Succession

The Allure of the Millionaire Family Drama

The reason we put aside our personal dislike of rich TV families, people we might deeply resent if they were real, is two-fold.
Highclere Castle

The “Downton Effect” on the English Country House Tour

The show Downton Abbey spurred a renewed interest in English country estates.
Two women speaking beside a water cooler in an office

Streaming Television Might Just Bring Us Together After All

A look at TV watching as a social activity, from the "water cooler" network shows of yore to today's "second screen" live-tweets.
Erotic Confessions

Before the Internet, Cable TV Was for Porn

Although porn never became a big part of the cable TV business, it was central in debates over its regulation.
A television with an image of the earth from space, in front of a green plant background

What’s Wrong with Planet Earth?

According to one critic, the BBC documentary inspired more appreciation for HD television than it did for engaged environmentalism.
A child in front of an ominous Netflix television screen.

A Critical Theory of Binge Watching

We didn't know we loved to binge until Netflix made it irresistible. To understand the new model, we should look back to Theodor Adorno.
A teenage girl kissing a teenage boy on the cheek

Media Representation and Interracial Couples

Recent years have seen increases in both interracial adolescent romances and portrayals of young interracial relationships. What's the connection?
Robert Reed who played Mike Brady on the Brady Bunch

The “Queer Innocence” of the Brady Bunch

The squeaky-clean Brady Bunch family symbolized the avoidance of the sexual revolution, feminism, and other social forces that were coming to the fore.
Vietnam War television

How TV Transformed the News in 1968

In 1968 violent events at home and aboard were broadcast in color on the television news, creating impacts that may have swayed the presidential election.
Antiques Roadshow

The Religious Experience of Antiques Roadshow

What has made this slow, quiet television show about antiques the sleeper hit of PBS? One scholar describes the show as enacting near-religious rituals.