Reading 24: TV against the Clock (Reading Contemporary Television) (Paperback)

by Steven Peacock (Editor) "It is fitting to start at the beginning, with a series of firsts, for this first critical collection on 24 (Fox, 2001-)..." (more)
Key Phrases: season five, volitional mobility, nuclear narrative, Season Two, Season One, Jack Bauer (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
LIBRARY JOURNAL 'This is a two-fisted double shot of polysyllabic PhD works. Recommended only for academic pop culture and media collections.'SOUTHERN DAILY ECHOReading 24 - TV Against the Clock is a scholarly work that is proving popular with fans of the series as well as those planning to write a thesis on the influence of Bauer.- Kate Thompson

Product Description

Time has named 24 one of the "Best Television Events of the Decade." With an innovative format that uses one hour of real time for each episode, and a season that comprises one twenty-four hour period, the show zeroes in on the fears and dangers of a post-9/11 world and the ways in which threats are transmitted, tracked down, and fought. From assassination attempts and germ warfare to horrific terrorist plots, Kiefer Sutherland's Agent Jack Bauer embodies America's darkest fears and its perilous place in the world today. This book brings together critical discussions of the series from many different perspectives.  It covers everything from the show's unconventional format to discussions of globalism, oil, the politics of torture, and gender, and includes an episode guide.

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Product Details Paperback: 256 pages Publisher: I. B. Tauris (March 6, 2007) Language: English ISBN-10: 1845113292 ISBN-13: 978-1845113292 Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #945,468 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books) Popular in this category: (What's this?) #25 in  Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Communication > Contemporary Issues

Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

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First Sentence:
It is fitting to start at the beginning, with a series of firsts, for this first critical collection on 24 (Fox, 2001-). Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
season five, volitional mobility, nuclear narrative, quality television

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Season Two, Season One, Jack Bauer, The Day After, Season Four, Season Three, Los Angeles, United States, Erin Driscoll, Nina Myers, George Mason, Syed Ali, Middle Eastern, President Bush, Xander Berkeley, Tony Almeida, President Palmer, Chloe O'Brian, David Palmer, Kim Bauer, The Detroit Project, White House, The West Wing, Victor Drazen, High Noon

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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

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	45% buy the item featured on this page: Reading 24: TV against the Clock (Reading Contemporary Television) 4.5 out of 5 stars (2) $14.78
	19% buy 24: The Ultimate Guide 4.8 out of 5 stars (6) $16.49
	13% buy 24 Declassified: Storm Force 1.3 out of 5 stars (27) $6.99
	12% buy 24 Declassified: Trinity 4.5 out of 5 stars (6) $6.99

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2 Reviews 5 star:  (1) 4 star:  (1) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.5 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 5 of 6 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating essays and discussions about the "24" TV series, March 24, 2007 By  Edward Alexander Gerster "miamibooks" (South Miami, FL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    This may prove a bit too academic for some, but the essays and discussions presented here are a fascinating read for fans of the series, as well as for those interested in screen-writing and television production. There are more than just critical discussions on content -- terrorism, masked identities, germ warfare, government operations, etc. There are also interesting forays into the creative side of the show, such as the stylistic innovations of split screen presentation, and the omnipresent clock. Well presented, thoughtfully provoking in it's content, and a pleasure to read. 3 of 4 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars A Fascinating Look at a Network Television Phenomenon, July 11, 2007 By  Terry Sunday (El Paso, Texas United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)       When the techno-soap drama "24" premiered on Fox in November 2001, it quickly became a media phenomenon that won both critical and popular acclaim as a prime example of quality television programming. Each season of the multi-Emmy-award-winning series attracts legions of loyal, dedicated fans who breathlessly follow Counter-Terrorism Unit (CTU) agent Jack Bauer in "real-time" through one seemingly endless day as he battles in a frantic race-against-the-clock to protect America from horrible terrorist threats. "Reading 24" is not an episode handbook. This is not the place to find the usual cast biographies, shooting scripts, glossy color photos (there are no photos in the book) or behind-the-scenes tales typical of a television series "companion guide." Rather, in a collection of 16 individual essays, "Reading 24" offers scholarly, insightful and fascinating assessments of the structure, style, morality, politics and culture in the world of "24." Topics include (among many others): 1) analyses of the show's innovative split-screen visual technique, 2) comparisons of the arrogant, corrupt and dishonest politicians in "24" with the current (2007) Washington administration, and 3) an examination of the morality of the torture that "24" depicts with such brutal realism. A very interesting chapter explores the relationship among program sponsorship--the Ford Motor Company paid up to $5 million in Season 2 to assure that "24" prominently featured its huge, gas-guzzling SUVs--and the politics of the global oil industry and the "War on Terror." Perhaps one of the most intriguing things about "Reading 24" is the fact that the majority of the contributing scholars are non-American. With no obvious partisan axes to grind, they observe the U.S.'s actions in the post-9/11 world, and the insights into the national psyche that "24" captures so well, with objective, critical detachment. Thus "Reading 24" is much more than simply a book about a television show. It is also a perceptive, thought-provoking look at America's place in the world, and somewhat of a cautionary tale about what may happen "if this goes on..." Highly recommended.		Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: I. B. Tauris (March 6, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1845113292
• ISBN-13: 978-1845113292
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #945,468 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #25 in

  Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Communication > Contemporary Issues

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating essays and discussions about the "24" TV series, March 24, 2007

By	Edward Alexander Gerster "miamibooks" (South Miami, FL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This may prove a bit too academic for some, but the essays and discussions presented here are a fascinating read for fans of the series, as well as for those interested in screen-writing and television production. There are more than just critical discussions on content -- terrorism, masked identities, germ warfare, government operations, etc. There are also interesting forays into the creative side of the show, such as the stylistic innovations of split screen presentation, and the omnipresent clock.

Well presented, thoughtfully provoking in it's content, and a pleasure to read.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fascinating Look at a Network Television Phenomenon, July 11, 2007

By	Terry Sunday (El Paso, Texas United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

When the techno-soap drama "24" premiered on Fox in November 2001, it quickly became a media phenomenon that won both critical and popular acclaim as a prime example of quality television programming. Each season of the multi-Emmy-award-winning series attracts legions of loyal, dedicated fans who breathlessly follow Counter-Terrorism Unit (CTU) agent Jack Bauer in "real-time" through one seemingly endless day as he battles in a frantic race-against-the-clock to protect America from horrible terrorist threats.

"Reading 24" is not an episode handbook. This is not the place to find the usual cast biographies, shooting scripts, glossy color photos (there are no photos in the book) or behind-the-scenes tales typical of a television series "companion guide." Rather, in a collection of 16 individual essays, "Reading 24" offers scholarly, insightful and fascinating assessments of the structure, style, morality, politics and culture in the world of "24." Topics include (among many others): 1) analyses of the show's innovative split-screen visual technique, 2) comparisons of the arrogant, corrupt and dishonest politicians in "24" with the current (2007) Washington administration, and 3) an examination of the morality of the torture that "24" depicts with such brutal realism. A very interesting chapter explores the relationship among program sponsorship--the Ford Motor Company paid up to $5 million in Season 2 to assure that "24" prominently featured its huge, gas-guzzling SUVs--and the politics of the global oil industry and the "War on Terror."

Perhaps one of the most intriguing things about "Reading 24" is the fact that the majority of the contributing scholars are non-American. With no obvious partisan axes to grind, they observe the U.S.'s actions in the post-9/11 world, and the insights into the national psyche that "24" captures so well, with objective, critical detachment. Thus "Reading 24" is much more than simply a book about a television show. It is also a perceptive, thought-provoking look at America's place in the world, and somewhat of a cautionary tale about what may happen "if this goes on..." Highly recommended.