A comprehensive and compelling examination of one of cable television's most innovative and popular networks, The Essential HBO Reader looks at every aspect of HBO's development as a corporation, a creative voice, and a brand. The authors explore the network's diverse repertoire of programming, from drama to comedy to documentaries and sports -- including such acclaimed shows as The Sopranos, Sex in the City, Angels in America, America Undercover, and Def Comedy Jam -- as they detail HBO's nearly forty-year history and its profound influence on the entertainment industry.

About the Author
Gary R. Edgerton, professor and chair of the communication and theatre arts department at Old Dominion University has published eight books, including Thinking Outside the Box: A Contemporary Television Genre Reader, numerous book chapters and journal articles, and is coeditor of the Journal of Popular Film and Television. Jeffrey P. Jones, author of Entertaining Politics: New Political Television and Civic Culture, is associate professor of communication and theatre arts at Old Dominion University.

Reviews
At the turn of the century, HBO emerged as the preeminent venue for television art. The Essential HBO Reader describes the complexities and ambiguities of the channel, its history, its unique business model, and its individual programs. Robert J. Thompson Author of Television's Second Golden Age: From Hill Street Blues to ER



Book Information
ISBN 9780813192482
Author Gary R. Edgerton
Format Paperback
Page Count 372
Imprint The University Press of Kentucky
Publisher The University Press of Kentucky