Examining commercial television in the light of contemporary culture, literary and cinematic criticism, this book addresses the place of semiotics, narrative theory, reception theory, ideological analysis, psychoanalysis, and others in the critical analysis of television.

Contributors:
Robert C. Allen, James Collins, Jane Feuer, John Fiske, Sandy Flitterman-Lewis, James Hay, E. Ann Kaplan, Sarah Ruth Kozloff, Ellen Seiter and Mimi White.