Cult Television [Hardcover]

Sara Gwenllian-Jones (Author), Roberta E. Pearson (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 25, 2004

A television series is tagged with the label "cult" by the media, advertisers, and network executives when it is considered edgy or offbeat, when it appeals to nostalgia, or when it is considered emblematic of a particular subculture. By these criteria, almost any series could be described as cult. Yet certain programs exert an uncanny power over their fans, encouraging them to immerse themselves within a fictional world.

In Cult Television leading scholars examine such shows as The X-Files; The Avengers; Doctor Who, Babylon Five; Star Trek; Xena, Warrior Princess; and Buffy the Vampire Slayer to determine the defining characteristics of cult television and map the contours of this phenomenon within the larger scope of popular culture.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Sara Gwenllian-Jones is a lecturer in television and digital media at Cardiff University and coeditor of Intensities: The Journal of Cult Media.

Roberta E. Pearson is a reader in media and cultural studies at Cardiff University. She is the author of the forthcoming book Small Screen, Big Universe: Star Trek and Television.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 264 pages
• Publisher: Univ Of Minnesota Press; 1 edition (February 25, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0816638306
• ISBN-13: 978-0816638307
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,134,769 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A most admirable trek through cult TV studies, April 5, 2004

By 

Deborah Monroy (Georgia, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cult Television (Paperback)

This book is an insightful, and enjoyable, introduction to studies in cult television. This collection of writings deals with shows such as "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Star Trek," "Doctor Who" and other series central to the genre. One of the strengths of this book is that most essays, while usually attached to a specific television series, are presented in such a '"transparent" style that the reader still benefits from insight without necessarily being familiar with the individual series serving as an illustration of theory/ history given in the essay.
The book begins (after an excellent introduction penned by both editors) with the tradition of "French dressing," namely an academic, hyper-metaphysically abstract essay by a French author. The reader may do well to enter into the book by initially skipping this one and starting instead with
Sara Gwenllian-Jones' " Virtual Reality and Cult Television." Her essay is a quietly (read: somewhat academic) yet vital and enthusiastic exploration of the immersive nature central to the cult television experience.
Several essays deal with cult TV fandom. Each affirms the positive profile of those of us who share that kind of social awareness made manifest by means of our profound love of fantasy and play.