Television in Transition : The Life and Afterlife of the Narrative Action Hero

Combining an exciting methodology alongside high-interest case studies, Television in Transition offers students of television a guide to a medium that has weathered the challenges of first-run syndication, a multi-channel universe, netlets, major media conglomerates, deregulation, and globalization--all in the space of twenty years.

Examines a return in television programming to action narratives with individual (super) heroes intended to navigate this new, international, multi-channel universe Explores how television programming "translates" to new spatial geographies: different nations, cultures, broadcast systems; and different formats, distribution outlets, and screen sizes Looks at the value of a program's "afterlife," the continued circulation, repackaging and repurposing of programming beyond its initial iteration Blends institutional and textual analyses in case studies of Highlander: The Series, Smallville, 24, and Doctor Who