Television: The Critical View [Paperback]

Horace Newcomb (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 26, 2006 | ISBN-10: 0195301161 | ISBN-13: 978-0195301168 | Edition: 7

First published in 1976, Television: The Critical View set the foundation for the serious study of television, becoming the gold standard of anthologies in the field. With this seventh edition, editor Horace Newcomb has moved the book from one merely intended to legitimize the critical inquiry of television to a text that reflects how complex critical approaches to television have become today. Comprised of virtually all new selections that deal with both classic and contemporary programming, the seventh edition adds new material on television history, the reception context of television, and international programming such as Chinese soap operas and Brazilian telenovelas. Television: The Critical View remains a well established and critically acclaimed text essential for courses in critical studies, communication studies, cultural studies, media history, television criticism, television history, and broadcasting.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Television: The Critical View. . . stands as a monument to and history of the growth and acceptance of television criticism in American culture. . . . The seventh edition continues to offer readings from a variety of approaches while also acknowledging the growing international nature of television criticism."--Judith E. Smith, St. Norbert College

"The essays establish the current state of the academic discourse in television criticism and the most important developments in the discipline. Newcomb's approach brings together the best scholarship, writing, and overall clarity to the comprehensive field of television criticism."--Elliot Gaines, Wright State University

"The book draws upon diverse disciplines within the humanities, reflecting the real interdisciplinary origins of media studies."--Shelly McGinnis, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

"This volume has served as the centerpiece of television studies for years, with its essays defining the scope and depth of the field, and framed many pedagogical strategies through its selection of essays."--Jason Mittell, Middlebury College

About the Author

Horace Newcomb holds the Lambdin Key Chair for the Peabody Awards in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Georgia. He is the editor of two editions of the Museum of Broadcast Communications Encyclopedia of Television (1997, 2004).

Product Details

• Paperback: 784 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 7 edition (January 26, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195301161
• ISBN-13: 978-0195301168
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #402,012 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Television is NOT mindless entertainment!, February 28, 2001

By 

Joshua Minton - See all my reviews

This review is from: Television: The Critical View (Paperback)

I was assigned this book in a college course on television as popular culture. I seriously struggled with the text at first, but luckily I didn't sell it back. After rereading it again, it has completely smashed the myth that nothing on television is culturally viable. Do not fall into the trap of believing there is no culture left in America. This book will teach how to engage your television in a way that is as mentally stimulating as anything I can imagine. Do yourself a favor and get this book! It might take you a couple reads, but it's well worth it. Enjoy. (I took points off for density, but I have the 5th ed.)