Reading Television (New Accents (Routledge (Firm)).)

Reading Television was the first book to push the boundaries of television studies beyond the insights offered by cultural studies and textual analysis, creating a vibrant new field of study. Using the tools and techniques in this book, it is possible for everyone with a television set to analyze both the programmes, and the culture which produces them. In this edition, Hartley reflects on recent developments in television studies, and includes suggestions for further reading. His new foreword underlines the continuing relevance of this foundational text in the study of contemporary culture. How Is It That Television Has Come To Play Such An Important Role In Our Culture? What Does Tv Tell Us, And How Do We Make Sense Of Its Content? How Does What's On Telly Relate To The Culture Of The People Watching It? What Is It That We Find So Satisfying In The Format Of Tv Crime Shows, Or In Quiz Or Sports Programmes, That We Enjoy Watching Them Again And Again? Reading Television Addresses These Questions, Providing A Sympathetic But Systematic Method Of Analysis From Which Critical Readings Of Television Can Be Made. The Book's Overall Approach - Recognizable Now As Cultural Studies - Became Widely Influential When Reading Television Was First Published In 1978, And It Continues To Shape The Field Internationally. In This Edition, John Hartley Reflects On The Development Of Television Studies Since Then And Provides Invaluable New Suggestions For Further Reading. His Fascinating Foreword Both Underlines And Ensures The Continuing Relevance Of This Foundational Text, Which Provides The Ideal Entry Point For Anyone Wanting To Understand The Place Of Television Within Contemporary Culture.--jacket. Foreword: 'reading' Television Studies -- 'reading' Television -- Content Analysis -- The Signs Of Television -- The Codes Of Television -- The Functions Of Television -- Bardic Television -- Audiences -- The Modes Of Television -- Dance -- Competition -- Television Realism -- A Policeman's Lot -- Conclusion: Something Completely Different? John Fiske, John Hartley ; With A New Foreword By John Hartley. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [160]-168) And Index. How is it that television has come to play such an important role in our culture? What, in fact, does it tell us, and how are its messages conveyed? What is it we find so satisfying in the format of television police series, or in quiz or sports programmes, that we enjoy watching them again and again? Reading Television was the book that first pushed the boundaries of television studies beyond the insights offered by cultural studies and textual analysis, creating a vibrant new field of study. Using the tools and techniques in this book, it is possible for everyone who has access to a television set to produce illuminating analyzes not only of the programmes themselves, but also of the culture which produces them.In this edition, Hartley reflects on the development of television studies since the publication of this enormously influential book, and updated suggestions. His new foreword both underlines and ensures the continuing relevance of this foundational text, which provides the ideal entry into an area of study crucial for anyone interested in contemporary culture. Using the tools and techniques in this book, it is possible for everyone who has access to a television set to produce illuminating analyses not only of the programmes themselves, but also of the culture which produces them