At one time every station in Chicago—a maximum of five, until 1964–produced or aired some programming for children. From the late 1940’s through the early 1970’s, local television stations created a golden age of children’s television unique in American broadcasting. Though the shows often operated under strict budgetary constraints, these programs were rich in imagination, inventiveness, and devoted fans. Now, discover the back stories and details of this special era from the people who c...

THE SUNDAY TIMES-BESTSELLING BOOK BY ONE OF BRITAIN'S BEST-LOVED COMIC WRITERS**Pre-order now: David Mitchell's new book Dishonesty is the Second-best Policy**There are many aspects of modern life that trouble award-winning comedian David Mitchell, such as:Why is every film or TV programme a sequel or a remake?Why are people so f***ing hung up about swearing?Why do ...

Australian heart-throb Peter Andre captured the hearts of millions when he burst onto the music scene in the early 1990s with summer hit 'Mysterious Girl', and since then he's gained national treasure status among his legions of fans. With international chart success spanning many years, he has proven time after time that the British public will always be open to a Peter Andre comeback. Now, as the king of reality TV, he's a devoted family man with the kind of brave honesty that keeps us a...

The West Wing premiered in 1999. That's a long time ago. Back then, we were worrying about the Millennium Bug, paying $700 for DVD players, and using pagers. 1999: a century ago.And yet, the show continues to have an impact that is arguably unique. If you live or work in DC, references to it are inescapable. People have walked down the aisle to the theme music. Or they’ve named children, pets, GPS systems, and even an iPhone app after the characters. Or they’ve started Twi...

Into The Twilight Zone: The Rod Serling Programme Guide includes complete episode guides with cast, credits and story summaries of the original Twilight Zone series, as well as its many film and television revivals, and Rod Serling's Night Gallery. The book features an overview and filmography of Serling's life and career, and interviews with many of his colleagues, including Buck Houghton, Richard Matheson, Frank Marshall, Joe Dante, Phil DeGuere, Wes Craven, Al...

A Liverpool boy from the same cohort as John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison, Peter Sissons was destined for great things. Then he was caught on the wrong side of rebel lines during the Nigerian Civil War and shot through both legs his blossoming career as a war reporter came abruptly to an end. But another door was about to open, and Sissons went on to guide a generation through every momentous event of the last forty-five years. Surprisingly funny, dramatic and often poignant,...

No advertisers to please, no censors to placate, no commercial interruptions every eleven minutes, demanding cliffhangers to draw viewers back after the commercial breaks: HBO has re-written the rules of television; and the result has been nothing short of a cultural ground shift. The HBO Effect details how the fingerprints of HBO are all over contemporary film and television. Their capability to focus on smaller markets made shows like Sex and the City, The Sopranos, The Wire...

St. Louis was a city under siege during Prohibition. Seven different criminal gangs violently vied for control of the town�s illegal enterprises. Although their names (the Green Ones, the Pillow Gang, the Russo Gang, Egan�s Rats, the Hogan Gang, the Cuckoo Gang and the Shelton Gang) are familiar to many, their exploits have remained largely undocumented until now. Learn how an awkward gunshot wound gave the Pillow Gang its name and why Willie Russo�s bizarre midnight interview with a repor...

Although spare, sweeping landscapes may appear "empty," plains and prairies afford a rich, unique aesthetic experience--one of quiet sunrises and dramatic storms, hidden treasures and abundant wildlife, infinite horizons and omnipresent wind, all worthy of contemplation and celebration. In this series of narratives, photographs, and hand-drawn maps, Tyra Olstad blends scholarly research with first-hand observation to explore topics such as wildness and wilderness, travel and tourism, prese...

Although the motion picture industry initially disparaged and feared television, by the late 1950s, studios saw the medium as a convenient dumping ground for thousands of films that had long been gathering dust in their vaults. As these films found their way to local TV stations, enterprising distributors grouped the titles by genre so programmers could showcase them accordingly. It was in this spirit that Chicago’s tradition of TV horror movie shows was born. Chicago TV Horror Movie S...

What are the best television series ever made and what do you know about them? Gem Classic TV Series introduces you to a selection of around 80 series, providing key facts, critics’ comments, quotations and trivia questions.This Collins Gem is published in flexibinding, providing the durability of a hardback with the flexibility of a paperback. In a stylish new cover design, Gem Classic TV Series introduces an ever-popular subject.No one is going to agree over such a select...

Long dismissed as ciphers, sycophants and "Stepford Wives," women characters of primetime television during the 1950s through the 1980s are overdue for this careful reassessment. From smart, savvy wives and resilient mothers (including the much-maligned June Cleaver and Donna Reed) to talented working women (long before the debut of "Mary Tyler Moore") to crimebusters and even criminals, American women on television emerge as a diverse, empowered, individualistic, and capable lot, highly w...