David Lavery

Paul Levinson

Douglas L. Howard

The Sopranos is recognized as the most successful cable series in the history of television. The Washington Post has called the popular series, winner of twenty-one Emmys and five Golden Globes, "the television landmark that leaves other landmarks in the dust." In every aspect -- narrative structure, visual artistry, writing, intertextuality, ensemble acting, controversial themes, dark humor, and unflinching examinations of American life -- The Sopranos has had few equals. Offering a definitive final assessment of the series, The Essential Sopranos Reader aims to comprehensively examine the show's themes and enduring cultural significance. Gender and ethnicity, the role of dreams, the rebirth of HBO, the series' controversial finale, and other topics come under scrutiny in this highly accessible, engaging collection. The book concludes with an interview with Dominic Chianese, who played Uncle Junior in all six seasons of the show.

The Essential Sopranos Reader

Ruth Bienstock Anolik

Literary use of the Gothic is marked by an anxious encounter with otherness, with the dark and mysterious unknown. From its earliest manifestations in the turbulent eighteenth century, this seemingly escapist mode has provided for authors a useful ground upon which to safely confront very real fears and horrors. The essays here examine texts in which Gothic fear is relocated onto the figure of the racial and social Other, the Other who replaces the supernatural ghost or grotesque monster as the code for mystery and danger, ultimately becoming as horrifying, threatening and unknowable as the typical Gothic manifestation. The range of essays reveals that writers from many canons and cultures are attracted to the Gothic as a ready medium for expression of racial and social anxieties. The essays are grouped into sections that focus on such topics as race, religion, class, and centers of power.

Racial and Social Constructions in the Literary Imagination

The Gothic Other

Based upon the successful Jeff Lindsay novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter, Showtime’s Dexter continues to raise the bar on television drama, as it chronicles the grisly exploits of a police blood spatter expert who moonlights as a serial killer. But unlike other serial killers, Dexter only kills the bad guys, a distinction that sets up one of the primary ethical conflicts of the show. For fans who want to delve deeper into the fascinating complexity of this hit show, this guide offers a wide range of topics that will give bloggers, tweeters, and aspiring spatter experts a lot to talk about. Includes: • A complete episode guide to the first three seasons • An exclusive interview with Darkly Dreaming Dexter author Jeff Lindsay • A world-class group of critics offering the first lively investigation of the show’s issues • Chapters on Dexter as a vigilante hero, Dexter and psychoanalysis, the politics of Dexter, the German "obsession" with Dexter, and much more

Investigating Cutting Edge Television

Dexter

David Bianculli

Today more than ever, series finales have become cultural touchstones that feed watercooler fodder and Twitter storms among a committed community of viewers. While the final episodes of The Fugitive and M*A*S*H continue to rank among the highest rated broadcasts, more recent shows draw legions of binge-watching fans. Given the importance of finales to viewers and critics alike, Howard and Bianculli along with the other contributors explore these endings and what they mean to the audience, both in terms of their sense of narrative and as episodes that epitomize an entire show. Bringing together a veritable "who's who" of television scholars, journalists, and media experts, including Robert Thompson, Martha Nochimson, Gary Edgerton, David Hinckley, Kim Akass, and Joanne Morreale, the book offers commentary on some of the most compelling and often controversial final episodes in television history. Each chapter is devoted to a separate finale, providing readers with a comprehensive survey of these watershed moments. Gathering a unique international lineup of journalists and media scholars, the book also offers readers an intriguing variety of critical voices and perspectives.

From Howdy Doody to Girls

Television Finales

The literary use of the Gothic is marked by an anxious encounter with otherness, with the dark and mysterious unknown. From its earliest manifestations in the turbulent eighteenth century, this escapist mode has provided for authors a useful ground upon which to safely confront very real fears and horrors. The essays here examine texts in which Gothic fear is relocated onto the figure of the racial and social Other - the Other who replaces the monster as the code for mystery and danger, the horrifying and the unknowable. The essays reveal that writers from many cannons and cultures are attracted to the Gothic as a ready medium for the expression of racial and social anxieties. The essays are grouped under such topics as race, religion, class, and centers of power.

Douglas L. Howard

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