Very Special Episodes


Book Description

Very Special Episodes explores various examples of the "very special episode" to chart the history of American television and its self-identified status as an arbiter of culture. Through the study of this unique television format, this anthology traces the history of television's engagement with many of the most important political, aesthetic, economic, and social movements that continue to challenge our society today.




Situation Momedy: A Very Special Episode in Toddlerdom


Book Description

James Salley is turning sixteen, and it’s not going well. His family’s too busy to care, the local bully creates new tortures daily, someone appears to be following him, and he’s just learned that he’s the Antichrist. All James ever wanted out of life was for Dorian Delaney — the operatically trained and suicidal girl of his dreams — to fall as in love with him as he is with her. But once he’s told of his bloody destiny, he finds himself fighting between who he thought he was and who he’s supposed to be. With the school librarian pushing him to begin the Apocalypse, an irritable homunculus watching his back, and a murderous cabal of Catholics following him everywhere, James must discover how to navigate a world in which everything he’s ever believed is wrong — and if it’s possible to be the hero of a story when you’ve already been cast as the villain.




A Very Special 90210 Book


Book Description

The 90210 superfan’s companion to the lives and loves of West Beverly’s in-crowd From the creators of the hit podcast Again With This comes a hilarious and substantive 90210 book that is perfect for celebrating the 30th anniversary of the show’s first episode. Join Tara Ariano and Sarah D. Bunting as they journey through the top 100 episodes of the series, covering everything from episode rankings to season overviews, character spotlights, and listicles. You’ll rediscover what you’ve forgotten and perhaps learn what you never knew. A Very Special 90210 Book is the perfect keepsake for every former teen fan (we know you’re out there) who wants to relive the good ol’ days at West Beverly.




A “Very Special” Tale of Faith, Hope, & Hand Sanitizer


Book Description

When you read a book from an author who writes comedy, it’s a pretty good assumption you’re looking to laugh, not cry. Sometimes in life, though, there are far more tears than there is laughter. That’s true in the life of a comedy writer, too. In A “Very Special” Tale of Faith, Hope, & Hand Sanitizer, author Brandon Boswell writes about the personal struggles in his life. From the hilarious to the heartbreaking, Boswell strives to encourage his readers to not only trust in God, but to laugh when they can, cry when they need to, and say “I love you” to all the special people in their lives today ... because there may not be a tomorrow.




The Prime Time Closet


Book Description

Television history was made on April 30, 1997, when comedian Ellen DeGeneres and her sitcom alter-ego Ellen Morgan, “came out” to her close friends and 36 million viewers. This groundbreaking episode represented a significant milestone in Amerian television. For the first time, a TV series centered around a lesbian character who was portrayed by an openly gay actor. The millions of viewers who tuned in that historic night were witnesses to a new era in television. The Prime Time Closet offers an entertaining and in-depth glimpse into homosexuality on television from the 1950s through today. Divided into four sections, each devoted to a major television genre, this unique book explores how gay men and lesbians have been depicted in over three hundred television episodes and made-for-TV films. These include medical series, police/detective shows, situation comedies and TV dramas. The Prime Time Closet also reveals how television's treatement of homosexuality has reflected and reinforced society's ignorance about and fear of gay men and lesbians. At the same time, it celebrates programs like Ellen and Will & Grace that have broken new ground in their sensitive and enlightened approach to homosexuality and gay-related themes. This book is witty and insightful, accessible and illuminating, a look into what has become an integral part of American media culture.




99 Episodes That Defined the '90s


Book Description

How can you define a decade? Through television, of course. The 1990s featured many memorable TV moments, providing a fascinating picture of the decade. In this book, 99 episodes across all major television genres are discussed--from police procedurals, hangout sitcoms, and cartoons to game shows and much more. Some of these episodes became iconic and helped define the '90s; other episodes reflect events in the world at the time.




Mobituaries


Book Description

From popular TV correspondent and writer Rocca comes a charmingly irreverent and rigorously researched book that celebrates the dead people who made life worth living.







The Stuff of Spectatorship


Book Description

Film and television create worlds, but they are also of a world, a world that is made up of stuff, to which humans attach meaning. Think of the last time you watched a movie: the chair you sat in, the snacks you ate, the people around you, maybe the beer or joint you consumed to help you unwind—all this stuff shaped your experience of media and its influence on you. The material culture around film and television changes how we make sense of their content, not to mention the very concepts of the mediums. Focusing on material cultures of film and television reception, The Stuff of Spectatorship argues that the things we share space with and consume as we consume television and film influence the meaning we gather from them. This book examines the roles that six different material cultures have played in film and television culture since the 1970s—including video marketing, branded merchandise, drugs and alcohol, and even gun violence—and shows how objects considered peripheral to film and television culture are in fact central to its past and future.




Not Ready to Adult Yet


Book Description

Hilarious life lessons from the voice of a generation.So, what do you write about when you do a book? Yourself? Nah, I've not done enough stuff yet (you've got to think word count; I'd really have to drag out that time I went caravanning with Aunty Pam and Uncle Bill in order to achieve anything other than 'pamphlet' status). So, what about my generation? Millennials. We've got loads of stories. We've been celebrated and scorned; it seems we're the envy, fascination and disgrace of the world.Throughout life, millennials have been taught we're perfect and should live a perfect life - from being mollycoddled by our parents to receiving awards for taking part at school, and the beautiful, filtered lives we all see and share on social media. We've been taught, whatever happens, life should be flawless; whatever you do, don't fuck up. And then we enter the real world and start work, and start having relationships, and failure starts to rear its ugly head. A head none of us were warned about or indeed are ready for.We were told failure was never an option. And I believed them. But, truth be known, I've fucked up at every point. As have you. And honestly, it's fine.In his brilliant first book, Iain explores why millennials are the way they are - and whether that makes us self-obsessed, work-shy, mollycoddled, egomaniacs; or just a misunderstood generation with a fear of failure.Funny, provocative and packed-full of entertaining stories, is what my publishers have told me to say about this book. But actually this is my ill-informed guide to what life is really like for millennials and how we can navigate it better.