There may be no more iconic image of mid-1980s network television
than Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs speeding down Biscayne
Boulevard in Crockett's sleek black Ferrari on Miami Vice. With its
unprecedented $1.3 million-per-episode budget and executive
producer Michael Mann at the helm, Miami Vice brought feature film
production values to prime time and redefined the television police
drama. In Miami Vice author Steven Sanders argues that the show's
themes, narratives, visual realization, and sound design created a
new standard of crime television that has its roots in classic film
noir and neo-noir. In chapter 1 Sanders describes the social,
political, and cultural background that led Anthony Yerkovich,
creator of Miami Vice, and Mann to use Miami and its beaches not
merely as a backdrop but as a character in its own right. Along
with the show's visual aspects, Sanders identifies themes of
ambiguity, alienation, personal identity, and irony that came to
define the distinctive ""TV noir"" style of Miami Vice. In chapter
2, Sanders discusses four key episodes to examine the
existentialist and postmodern themes that can be found in their
story lines and visual style. In chapter 3, Sanders considers
questions of authenticity, redemption, and politics in Miami Vice,
with reference to episodes that demonstrate the show's attention to
the political corruption and intrigue surrounding the war on drugs.
In the final chapter, Sanders offers a novel explanation of why
Miami Vice matters to film and video scholars. Miami Vice's visual
and musical appeal, cultural resonance, and topicality made it
absorbing entertainment in its own day; Sanders proves that its
exploration of social, moral, political, and philosophical issues
make it worth watching twenty-five years later. Fans of the show
and scholars of television history and American popular culture
will appreciate this illuminating look at Miami Vice.
General
Imprint: |
Wayne State University Press
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Series: |
TV Milestones Series |
Release date: |
August 2010 |
First published: |
September 2010 |
Authors: |
Steven Sanders
|
Dimensions: |
179 x 126 x 9mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback
|
Pages: |
128 |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-8143-3419-5 |
Categories: |
Books >
Arts & Architecture >
Performing arts >
General
|
LSN: |
0-8143-3419-9 |
Barcode: |
9780814334195 |
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