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The Persistence of Television

People, Programmes and Practices that Endure

The Persistence of Television cover

The Persistence of Television

People, Programmes and Practices that Endure

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Pre-order. Available Dec 24 2026
$126.36 RRP $157.95 Website price saving $31.59 (20%)

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Description

The Persistence of Television examines more than 60 years of television to identify the elements that have entertained and informed viewers from the beginning of mass broadcasting to the present day, proposing that most television viewing is rooted in traditional programming that is still largely received in conventional ways.

The book includes the discussion of popular shows such as Doctor Who, Twin Peaks, Who Wants to be a Millionaire and David Attenborough's nature documentaries. On-screen faces, programmes and genres drawn from British, American and Australian television services are examined to demonstrate how continuity persists in the face of change. There's no denying the excitement or the value of the new, but the authors of this book argue that it runs in tandem with enduring aspects of the already existing.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

Introduction
1. What Television Means
2. Familiarity and Liveness
3. People on Screen
4. Light Entertainment: The Genres of Conviviality
5. Natural History
6. Reboots, Revivals, Remakes and Adaptations
Conclusion: Crime and Television

Endnotes
References
Index

Product details

Bloomsbury Academic Test
Published Dec 24 2026
Format Ebook (PDF)
Edition 1st
Pages 240
ISBN 9781501347351
Imprint Bloomsbury Academic
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Author

Frances Bonner

Frances Bonner is Honorary Associate Professor at…

Author

Jason Jacobs

Jason Jacobs is Associate Professor of Film and Te…

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