel, and award-winning author Clyde W. Ford, who considers the arrival of Africans to American shores; and James Beard Award-winning writers and Michael Twitty, reflects on black culinary tradition and its African roots. Poetry and inspirational quotes are woven into these diverse narratives, adding richness and texture, as well as stunning four-color photographs from photographers Alison Gootee and Malcom Williams, and Baszile's personal collection. As Baszile reveals, black farming informs crucial aspects of American culture-the family, the way our national identity is bound up with the land, the pull of memory, the healing power of food, and race relations. She reminds us that the land, well-earned and fiercely protected, transcends history and signifies a home that can be tended, tilled, and passed to succeeding generations with pride. We Are Each Other's Harvest elevates the voices and stories of black farmers and people of color, celebrating their perseverance and resilience, while spotlighting the challenges they continue to face. Luminous and eye-opening, this eclectic collection helps people and communities of color today reimagine what it means to be dedicated to the soil.

This book provides an in-depth examination and analysis of the film and television adaptations of Lope de Vega's theatrical dramas that have appeared on Spanish screens since the mid-twentieth century. Using a multidisciplinary approach, Allen draws on critical media literacy studies, film and adaptation studies, literary theory, cultural studies, and cultural historiography in his analysis. Allen argues that, given the problematic reception of Lope's works in Francoist Spain, the canonical author never held a privileged position in the dictatorial propaganda machine. In fact, adaptations of Lope's theater productions were subject to the same rigorous scrutiny, if not more, than any other screenplays that landed under censorship's microscope. Allen analyzes adaptations produced during and after the nearly forty-year dictatorship and questions whether the adaptors of the democratic era created films and television shows that can sufficiently demonstrate how the spirit of Lope's life and works can resonate with modern audiences. Scholars of film and television studies, adaptation studies, and history will find this book particularly useful.

From Eastenders to Dr Who, Desert Island Discs to Monty Pyton, The Office to Peaky Blinders, test your knowledge of the history of the BBC and all your favourite programmes with this OFFICIAL puzzle book. From casual quizzers to trivia obsessives, everyone will love this light-hearted and fun book of puzzles and quzzes, released to mark the 100th birthday of the oldest and most famous broadcasting company in the world. Learn about the organisation's history, from its beginnings right up until the present day, discovering all about its fantastic programmes, from comedy, drama and news to soaps, quiz shows and documentaries, along the way. Catch up with your favourite shows, stars and characters and learn about the history of the BBC on the way. You'll find long-standing, iconic series like Dr Who, Eastenders, The Archers or Desert Island Discs as well as cutting-edge dramas such as I May Destroy You and Peaky Blinders. There are also classic comedies like Monty Python, Fawlty Towers and Dad's Army as well as genre-changing hits like The Office or Fleabag. Each spread includes a lively, brief history together with puzzles that will suit all levels of knowledge and skill, making this title the perfect book for everyone to to enjoy. Over its hundred years the BBC has been at the heart of family entertainment and information, known throughout the world for the quality of its output. Packed with history, facts, puzzles, and images of favourite stars and programmes, this is the perfect gift for Christmas and beyond!

From the mid-90s to the present, television drama with religious content has come to reflect the growing cultural divide between white middle-America and concentrated urban elites. As author Charlotte E. Howell argues in this book, by 2016, television narratives of white Christianity had become entirely disconnected from the religion they were meant to represent. Programming labeled 'family-friendly' became a euphemism for white, middlebrow America, and developing audience niches became increasingly significant to serial dramatic television. Utilizing original case studies and interviews, Divine Programming investigates the development, writing, producing, marketing, and positioning of key series including 7th Heaven, Friday Night Lights, Rectify, Supernatural, Jane the Virgin, Daredevil, and Preacher. As this book shows, there has historically been a deep ambivalence among television production cultures regarding religion and Christianity more specifically. It illustrates how middle-American television audiences lost significance within the Hollywood television industry and how this in turn has informed and continues to inform television programming on a larger scale. In recent years, upscale audience niches have aligned with the perceived tastes of affluent, educated, multicultural, and-importantly-secular elites. As a result, the televised representation of white Christianity had to be othered, and shifted into the unreality of fantastic genres to appeal to niche audiences. To examine this effect, Howell looks at religious representation through four approaches - establishment, distancing, displacement, and use - and looks at series across a variety of genres and outlets in order to provied varied analyses of each theme.

"Brecher is the most influential writer you've never heard of in Hollywood. He wrote At the Circus and Go West for the Marx brothers and classics such as Du Barry Was a Lady and Meet Me in St. Louis for MGM. He wrote stand-up for Milton Berle and created the radio and television program The Life of Riley. Now in his nineties, the man is still a comedic genius with wit and timing that can't be beat. Incredibly, his career covers the entire spectrum of 20th-century entertainment, beginning with vaudeville and encompassing movies, radio, plays, television, and even the web (in impassioned support for the writers' strike of 2007). Brecher's story is presented as a series of interviews, which allows his voice to come through in its witty splendor. Rosenfeld does a fine job as chronicler, selector, and muse for these interviews, and his genuine friendship with Brecher is the reason that this book exists. Altogether delightful, this is an incredible reminiscence by a remarkable man." -- Library Journal starred review

This volume brings together scholars from across Europe to critically examine TV history programming in a period of political, economic and cultural change. They look at links between programming and national identity, consider the representation of minorities, and explore a range of televisual genres and techniques.

A fascinating insight from the official Python archives! This book delves into the official archives and recounts the history of the men who changed the face of comedy. The story is told through photographs, text, props and memorabilia, including hand-scribbled scripts, never-before-published cue sheets, artwork, unused presentation material, and more, offering the reader a unique peek into the world of these comic geniuses. The 'Dead Parrot' sketch. 'The Lumberjack Song'. 'Argument Clinic'. 'Spam'. Monty Python's Flying Circus was packed with famous skits and classic one-liners, many of which are still globally recognized, from the Hollywood Bowl to the University of Woolloomooloo. Their irreverent humour is the yardstick by which others are judged and the adjective 'Pythonesque' has been part of the English language for years. And 50 years after first broadcast, Monty Python's Flying Circus is still attracting and amusing audiences around the world.

"I am not in danger, Skyler. I am the danger!"

When a mild-mannered chemistry teacher teamed up with a small-time meth dealer - and, over five chaotic and addictive seasons, transforms into a ruthless kingpin - nobody expected the show to become a global sensation. But the gripping tale of Walt's descent into the criminal underworld has smashed records, making Breaking Bad the most critically acclaimed show of all time.

Now the legacy of this trailblazing series has been refined into the gift that keeps on giving. Say My Name: The Little Guide to Breaking Bad is contaminated with the loco misadventures of Walt, Jesse, Skyler, Saul, Gus, Mike and Hank through a wealth of wicked wit and wisdom, and classic, killer catchphrases. Just remember, tread lightly - we wouldn't want you to get hooked on the show all over again. Or would we?

The first two seasons of Star Trek: Discovery, the newest instalment in the long-running and influential Star Trek franchise, received media and academic attention from the moment they arrived on screen. Discovery makes several key changes to Star Trek's well-known narrative formulae, particularly the use of more serialized storytelling, appealing to audiences' changed viewing habits in the streaming age - and yet the storylines, in their topical nature and the broad range of socio-political issues they engage with, continue in the political vein of the series' megatext. This volume brings together eighteen essays and one interview about the series, with contributions from a variety of disciplines including cultural studies, literary studies, media studies, fandom studies, history and political science. They explore representations of gender, sexuality and race, as well as topics such as shifts in storytelling and depictions of diplomacy. Examining Discovery alongside older entries into the Star Trek canon and tracing emerging continuities and changes, this volume will be an invaluable resource for all those interested in Star Trek and science fiction in the franchise era. List of contributors: Sherryl Vint, Andrea Whiteacre, Torsten Kathke, John Andreas Fuchs, Ina Batzke, Sarah Boehlau, Will Tattersdill, Kerstin-Anja Munderlein, Diana Mafe, Whit Frazier Peterson, Henrik Schillinger, Arne Soennichsen, Judith Rauscher, Amy C. Chambers, Mareike Spychala, Sabrina Mittermeier, Jennifer Volkmer, Si Sophie Pages Whybrew and Lisa Meinecke.

Brilliant, brave, controversial, combative, innovatory, intellectual - just how do you become Janet Street-Porter? Born in working-class Fulham to parents who for years she refused to believe were really hers, Janet loathed her mother, tried to 'eliminate' her sister, and had a friend who was given a life sentence for a contract killing. In a household subsumed with repressive 'Welshness' (even the budgerigar spoke Welsh), she found solace in unsuitable friendships and outrageous behaviour. In this mesmerising account of growing up in post-war London there is poignancy, mystery - and a trademark black humour. Baggage will touch readers at many levels; it is as edgy and fearless as Janet Street-Porter herself.

Star Trek emerged against a cultural backdrop of Dylan, mini-skirts, bellbottoms and VW vans; flourishing a culture of Michael Jackson, big-hair and environmentalism; expanding during a culture of emerging-computers, greed and religious revitalization. Star Trek survived the culture shock after 9/11, and experienced a revival in the new culture of yoga pants, hybrid cars, and solar panels. Fifty plus years later, through rapid culture change, Star Trek is alive and well, voyaging through space and time. Which allows us to wonder, why is that? Star Trek kept its core features while adapting to contemporary culture. The Voyages of Star Trek: A Space-Time Continuum explores how understanding human behavior and culture change through space and time is an important discipline that can affect impactful media, such as Star Trek. The authors, K. M. Heath and A.S. Carlisle, investigate the enduring appeal of the phenomenon of Star Trek and how it mirrored, foreshadowed, and adapted to contemporary American culture from 1966 to the present. First looking at the evolution of Star Trek by tying the dramatic storylines of episodes and movies to events and developments in America, then assessing the extent to which the image of Star Trek is actually reflected on the screen from "snapshots" of randomly selected episodes and of all the movies. The Voyages of Star Trek: A Space-Time Continuum successfully looks at the cultural impact of Star Trek beyond what it did for its own franchise. Star Trek has a bright future among the stars, and has truly gone where few franchises have gone before.

An insightful look at the cultural impact of the television phenomenon Sex and the City. Back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, one word was on everyone's lips: sex. Sex and the City had taken the United States, and the world, by storm. Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, and Samantha influenced how a generation of women think, practice, and talk about sex, allowing them to embrace their sexual desires publicly and unlocking the idea of women as sexual beings on par with men. In Sex and the City: A Cultural History, Nicole Evelina provides a fascinating, in-depth look at the show's characters, their relationships, and the issues the show confronted. From sexuality and feminism to friendship and motherhood, Evelina reveals how the series impacted viewers in the 1990s, as well as what still resonates today and what has glaringly not kept up with the times. The world has changed dramatically since the show originally aired, and Evelina examines how recent social movements have served to highlight the show's lack of diversity and throw some of its storylines into a less than favorable light. While Sex and the City had problematic issues, it also changed the world's perception of single women, emphasized the power of female friendship, built brands, and influenced fashion. This book looks at it all, from the pilot episode to the spinoff movies, prequel, and reboot that together have built an enduring legacy for a new generation of women.

Offering a critical introduction into LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) transnational identity in the media, this book examines performances and representations within documentary and fiction oriented texts. An interdisciplinary approach is put forward, revealing new potentials for non western queer identity.

Focusing on Netflix's child and family-orientated platform exclusive content, this book offers the first exploration of a controversial genre cycle of dark science-fiction, horror, and fantasy television under Netflix's 'Family Watch Together TV' tag. Using a ground-breaking mix of methods including audience research, interface, and textual analysis, the book demonstrates how Netflix is producing dark family telefantasy content that is both reshaping child and family friendly TV genres and challenging earlier broadcast TV models around child-appropriate, family viewing. It illuminates how Netflix encourages family audiences to "watch together" through intergenerational dynamics that work on and offscreen. Chapters explore how this 'Netflixication' of family television developed across landmark examples including Stranger Things, A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance and even Squid Game. The book outlines how Netflix is consolidating a new dark family terrain in the streaming sector which is unsettling older concepts of family viewing leading to considerable audience and critical confusion around target audiences and viewer expectations. This book will be of particular interest to upper level undergraduates, graduates and scholars in the fields of television studies, screen genre studies, childhood studies, and cultural studies.

Adapting Detective Fiction is a study of specific instances of adaptation, with close readings of both the originating sources and adapted texts. But it is also more than this. It is a study of the politics of representation in the last decades of the twentieth century, and the role television detective fiction plays in this. It is about the mutually-informing interrelation of cultural texts and political rhetoric, about the connection between the popular-cultural depiction of crime and criminality and how we come to understand human behaviour and culpability; most of all, it is a detailed consideration of what the process of adaptation reveals about the shifting nature of the world in which we live. With specific reference to television series such as The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Miss Marple. A Touch of Frost Cadfael, and Midsomer Murders Adapting Detective Fiction uses adaptation as the basis for an exercise in later twentieth-century cultural history, illustrating the fundamental role detective fictions play in popular beliefs about the nature of crime and Englishness.

Official art book of Seasons 1 and 2 of the anime series Pacific Rim: The Black, featuring concept art created during the development of the series. Pacific Rim: The Black burst onto TV screens in March 2021, marking a bold new chapter in the Pacific Rim franchise. Its captivating story of young siblings Taylor and Hayley and their epic trek across the desolate Australian landscape to track down their parents was captured in dynamic anime style, complete with earth-shaking Kaiju-Jaeger battles and a cast of unforgettable characters. The Art of Pacific Rim: The Black retraces Taylor and Hayley's dramatic odyssey from the perspectives of the talented producers, directors, writers and animators who created this immensely popular series. They provide fascinating insight into how the series came about, the development of the characters, the design of the Kaiju and Jaegers, and much more. This lush, coffee table hardback book is packed with stunning imagery from the series, including sketches, concept art and final renders. With an exclusive foreword from showrunner Greg Johnson and visuals covering Seasons 1 and 2, there has never been a better time to dive deeper into 'The Black'!