War in Iran
The headlines are built on long histories and debates.
Posted on in Hot Topic
Television
Inspired by this month's Emmys, here are 10 titles examining the medium of television
Posted on September 18, 2025 in Hot Topic
American television during a television presidency, ed. by Karen McNally. Wayne State, 2022. 336p bibl index ISBN 9780814349366, $94.99; ISBN 9780814349359 pbk, $36.99; ISBN 9780814349373 ebook, contact publisher for price.
Reviewed in CHOICE December 2022
This collection of essays represents the intersection of politics and media theory in the Trump era. Though the Trump presidency should not be assumed to represent the televised presidency in general (as the book’s title implies), this book skillfully captures the interaction of this particular presidency with its particular media environment. The essays are uniformly excellent, and, unlike a lot of edited collections, they are organized into a distinct structure. Readers find that the Trump presidency transcended the impact of other so-called media presidents, such as Kennedy and Reagan. Trump used the media to create a movement, something other presidents could only dream of. The closest another president came to this accomplishment was Andrew Jackson, who was media savvy within the context of his time. In retrospect, there was not much to like about Jackson: he was egocentric, bombastic, and cruel. But he was a great showman, and is that not what much of the presidency is about? This book gets to the heart of the creation of Trump’s “MAGA” crowd, making this book well worth the read. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty and professionals. —D. P. Franklin, emeritus, Georgia State University
Brownell, Kathryn Cramer. 24/7 politics: cable television and the fragmenting of America from Watergate to Fox News. Princeton, 2023. 424p index ISBN 9780691246666, $35.00; ISBN 9780691246680 ebook, contact publisher for price.
Reviewed in CHOICE December 2023
For every academic inquiry, there is a core set of books widely acknowledged as essential for understanding the topic. When it comes to the history of cable television, this new book by Brownell (history, Purdue Univ.) has immediately earned its spot in that small list of must reads. 24/7 Politics tells a compelling story about the intersection of American political institutions and the cable television industry. Brownell demonstrates how industry leaders navigated regulation and growth through particular relationships and rivalries with politicians and policy makers. Simultaneously, she explains how cable television played a significant role in transforming American democracy itself. The book’s clear argument is conveyed through meticulous research blended with captivating stories, and the cast of characters ranges from franchise owners and lobbyists to policy wonks and presidents. This book provides a new way of looking at the familiar histories of both cable television and American electoral politics due to its impressive deep dives into pivotal moments where those two histories were tied together. Overall, the book manages to be accessible to general readers while also pushing the field further for scholars. Summing Up: Essential. Undergraduates through faculty; professionals; general readers. —S. Pepper, Northeastern Illinois University
Chalaby, Jean K. Television in the streaming era: the global shift. Cambridge, 2023. 244p bibl index ISBN 9781009199315, $105.00; ISBN 9781009199261 pbk, $34.99; ISBN 9781009199278 ebook, contact publisher for price.
Reviewed in CHOICE December 2023
The breakneck growth of the streaming video marketplace over the past decade has left scholars to play catch-up in their analyses of evolving delivery systems, show formats, and audience habits. Very few investigations of this realm can match the ambitions of this work by Chalaby (international communication, City Univ., London, England). The book offers a comprehensive look at the sprawling, interconnected networks of companies, infrastructures, and technologies that power the global television industry. Particularly noteworthy are the detailed breakdowns—with easy-to-read tables and exhaustive empirical data—of elements such as satellite operators, cloud hosts, content delivery networks, and post-production firms that are sometimes minimized in the rush to explore the impact of streaming. The application of the global value chain framework highlights the expanding—and arguably detrimental—influence of tech companies on transnational entertainment. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty. —C. Barker, Bradley University
Hersey, Curt. History of television news parody in America: nothing but the truthiness. Lexington Books, 2022. 296p ISBN 9781793637789, $110.00; ISBN 9781793637796 ebook, $45.00.
Reviewed in CHOICE February 2023
Hersey (Berry College) provides an exhaustively researched history of news parody shows, a television genre offering insight into political affairs to a large, faithful audience. Since the 1950s, television news broadcasts have knitted themselves into the national fabric and been both praised and lampooned. Hersey details the limits of network news parodies revealed in the 1960s with the 1964 cancellation of the popular British show TW3, or That Was The Week That Was, and follows the expansion of news parody into the late-night schedule, including the fresh challenges it faced in the multichannel era. Hersey includes intricate histories of cornerstone parody programs and their surprising and sometimes ironic successes, such as Jon Stewart’s winning a national opinion poll with 49 percent of the votes naming him the most trusted US newscaster. Hersey’s account ventures into the post-network era by examining The Colbert Report, a spin-off of The Daily Show. Hersey’s work makes clear that through the decades, audiences continued to enjoy comical news analyses, ludicrous imitations, and burlesque caricatures of the news. Students and researchers of this aspect of American communications history will appreciate the book’s extensive bibliography and index. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Undergraduates through faculty and general readers. —D. A. Schmitt, emerita, St Louis Community College-Meramec
Holdsworth, Amy. On living with television. Duke, 2021. 182p bibl index ISBN 9781478013839, $94.95; ISBN 9781478014751 pbk, $24.95; ISBN 9781478022060 ebook, contact publisher for price.
Reviewed in CHOICE July 2023
An emotionally moving page–turner, this book had this reviewer finishing it in a single sitting–a claim one does not generally apply to academic texts. Holdsworth (film and television studies, Univ. of Glasgow, UK) thoughtfully and beautifully traces the role television has played in various stages of her life. The book compels readers to consider their own uses and experiences with television. Holdsworth explores the routines of children (re)watching television, how one eats while watching television, how one watches others eat on television, and how important memories in one’s life can be attached to (or activated by) television viewing. With sharp textual analysis and even sharper autobiographical writing, the author draws on theoretical work from film and television studies, disability studies, feminist studies, queer studies, autoethnography, and life writing. Scholars across all these areas of study will find much to absorb in this text, which deserves a place alongside the classics of television studies. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals. —S. Pepper, Northeastern Illinois University
Hughes, Kit. Television at work: industrial media and American labor. Oxford, 2021. 312p bibl index ISBN 9780190855789, $99.00; ISBN 9780190855796 pbk, $29.95; ISBN 9780190855819 ebook, contact publisher for price.
Reviewed in CHOICE December 2021
Histories of television generally focus on popular programming, sociological characteristics, or famous personalities. Hughes (Colorado State Univ.) takes a fresh look at the corporate side of television history and the ways in which management, workers, and production personnel shaped how audiovisual material was developed and applied. Corporations, always focused on efficiency and profits, built massive media infrastructures to communicate, train, and motivate workers through radio, CCTV, BTV, and satellite systems. While radio allowed management to quickly contact field workers, it was video cassette technology that facilitated the mass distribution of homogeneous training materials and feel-good descriptions of the corporate image to workers. It also aided product sales with customer demonstrations or instruction. Later, microwave and satellite transmission expanded workers’ involvement with their company and enabled management to interact directly with workers to motivate, educate, and contribute to decision-making. Access 24/7 also blurred the lines between work and family time. While the book emphasizes the subtle manipulation and shifting relationship between management and labor, interviews with key media producers round out this fascinating look at corporate television. The text includes extensive notes and a comprehensive index. A recommended acquisition for media history collections. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Graduate students and faculty. —R. Davis, formerly, Kent State University
Lenig, Stuart. The bizarre world of reality television. Greenwood, 2017. 332p bibl index ISBN 9781440838545, $89.00; ISBN 9781440838552 ebook, contact publisher for price.
Reviewed in CHOICE March 2018
Duck Dynasty, This Old House, Candid Camera—these and othersare part of the history of reality television programming. Lenig (Columbia State Community College) discusses almost 150 reality television programs, which he has subdivided into five areas: self-improvement/makeovers; competition/talent; personal lives; finding the one (dating); and international reality television. Today’s plethora of programs indicate that the genre is new, yet Lenig discusses its long history and development. Reality programming was important in live radio programming, and even pre-television theater. Although reality programming has existed for decades, the move into the millennium brought a sweeping shift from fictional television to reality programs. According to Lenig, the concept of reality is often conjectural and speculative. Viewers may watch reality television as a means to increase their own sense of self-worth, or to reduce a sense of isolation, or to watch a participant with whom they identify. Excellent for upper-class and graduate students and the general public. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty. —R. Ray, independent scholar
Shacklock, Zoë. Television and the moving body. Edinburgh University Press, 2024. 200p bibl index ISBN 9781399511377, $115.00; ISBN 9781399511391 ebook, contact publisher for price.
Reviewed in CHOICE August 2025
Shacklock (film studies, Univ. of St. Andrews, Scotland) does an excellent job of building on foundational theoretical ideas and contemporary television studies to offer a unique framework for exploring movement on television. Drawing on a concept that largely comes from dance and theatre studies, she examines the “kinaesthetics” or “movement profiles” of television. This ranges from bodies in motion in televised sports, dancing, and fighting to the movement of plants in nature documentaries and even interstitial logos for television networks. The range of examples highlights the versatility of the concept, and the analysis truly opens up new ways of thinking critically about a variety of television genres and formats. The book uses examples largely from American and British television, including The West Wing, Ted Lasso, The Great British Sewing Bee, The Repair Shop, and Taskmaster. The final chapter on “empathy,” which examines Hannibal, Sense8, and The Green Planet, was perhaps the chapter where the framework of the kinaesthetic felt like it truly opened up the most exciting ways of thinking about television. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty. —S. Pepper, Northeastern Illinois University
West, Nancy Martha. Masterpiece: America’s 50-year-old love affair with British television drama. Rowman & Littlefield, 2020. 264p index ISBN 9781538134474, $32.00; ISBN 9781538134481 ebook, $30.50.
Reviewed in CHOICE January 2022
West (English, Univ. of Missouri) offers an engaging and concise history of PBS’s ever-popular “Masterpiece” and “Mystery!” series, starting with WGBH’s Stan Calderwood’s fascination with The Forsyte Saga to his cold call to British producers and then the selection of the initial offerings, including such favorites as The Six Wives of Henry the Eighth, Elizabeth R., and The Last of the Mohicans—all from UK-based independent producers. West attributes American fascination with the imported series to the inspiration of cultural and literary history and traditions, and to the nostalgia and sentimentality they introduce, which is all balanced by British satire and irony. The insights into the productions and their histories are augmented with American television history, such as Newton Minnow and his “vast wasteland” speech, and the dimming of the Golden Age of American programming. For fans and researchers West offers summaries of the programs, whys and wherefores of acting in the UK, and information about settings and sets, including 15 pages of publicity stills, a map of England identifying each production, and a “MasterpieceTravel Guide.” Appendixes supply casts and productions of “Masterpiece” and “Mystery!” series in chronological order, and the book concludes with notes and an extensive bibliography. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty. —D. A. Schmitt, emerita, St. Louis Community College at Meramec
Yanich, Danilo. Buying reality: political ads, money, and local television news. Fordham, 2020. 274p bibl index ISBN 9780823288953, $125.00; ISBN 9780823288960 pbk, $35.00; ISBN 9780823288977 ebook, $34.99.
Reviewed in CHOICE October 2020
As political scientists and media scholars scramble to gain some purchase on how campaigns, activists, and even foreign agents use social media to influence US elections, it is easy to forget that in the US most people still turn to local television news broadcasts for information about public affairs. Americans’ reliance on local television news for political information should prod local news stations to consider political coverage a public good rather than a private commodity. Yanich (urban affairs and public policy, Univ. of Delaware), however, demonstrates that local news operations are no longer, as they were before the Reagan administration deregulated television, expected to be “loss leaders.” Yanich writes that “local newscasts are [now] the profit and revenue centers of local television stations.” Whereas most political advertisements for down-ballot races are broadcast on local news, local news broadcasts neglect such low-profile races in favor of covering a presidential contest. Well researched and crisply argued, this is the rare data-rich book on the media that also provides helpful context about the history of political advertising, campaign finance law, and the tension woven into broadcast news between treating a license as a “sacred public trust” and generating a profit. Summing Up: Essential. Upper-division undergraduates; graduate students. —R. P. Seyb, Skidmore College