Reaching a critical mass : a critical analysis of television entertainment / Robert Abelman.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Abelman, Robert., author.

Series:

Routledge library editions. Television ; v. 1

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Television broadcasting.

Television broadcasting--United States.

Visual literacy.

Physical Description:

xv, 499 p. : ill.

Place of Publication:

London : Routledge, 2013.

Summary:

This book reminds readers that the simple act of watching television is not simple at all, but is a highly calculated and controlled interaction between the companies that produce television and the people who watch it. It looks at the television industry and examines how it operates to help us understand the role that television plays as well as the influence that it has on the lives of its viewers. Complete with a history and evolution of the industry and its most popular genres, this volume demonstrates television's substantial influence on society and culture. Analysing what viewers watch and why, the chapters also explore how television programs are made and the strategies used to attract and maintain audiences. This critical guide enables readers to appreciate the strategies of programming and to become more aware of television as a cultural force, as important now as when it was originally published in 1998.

Contents:

pt. 1. Establishing a critical perspective

pt. 2. Applying a critical perspective : nonnarrative programming

pt. 3. Applying a critical perspective : narrative programming.

Notes:

First published in 1998.

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

ISBN:

0-203-38020-7

1-135-04345-0

9780203380208

OCLC:

958104121