{"product_id":"9780814797563-blockbuster-tv","title":"Blockbuster TV","description":"\u003cmeta content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\" http-equiv=\"Content-Type\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMust-See Sitcoms in the Network Era\u003cbr\u003eIn the history of American TV only four sitcoms have been true hits - \"All in the Family\", \"The Beverley Hillbillies\", \"Laverne and Shirley\" and \"The Cosby Show.\" This book seeks to account for the appeal of these sitcoms, detailing the factors that go into the construction of mass audiences.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eArchie Bunker. Jed. Laverne and Shirley. Cliff Huxtable. Throughout the entire history of American prime-time television only four sitcoms have been true blockbusters, with Nielsen ratings far above the second- and third-rated programs. Weekly, millions of Americans of every age were making a special effort to turn on the set to see what Archie, Jed, Laverne, and Cliff were doing that week. The wild popularity of these shows--\u003ci\u003eAll in the Family\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Beverly Hillbillies\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eLaverne \u0026amp; Shirley\u003c\/i\u003e (and its partner \u003ci\u003eHappy Days\u003c\/i\u003e), and \u003ci\u003eThe Cosby Show\u003c\/i\u003e--left commentators bewildered by the tastes and preferences of the American public. How do we account for the huge appeal of these sitcoms, and how does it figure into the history of network prime-time television?\u003cbr\u003e Janet Staiger answers these questions by detailing the myriad factors that go into the construction of mass audiences. Treating the four shows as case studies, she deftly balances factual explanations (for instance, the impact of VCRs and cable on network domination of TV) with more interpretative ones (for example, the transformation of \u003ci\u003eThe Beverly Hillbillies\u003c\/i\u003e from a popular show detested by the critics, to a blockbuster after its elevation as the critics' darling), and juxtaposes industry-based reasons (for example, the ways in which TV shows derive success from placement in the weekly programming schedule) with stylistic explanations (how, for instance, certain shows create pleasure from a repetition and variation of a formula).\u003cbr\u003e Staiger concludes that because of changes in the industry, these shows were a phenomenon that may never be repeated. And while the western or the night-time soap has at times captured public attention, \u003cb\u003eBlockbuster TV\u003c\/b\u003e maintains that the sitcom has been THE genre to attract people to the tube, and that without understanding the sitcom, we can't properly understand the role of television in our culture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rarewaves","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55210621436278,"sku":"9780814797563","price":130.33,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0092\/7504\/8033\/files\/orig_10979318_19680140_20241209075343.jpg?v=1738240217","url":"https:\/\/www.rarewaves.com\/products\/9780814797563-blockbuster-tv","provider":"Rarewaves.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}