Today more than ever, series finales have become cultural touchstones that feed watercooler fodder and Twitter storms among a committed community of viewers. While the final episodes of The Fugitive and M*A*S*H continue to rank among the highest rated broadcasts, more recent shows draw legions of binge-watching fans. Given the importance of finales to viewers and critics alike, Howard and Bianculli along with the other contributors explore these endings and what they mean to the audience, ...

A number of books and articles have been written ranking the best situation comedies of all time.These have all had something in common--subjective criteria based on the authors' opinions. This book attempts an objective ranking of the best 100 American sitcoms, based on a mathematical formula taking into account four factors: ratings, longevity, peer acceptance and spawning of other programs (spin-offs).The authors considered a field of 377 series which met at least one of...

As the notorious Reva Shayne on the daytime television drama Guiding Light, Kim Zimmer portrayed a vixen, a manic-depressive, an Amish woman, a time traveler, a Civil War belle, a talk show host, a cancer survivor, a loving mother, and a devoted wife. In her more than two decades on the show, she earned eleven Daytime Emmy nominations and four wins, not to mention a legion of loving fans. Now, in this heartfelt memoir, Zimmer delves into her experiences as a daytime diva.P...

The Untold History of Television provides a captivating glimpse behind the scenes of the groundbreaking series that have both defined and changed the pop culture landscape.Honest, compelling and full of heart, Friday Night Lights brought small-town Texas football into the lives of television viewers across North America. From book to movie to the small screen, Friday Night Lights struggled against the odds to survive on television, finally doing so through an inno...

I've gotten used to living behind mirrors and smoke screens, it's easier to portray an image for the world to see. When I m alone I am haunted by my truth. A girl who entered this world in a jail cell. A girl who was served struggle with a side of pain on a broken platter. A girl who was thrown into a tank with sharks deep in a world whose motto is to eat or be eaten. I can still see the dirt underneath my nails; I've fought too hard to get where I am and I don t plan on looking back. How...

EVIL MINDS is a collection of New York Times bestselling investigative journalist and TV host M. William Phelps's previously published essays, OP/Eds and long articles dealing with his exclusive reporting on serial killers, including comments from "Raven," the secret serial killer source from Phelps's television series "Dark Minds"--and also a bonus candid interview with Phelps.Crime, murder and serial killer expert, creator/producer/writer and former host of the Investigation Disc...

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...

Sanjeev Bhaskar, comedian and writer behind 'The Kumars at No. 42' embarks on an epic and highly personal journey through modern India. Sanjeev's characteristic humour and unique take on the country form the heart of this beautifully written travel book that became a Sunday Times bestseller in hardback when it accompanied his BBC series.Sanjeev Bhaskar, comedian and writer of 'The Kumars at No. 42' and 'Goodness Gracious Me' embarks on an epic and uniquely personal journey through ...

In the mid-1950s, Swiss-born New Yorker Robert Frank embarked on a ten-thousand-mile road trip across America, capturing thousands of photographs of all levels of a rapidly changing society. The resultant photo book, The Americans, represents a seminal moment in both photography and in America's understanding of itself. To mark the book’s fiftieth anniversary, Jonathan Day revisits this pivotal work and contributes a thoughtful and revealing critical commentary. Though the importa...

New York Times bestseller Melissa Jo Peltier turns her attention to the brilliant, back-stabbing world of prime-time television in this wickedly funny new novel. Peltier has worked in entertainment for more than 20 years, making the darkly funny Reality Boulevard a true insider’s view of Hollywood and some of America’s biggest shows. In it, we see Oscar-winning producer Marty Maltzman and his staff out of a job – and out on the streets – when long-running docu-series Lights and Sirens is u...

Fawlty Towers was only on our screens for 12 half-hour episodes, but it has stayed in our lives ever since. The Major; 'Don't mention the war!'; 'He's from Barcelona'; Basil the Rat -- everyone has a favourite line, moment or character. In this, the first biography of the show, Graham McCann holds up to the light each of the unpredictable elements - the demented brilliance of John Cleese, his creative partnership with Connie Booth - that added up to an immortal sitcom, beloved all over the...

Craig Summers had one of the most dangerous jobs in television. His task? Keeping adventurous celebrities alive. Summers was the BBC's security advisor through some of its most turbulent years. His job took him to war zones, scenes of natural disaster and big international sporting events - as well as on undercover operations involving child trafficking, football hooliganism and narcotics. Using his extensive military experience - he served with the British forces in both the Falklands War...