Television History

In Sit Down and Cheer, Martin Kelner traces the development of this relationship from its humble origins in the 1960 Olympics, by way of the first-ever Match of the Day in 1964, through to the financial impact of Sky, right up to the high-tech gadgetry of our present-day viewing. Insightful and very funny, this is an entertaining exploration of two major national pastimes and not to be missed.

When former government staffer Alisha Aitken-Radburn was given a 'villain edit' on her first season of The Bachelor, she wasn't entirely surprised – there are only a handful of character tropes producers can manipulate into storylines. But the backlash on social media was unexpectedly intense, and Alisha found her sense of identity completely rocked by a single comment: 'You are a bad person'. Determined to shake the 'villain' label, she returned to reality TV screens, and this time, she got a different edit.

Ever wonder what the people who bring us our TV entertainment are thinking? Television and pop culture historian and author Herbie J Pilato has, and now takes listeners on a provocative and entertaining look into the agenda behind TV shows and the resulting trends. Even when it seemed television programming was primarily mindless, there was serious thought behind what audiences were presented. The networks, after all, believe in giving the people what they want, even when the people should have known better.

The pantheon of big-budget, commercially successful films encompasses a range of genres, including biblical films, war films, romances, comic-book adaptations, animated features, and historical epics. In Epics, Spectacles, and Blockbusters: A Hollywood History authors Sheldon Hall and Steve Neale discuss the characteristics, history, and modes of distribution and exhibition that unite big-budget pictures, from their beginnings in the late nineteenth century to the present.

From Dorothy Roberts, author of Killing the Black Body and a writer who “has brilliantly illuminated the Black experience in America for decades” (Bryan Stevenson), comes a spirited and riveting memoir of growing up in an interracial family in 1960s Chicago and a daughter’s journey to...

Apocalypse Television features a dramatic insider's account of the making of and backlash against The Day After. No other book has told this story in similar fashion, venturing behind-the-scenes of the programming and news divisions at ABC, the backlash from the conservative movement and Religious Right, the challenges encountered by the film's production team, and the experiences of the citizens of Lawrence, Kansas, where the film was set and shot.

In 2014, the UK science-fiction television series Black Mirror was released on Netflix worldwide, quickly becoming a hit with US audiences. Like other beloved British imports, this series piqued Americans' interest with hints of dark comedy, clever plotlines, and six-episode seasons that left audiences frantic for more. In Transatlantic Television Drama, volume editors Michele Hilmes, Matt Hills, and Roberta Pearson team up with leading scholars in TV studies and transnational television to look at how dramas like Black Mirror captivate US audiences....

Between 1965 and 1985, the world underwent profound social, political, and technological transformations. The Civil Rights Movement in the United States achieved key victories, including the Voting Rights Act of 1965, but racial tensions and systemic inequalities persisted. Meanwhile, the Vietnam War escalated, igniting widespread anti-war protests and fracturing American trust in government. This disillusionment culminated in the Watergate scandal, leading to President Nixon's resignation in 1974 and reshaping public perception of political leadership.

Still Laughing features never-before-told stories from the creation of one of the most groundbreaking shows in television history.

Sumérgete en la oscuridad seductora de Dexter Morgan como nunca antes. Con la voz inconfundible de su autor, el crítico y programador de festivales Sherif M. Awad, este audiolibro traza la evolución del antihéroe más célebre de la televisión —desde la primera chispa creativa de Jeff Lindsay, pasando por la aclamada serie original, hasta los renacimientos New Blood y Original Sin.

Wild Isles is a celebration of the wildlife found on a relatively modest collection of islands positioned at a latitude so northerly to be unattractive to many animals and plants. Despite these unpromising foundations, the islands of Britain and Ireland, together with more than 6,000 lesser islets that make up our archipelago, contain some of the most diverse, beautiful and wildlife-rich landscapes and seas on our planet. This audiobook will explore the fascinating relationships within and between species who make their home on our beautiful isles.

Step into the dark and intricate world of Dexter Morgan like never before. Dexter's Dark Passenger: A Killer's Path on TV is a comprehensive exploration of the antihero who captivated audiences and redefined the boundaries between good and evil. This book delves into the origins of Dexter—from the moment Jeff Lindsay conceived a character who was as methodically dangerous as he was disturbingly relatable, to the evolution of his dual existence on television.

*The book that inspired the 2021 PBS American Experience documentary, The Blinding of Isaac Woodard.* This program includes an introduction read by the author. How the blinding of Sergeant Isaac Woodard changed the course of America’s civil rights history. Richard Gergel’s Unexampled Courage...

Film and television actor and New York Times bestselling author Robert Wagner’s memoir of the great women movie stars he has known. In a career that has spanned more than sixty years Robert Wagner has witnessed the twilight of the Golden Age of Hollywood and the rise of television, becoming...

“Provocative…terrific stories” (The New Yorker) of the people who transformed sports—in the span of a single generation—from a job that required even top athletes to work in the off-season to make ends meet into a massive global business. It started, as most business deals do, with a...

"Early to bed, early to rise, work like hell and advertise!" These words of fatherly advice helped shape Ted Turner's remarkable life, but they only begin to explain the colorful, energetic, and unique style that has made Ted into one of the most amazing personalities of our time. Along the way...

If there's one thing the nation can agree on--we all love Betty White! This spirited homage to Betty captures her unique humor, timeless wisdom, and impish irreverence that's made her one of America's longest lasting and most beloved stars. An unparalleled American icon, Betty White started show...

Read by the author. It’s time to Discover Your True Worth. Join Lindsay Roberts as she invites you to step into your God-given purpose and become all that He has called you to be. Before his death, Oral Roberts commissioned his daughter-in-law Lindsay with what he believed to be a mandate from...

What if Rome never fell? Electa, on the cusp of womanhood, faces an uncertain future in Latia, the capital state in Appia. While sun-drenched Latia may be a paradise for some, it is a prison for others. Her talent for deception is the only thing keeping her alive, for now, but if Electa is anything, it’s defiant, and she will defy the path fate has laid before her and the will of men who try to control her until her last breath. Electa’s fight started as one for survival and freedom, but revelations about her own nature will change her and Appia forever.

Now available in Spanish language for the first time! Featuring new material including excerpts from Desi Arnaz’s unpublished second memoir and a revealing epilogue by daughter Lucie Arnaz, here is the revised edition of the New York Times bestselling memoir of Cuban American entertainment...