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The Platinum Age of Television: From I Love Lucy to the Walking Dead, How TV Became Terrific
Television shows have now eclipsed films as the premier form of visual narrative art of our time. This new book by one of our finest critics explains--historically, in depth, and with interviews with the celebrated creators themselves--how the art of must-see/binge-watch television evolved.
Darwin had his theory of evolution, and David Bianculli has his. Bianculli's theory has to do with the concept of quality television: what it is and, crucially, how it got that way. In tracing the evolutionary history of our progress toward a Platinum Age of Television--our age, the era of The Sopranos and Breaking Bad and Mad Men and The Wire and Homeland and Girls--he focuses on the development of the classic TV genres, among them the sitcom, the crime show, the miniseries, the soap opera, the western, the animated series and the late night talk show. In each genre, he selects five key examples of the form, tracing its continuities and its dramatic departures and drawing on exclusive and in-depth interviews with many of the most famed auteurs in television history.
Television has triumphantly come of age artistically; David Bianculli's book is the first to date to examine, in depth and in detail and with a keen critical and historical sense, how this inspiring development came about.
Darwin had his theory of evolution, and David Bianculli has his. Bianculli's theory has to do with the concept of quality television: what it is and, crucially, how it got that way. In tracing the evolutionary history of our progress toward a Platinum Age of Television--our age, the era of The Sopranos and Breaking Bad and Mad Men and The Wire and Homeland and Girls--he focuses on the development of the classic TV genres, among them the sitcom, the crime show, the miniseries, the soap opera, the western, the animated series and the late night talk show. In each genre, he selects five key examples of the form, tracing its continuities and its dramatic departures and drawing on exclusive and in-depth interviews with many of the most famed auteurs in television history.
Television has triumphantly come of age artistically; David Bianculli's book is the first to date to examine, in depth and in detail and with a keen critical and historical sense, how this inspiring development came about.
576 pages, Hardcover
First published November 15, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
December 9, 2023
The Platinum Age of Television by David Bianculli functions decently as reference catalogue of television history and profiles of important figures in the medium. Via the nearly endless descriptions of the progression of different shows in a given genre, the book argues (mostly implicitly) that there has been an evolutionary trajectory in the medium. However, Bianculli’s fondness for older shows obscures this narrative significantly. It tends to more of tracking of influence and original development than as a demonstration of the nature of TV’s innovation.
The sum total of why TV is more sophisticated today, according to Bianculli, has to do with the increased creative freedom enjoyed by writers and the accomplishments of those who came before. The tricks and trades pioneered piecemeal by prior writers, actors, show runners, and other TV professionals. It's history all the way up to Bianculli.
In my view, this likely glosses over the changes to business models (streaming), audience sophistication (digital natives, forums, fandoms, podcasts), general cultural complexity, and competition (i.e. the death of prestige literature).
I would have appreciated a deeper critical perspective on fewer high impact shows. A complement part of this would be an examination of what elevates televisual entertainment to compete with the novel as a prestige narrative art. This would have been useful to readers and support the argument (despite the already broad acceptance of Bianculli’s central claim).
We do get some insights about how shows like The Sopranos or Twin Peaks were revolutionary but little about why this makes for a more elevated medium. Bianculli has too much of a soft spot for anecdotes about sugary cereal with Saturday morning cartoons inspiring TV writers. Passion and nostalgia may have inspired significant show runners, but it isn't what makes TV better today than decades ago.
The sum total of why TV is more sophisticated today, according to Bianculli, has to do with the increased creative freedom enjoyed by writers and the accomplishments of those who came before. The tricks and trades pioneered piecemeal by prior writers, actors, show runners, and other TV professionals. It's history all the way up to Bianculli.
In my view, this likely glosses over the changes to business models (streaming), audience sophistication (digital natives, forums, fandoms, podcasts), general cultural complexity, and competition (i.e. the death of prestige literature).
I would have appreciated a deeper critical perspective on fewer high impact shows. A complement part of this would be an examination of what elevates televisual entertainment to compete with the novel as a prestige narrative art. This would have been useful to readers and support the argument (despite the already broad acceptance of Bianculli’s central claim).
We do get some insights about how shows like The Sopranos or Twin Peaks were revolutionary but little about why this makes for a more elevated medium. Bianculli has too much of a soft spot for anecdotes about sugary cereal with Saturday morning cartoons inspiring TV writers. Passion and nostalgia may have inspired significant show runners, but it isn't what makes TV better today than decades ago.
May 26, 2023
I admire the willingness to pack so much in to one book. It does however, make for a dry read.
March 28, 2018
Platinum reads on occasion like a college textbook, but that's probably because author Bianculli is an associate university professor. However, it's also fairly well-researched, which is likely due to his journalistic background (he's worked at numerous newspapers since the mid-70's) in TV criticism.
While not an exhaustive overview on the history of scripted American television shows, he focuses on five series in each of the various genres (medical, legal, crime, sci-fi, sit-com, etc.) and how things have progressed and sometimes improved since the early 50's into the early 21st century.
Also notable were the various interviews (usually series writer-creators, but there were actors and directors as well), representing a wide array of 'small-screen' talent, that concluded each chapter.
While not an exhaustive overview on the history of scripted American television shows, he focuses on five series in each of the various genres (medical, legal, crime, sci-fi, sit-com, etc.) and how things have progressed and sometimes improved since the early 50's into the early 21st century.
Also notable were the various interviews (usually series writer-creators, but there were actors and directors as well), representing a wide array of 'small-screen' talent, that concluded each chapter.
April 10, 2021
Książka dla każdego miłośnika seriali. Doświadczony krytyk telewizyjny - w tym fachu od 1975 roku - poprzez pryzmat najważniejszych programów i seriali telewizyjnych, odkrywa przed czytelnikiem historię i ewolucję telewizji. Jego celem nie jest jedynie przedstawienie najbardziej popularnych i lubianych seriali - choć wśród opisywanych tutaj serii znajdą się oczywiście i takie - ale wskazanie tych z nich, które ze względu na formę, treść, sposób prezentacji opowieści lub tematu - są tu też serie dokumentalne - zmieniały medium, wyznaczały nowe trendy i kierunki, przełamywały tabu i ograniczenia oraz ustanawiały nową jakość telewizji.
Książka obejmuje każdą z kategorii programów telewizyjnych - od kreskówek i telewizji dla najmłodszych, poprzez kilka kategorii komedii sytuacyjnej, kryminały, western, horror i science-fiction, dramaty, programy kabaretowe i rozrywkowe, po opery mydlane, seriale medyczne, prawnicze i dokumentalne. Każdy rozdział opisuje pięć, sześć serii i programów, które były prawdziwymi kamieniami milowymi w historii telewizji a poszczególne sekcje przeplatane są biogramami, opierającymi się na wywiadach z osobowościami telewizji, które David Bianculli przeprowadzał w trakcie swojej kariery recenzenckiej. Wśród nich Mel Brooks, Judd Apatow, Larry Wilmore, David E. Kelley, David Chase, Steven Bochco, Vince Gilligan i wielu innych, doskonale znanych wszystkim fanom seriali.
Książka cenna również dlatego, że pozwoli Wam - jak to było w moim przypadku - odkryć wybitne seriale i programy, które nawet dzisiaj ogląda się znakomicie, zachwycają i nawet po latach zaskakują pod wieloma względami. To dzięki tej książce - już w trakcie jej lektury - regularnie zacząłem oglądać między innymi "St. Elsewhere" (1982–1988), "NYPD Blue" (1993–2005) i "Taxi" (1978–1983). Świetnie napisana książka, którą doceni każdy wielbiciel dobrej telewizji! Polecam!
Książka obejmuje każdą z kategorii programów telewizyjnych - od kreskówek i telewizji dla najmłodszych, poprzez kilka kategorii komedii sytuacyjnej, kryminały, western, horror i science-fiction, dramaty, programy kabaretowe i rozrywkowe, po opery mydlane, seriale medyczne, prawnicze i dokumentalne. Każdy rozdział opisuje pięć, sześć serii i programów, które były prawdziwymi kamieniami milowymi w historii telewizji a poszczególne sekcje przeplatane są biogramami, opierającymi się na wywiadach z osobowościami telewizji, które David Bianculli przeprowadzał w trakcie swojej kariery recenzenckiej. Wśród nich Mel Brooks, Judd Apatow, Larry Wilmore, David E. Kelley, David Chase, Steven Bochco, Vince Gilligan i wielu innych, doskonale znanych wszystkim fanom seriali.
Książka cenna również dlatego, że pozwoli Wam - jak to było w moim przypadku - odkryć wybitne seriale i programy, które nawet dzisiaj ogląda się znakomicie, zachwycają i nawet po latach zaskakują pod wieloma względami. To dzięki tej książce - już w trakcie jej lektury - regularnie zacząłem oglądać między innymi "St. Elsewhere" (1982–1988), "NYPD Blue" (1993–2005) i "Taxi" (1978–1983). Świetnie napisana książka, którą doceni każdy wielbiciel dobrej telewizji! Polecam!
December 27, 2016
Who would think reading a book about T.V. would be fun? I was a little apprehensive when I started reading. I have watched most of these shows before, whether they be reruns or first time on television. David Bianculli, a known T.V. critic, wrote about how certain shows lead to or helped create a new world for television watchers.
This book is separated into 13 parts, or T.V. genres. Within each section, there are approximately 5 shows that get a specific look into them, but there are also talk of shows that interlink the next to the previous. At the end of most sections, there is a personal profile of 1 or more people that helped to make or expand that particular genre.
This book, while over 500 pages, in my ARC, took a while to read, I am glad that I did. My knowledge of the shows are greatly increased and I have a better understanding of television, overall.
Thank you DoubleDay Books and NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book to give my honest opinion.
This book is separated into 13 parts, or T.V. genres. Within each section, there are approximately 5 shows that get a specific look into them, but there are also talk of shows that interlink the next to the previous. At the end of most sections, there is a personal profile of 1 or more people that helped to make or expand that particular genre.
This book, while over 500 pages, in my ARC, took a while to read, I am glad that I did. My knowledge of the shows are greatly increased and I have a better understanding of television, overall.
Thank you DoubleDay Books and NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book to give my honest opinion.
December 9, 2016
Except for one really off-putting digression into a defense of Bill Cosby and the use of the term "alleged non-consensual sexual misconduct" I really liked this book.
But that Cosby bit was really, really weird.
But that Cosby bit was really, really weird.
December 12, 2023
My only drawback here is there's some repetition referring back to earlier chapters and I wish there weren't so many series finale spoilers to things I haven't gotten to yet but I tried to skip over the spoilers. Very thorough and well researched. Also made me realize how much tv I've grown up with and devour, which is somewhat frightening.
March 8, 2017
Qué buen recorrido por la historia de la televisión, o al menos, por sus highlights y la época más que dorada. En este libro, David Bianculli nos lleva por esos hitos televisivos que hacen de la televisión el medio influyente y especial que es hoy. Desde las primeras series de suspenso, drama y terror hasta las elaboradas historias de detectives, médicos y de fantasía que podemos ver hoy con todo realismo.
The Platinum age of television es un libro que todo estudiante de cine y TV tiene que leer, conocer las raíces es fundamental, pero también recomiendo su lectura a los "críticos" de TV de hoy, sean serios o no. Como sabemos, contar historias requiere de originalidad, y no tener bagaje para criticarla es igual que asumir que todo producto nuevo es novedoso.
Me encantaron los apartes dedicados a la ciencia ficción, los procedurals y los Late Late Shows, me encanta haber visto toda su historia y evolución y el libro en sí me hixo sentir curiosidad por un par de géneros que no me parecen la gran cosa: western y Medical.
Léanlo, es algo largo pero es una buena oportunidad para conocer los origenes y referencias de muchos de nuestros shows favoritos de hoy.
The Platinum age of television es un libro que todo estudiante de cine y TV tiene que leer, conocer las raíces es fundamental, pero también recomiendo su lectura a los "críticos" de TV de hoy, sean serios o no. Como sabemos, contar historias requiere de originalidad, y no tener bagaje para criticarla es igual que asumir que todo producto nuevo es novedoso.
Me encantaron los apartes dedicados a la ciencia ficción, los procedurals y los Late Late Shows, me encanta haber visto toda su historia y evolución y el libro en sí me hixo sentir curiosidad por un par de géneros que no me parecen la gran cosa: western y Medical.
Léanlo, es algo largo pero es una buena oportunidad para conocer los origenes y referencias de muchos de nuestros shows favoritos de hoy.
December 10, 2016
This is a thorough, thoughtful book about the evolution of television. Arranged by genres, it highlights some of the most important programs and spotlights some of the most talented writers. Also touches on other lesser programs of the time. We got our first television when I was six and I remember afternoons playing board games with the tv on showing the test pattern and hoping a Hopalong Cassidy movie would soon be n. I loved this book.
February 21, 2017
Repeats itself a lot, probably so each individual chapter can exist on its own, or can be read out of order, but when you do read the whole thing (and why wouldn't you?), the frequent restatement of facts and credits gets a little exhausting, particularly after 550 pages. Still, it's a very thorough and loving evolutionary survey of the history of TV as we currently know it.
November 24, 2016
This is a Goodreads First Reads review.
This is a great overall view of how modern television came to be. All shows and their creators are organized by category and there is a nice diversity of shows that the author covers, with both in depth reviews and smaller segments.
This is a great overall view of how modern television came to be. All shows and their creators are organized by category and there is a nice diversity of shows that the author covers, with both in depth reviews and smaller segments.
January 22, 2017
More like reading an encyclopedia of television than a coherent narrative. Good in bits and pieces, particularly the biographical sketches, but not something you read cover to cover with a story line.
June 8, 2017
Really liked reading this. I could definitely hear Bianculli's voice as I was reading since I've heard him for years on NPR's Fresh Air. Definitely appreciated reading about important TV broadcasts from the 50s and 60s. The only trouble is the list of TV shows I must see is only getting longer!
May 2, 2019
Quality means what Bianculli liked when he was a teen. Junk is what the teens of today like and Bianculli does not. Subjective taste as an absolute measure, or an unimportant f*rt self-qualifying to be the king of media.
February 15, 2017
Workmanlike review of the major influential shows by genre over the seventy plus years of the history of television.
November 15, 2021
The thesis of David Bianculli's television history, "The Platinum Age of Television" is simple yet compelling. While many see television as dramatically changing post-Sopranos, Bianculli makes the case that all of the great shows of what he has dubbed the "platinum age" are simply building upon the best television that has come before it.
I am a long-time fan of Bianculli's as he was the in-house TV critic for NPR's "Fresh Air" and his reviews always accompanied the show's broadcast on Baltimore and Philadelphia stations. I lived in the country roughly between the two, and listened to Bianculli's reviews throughout my childhood. But, I think even if you don't have the childhood fondness for the man, you find his passion for and knowledge of television irrestitable.
Because Bianculli is also a professor and a historian, his criticism doesn't have the national platform that is enjoyed by Matt Zoller Seitz, Allen Sepinwall, and some of the writers at Vulture, Vox, Vanity Fair, and the various trades. But for my money, he is one of the best television critics in the form's history.
Bianculli's knowledge and insight on the medium are constantly on display in this book, which is a kind of culmination of his decades of criticism and analysis of television. He takes the reader from the beginning of TV through to almost present-day while tracing the evolution of the form in various genres and interviewing its major figures.
There are too many revelatory moments in the book to list in a short review, but some of this sharpest historical work comes in defining the emergence of trends and tracking the evolution of television. For example, he identifies the "splitcom" (a sitcom that takes place both at home and at work), points out that sci-fi grew out of the Western thanks to Gene Roddenbury's work on cowboy shows before going to space, and precisely identifies the influence that shows like Louie and The Daily Show have had on the next generation of TV.
I suspect that because Bianculli is a professor and because this is a fairly long book (24 hours of listening), this text will largely be used in the classroom. But, I would offer that this is actually an essential text for any working professional in the field as well. Understanding the difference between a legal drama and a crime drama, understanding the way that female-driven workplace comedies have had a separate evolutionary trajectory than male-driven sitcoms, parsing the differences between topical late-night series and sketch comedy, understanding the rise and fall and re-birth of the mini-series: these are just some of the key television lessons Bianculli offers here.
There is a perception among millennials and Gen Z that television had nothing to offer before Tony Soprano strode out the door to grab his morning paper other than maybe Twin Peaks and The Simpsons. Bianculli proves in this rigorous history that even figure as large as Tony always stand on the shoulders of giants. To understand television as an art form, you have to go back to its roots, and that can be a compelling and fruitful journey with a guide like David Bianculli.
I am a long-time fan of Bianculli's as he was the in-house TV critic for NPR's "Fresh Air" and his reviews always accompanied the show's broadcast on Baltimore and Philadelphia stations. I lived in the country roughly between the two, and listened to Bianculli's reviews throughout my childhood. But, I think even if you don't have the childhood fondness for the man, you find his passion for and knowledge of television irrestitable.
Because Bianculli is also a professor and a historian, his criticism doesn't have the national platform that is enjoyed by Matt Zoller Seitz, Allen Sepinwall, and some of the writers at Vulture, Vox, Vanity Fair, and the various trades. But for my money, he is one of the best television critics in the form's history.
Bianculli's knowledge and insight on the medium are constantly on display in this book, which is a kind of culmination of his decades of criticism and analysis of television. He takes the reader from the beginning of TV through to almost present-day while tracing the evolution of the form in various genres and interviewing its major figures.
There are too many revelatory moments in the book to list in a short review, but some of this sharpest historical work comes in defining the emergence of trends and tracking the evolution of television. For example, he identifies the "splitcom" (a sitcom that takes place both at home and at work), points out that sci-fi grew out of the Western thanks to Gene Roddenbury's work on cowboy shows before going to space, and precisely identifies the influence that shows like Louie and The Daily Show have had on the next generation of TV.
I suspect that because Bianculli is a professor and because this is a fairly long book (24 hours of listening), this text will largely be used in the classroom. But, I would offer that this is actually an essential text for any working professional in the field as well. Understanding the difference between a legal drama and a crime drama, understanding the way that female-driven workplace comedies have had a separate evolutionary trajectory than male-driven sitcoms, parsing the differences between topical late-night series and sketch comedy, understanding the rise and fall and re-birth of the mini-series: these are just some of the key television lessons Bianculli offers here.
There is a perception among millennials and Gen Z that television had nothing to offer before Tony Soprano strode out the door to grab his morning paper other than maybe Twin Peaks and The Simpsons. Bianculli proves in this rigorous history that even figure as large as Tony always stand on the shoulders of giants. To understand television as an art form, you have to go back to its roots, and that can be a compelling and fruitful journey with a guide like David Bianculli.
September 14, 2022
I don't think it really coalesced into any kind of grand thesis other than "art is iterative, so too is television," but it's a fun enough survey of different genres of television. Bianculli is comprehensive, though I'm sure it's inevitable that every reader will feel a certain show has been excluded (where's my Lost?), but in terms of genres, the only obvious place I feel Bianculli skipped is reality TV. Would be easy enough to trace it from something like this:
- The Real World
- Survivor
- American Idol
- The Apprentice
- Keeping up with the Kardashians
I know the above list is mostly competition, while the last is something different entirely, but I think that, regardless of what you think of the genre, the reality TV phenomenon has shaped the American landscape more than maybe any other genre; Bianculli was writing in 2015 and 2016, witnessing a former TV host on his way to the presidency . . . his due date was likely long before anyone realized Trump would win (he references the writing during his profile on Garry Shandling, who died that year, and opens the Cosby Show section with a long section on how Cliff Huxtable and the show itself might be viewed in light of Cosby's then-alledged crimes . . . the pre-#MeToo profiles of Kevin Spacey and Louis C.K. contain nothing of the sort. Can't blame him for not knowing, but damn, talk about bad timing), but given the size of programs like Survivor and American Idol and their responsibility for the current moment, it feels like a miss.
The writing itself is bright and cheery, Bianculli's enthusiasm for the work shines through, and it's readable throughout -- even if there is a bit of a tendency to name-drop. To be fair, the guy built a hell of a career from a $5 SNL review. Maybe this is just envy - if only there had been a Platinum Age of TV Criticism as well.
- The Real World
- Survivor
- American Idol
- The Apprentice
- Keeping up with the Kardashians
I know the above list is mostly competition, while the last is something different entirely, but I think that, regardless of what you think of the genre, the reality TV phenomenon has shaped the American landscape more than maybe any other genre; Bianculli was writing in 2015 and 2016, witnessing a former TV host on his way to the presidency . . . his due date was likely long before anyone realized Trump would win (he references the writing during his profile on Garry Shandling, who died that year, and opens the Cosby Show section with a long section on how Cliff Huxtable and the show itself might be viewed in light of Cosby's then-alledged crimes . . . the pre-#MeToo profiles of Kevin Spacey and Louis C.K. contain nothing of the sort. Can't blame him for not knowing, but damn, talk about bad timing), but given the size of programs like Survivor and American Idol and their responsibility for the current moment, it feels like a miss.
The writing itself is bright and cheery, Bianculli's enthusiasm for the work shines through, and it's readable throughout -- even if there is a bit of a tendency to name-drop. To be fair, the guy built a hell of a career from a $5 SNL review. Maybe this is just envy - if only there had been a Platinum Age of TV Criticism as well.
September 12, 2019
This book is a pretty comprehensive look at 20th-century television and some of the best and seminal moments of TV history. Bianculli has been writing about television for since 1975 and his knowledge and love of the form is quite evident in how he traces the lineage of different shows, writers, actors, directors, etc. He knows his stuff and he's clearly excited to be sharing his life's work with readers. His work moves through each genre, first by defining it and articulating the ground-breakers through the years from inception to (2016) present and then by providing a narrative that strings these together, making sure to highlight particular shows, episodes, controversial (or funny) anecdotes, and other interesting elements. He usually follows these with spotlights of particular key figures in this genre where delves deeper into their career and life. Some of it doesn't age well having been published in 2016. While the Cosby allegations were in full swing and he acknowledges that, his adulations of Louis C.K. and Kevin Spacey among others. Additionally, his focus does necessarily feel adequate. He spends a substantial amount of time on sit-coms, even breaking them up into home, work, and split sub-genres but then lumps in sci-fi, fantasy, and horror in a way that hints as an unfamiliarity or an absense of recognition of their legitimacy as respectable genres. However, if you want one of the best comprehensive explorations of storytelling in televsion, Bianculli delivers one of the best takes.
July 9, 2024
This book was definitely an interesting read, but it was dry. It read more like a college textbook than anything else, which makes sense because Bianculli is a college professor. Bianculli clearly spent a lot of time researching for this book which makes sense because of his background in journalism.
It is more of an overview of TV than a comprehensive history. He focuses on 5 influential shows from each genre that he discusses. There is a focus on the evolution of tv from the 50s to the 2010s when this book was published. Bianculli does interview influential show creators such as David E. Kelly, Mel Brooks, and David Chase on their influences. I think it was the most interesting to hear from early creators like Mel Brooks because tv was such a new format at the time. On the latter show creators, there was to much focus on their childhood.
The commentary on Bill Cosby was not good in my opinion. It didn't really age well. I do understand the influence of the Bill Cosby Show on tv, but it seemingly glossed over the crimes he was accused of at the time of the writing of the book.
I do wish there was more information on the shift from traditional tv model to streaming. Maybe even some information on how the DVR changed tv. Also maybe even more on how the internet has changed tv even before streaming would have been interesting.
Overall, if you are interested in tv at all and are willing to dedicate some time this is a good start.
It is more of an overview of TV than a comprehensive history. He focuses on 5 influential shows from each genre that he discusses. There is a focus on the evolution of tv from the 50s to the 2010s when this book was published. Bianculli does interview influential show creators such as David E. Kelly, Mel Brooks, and David Chase on their influences. I think it was the most interesting to hear from early creators like Mel Brooks because tv was such a new format at the time. On the latter show creators, there was to much focus on their childhood.
The commentary on Bill Cosby was not good in my opinion. It didn't really age well. I do understand the influence of the Bill Cosby Show on tv, but it seemingly glossed over the crimes he was accused of at the time of the writing of the book.
I do wish there was more information on the shift from traditional tv model to streaming. Maybe even some information on how the DVR changed tv. Also maybe even more on how the internet has changed tv even before streaming would have been interesting.
Overall, if you are interested in tv at all and are willing to dedicate some time this is a good start.
February 14, 2019
I enjoy the author's reviews when he's on Fresh Air and after hearing his interview on the same show about this book, I was eager to read it. I enjoy TV and reading, so this was a perfect match. It was fun reading about the cultural and artistic significance of shows from the beginning of TV through today's shows. It made me want to watch some shows that I had never watched before (Your Show of Shows, Hill Street Blues) and rewatch some old favorites (LA Law, West Wing). First on my to-watch list, though, might just be The Twilight Zone. I'm fascinated by how many people in the TV industry cited The Twilight Zone as the seminal show that informed their own creations. While reading this, I was especially pleased to see my all-time favorite TV production, Lonesome Dove, appear on two of Bianculli's evolutionary lists. Well-deserved! I just wish he wrote as much about this mini-series (and some of my other favorite shows) as he did about Louis CK and his shows. Blech! His interviews with TV show creators were interesting, but lacking in diversity. I think Larry Wilmore was the only person of color he interviewed and he spoke to many more men than women. Still, this was a very enjoyable book.
October 8, 2017
David Bianculli has done a great job exploring the evolution of television, broken down into overlapping genres. I really enjoyed the way he chose each title by its impact on television, and not necessarily by its ratings. This book is very long and took a while to read, but it's formatted in a way that you can read it in whichever order you choose (you can even skip chapters, though I wouldn't recommend it!). I wish the author could have packed even more genres into this already-stuffed book, though it understandably has limitations. Bianculli has established himself as the primary voice in television evolution, and I look forward to reading any of his future books on the topic. I highly recommend The Platinum Age of Television to anyone who has ever been touched by a television show (so...pretty much everyone in America).
December 19, 2020
THE AUTHOR'S HOPE IN WRITING THIS EXTENSIVE HISTORY OF TV IS TO "SPARK THE CONVERSATION AND MAKE A CASE FOR JUST HOW VAST, INTERCONNECTED, AND WONDERFUL SO MUCH OF TV, PAST AND PRESENT, REALLY IS." HE CERTAINLY HAS DONE HIS HOMEWORK AND INTERVIEWED MANY OF THE MAJOR PLAYERS IN TV ALONG THE WAY; THOSE THAT WROTE AND PRODUCED IT ANYWAY. THE PROFILES OF SOME OF THESE PEOPLE DID NOT INTEREST ME BUT I LIKED THE KEY EVOLUTIONARY STAGES THAT HE HIGHLIGHTED IN THE ARBITRARY CATEGORIES THAT HE MADE UP FOR TV. I AGREE TV HAS EVOLVED AND CHANGED DRASTICALLY ESPECIALLY WHEN CABLE CAME INTO EXISTENCE AND NOW WITH ALL THE VARIOUS PLATFORMS AVAILABLE. I DO NOT NECESSARILY AGREE THAT IT IS BETTER. MY ONE TAKE AWAY IS TO GO BACK AND WATCH THE EPISODES COLUMBO IF I CAN FIND IT (AND IT DOES NOT GET MUCH BETTER THE THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW).
May 22, 2018
This book should have been called "The Evolution of Television." It is about the whole sweep of TV's history, from the Forties to the present.
This means that the shows don't get a lot of analysis. Even the highlighted shows don't get more than a page or so devoted to them, and even then it is mostly how the shows came into being.
I guess I was expecting something like "These are the 5 top family sitcoms, and these are the best episodes of each of the 5 top family sitcoms and why they are great."
Frankly, I felt this book didn't tell me much that I didn't know before.
In 1997, Steven D. Stark wrote "Glued to the Set," a look at what he considered the best TV series to that time. If Bianculli had followed that format, I would have liked this book more.
This means that the shows don't get a lot of analysis. Even the highlighted shows don't get more than a page or so devoted to them, and even then it is mostly how the shows came into being.
I guess I was expecting something like "These are the 5 top family sitcoms, and these are the best episodes of each of the 5 top family sitcoms and why they are great."
Frankly, I felt this book didn't tell me much that I didn't know before.
In 1997, Steven D. Stark wrote "Glued to the Set," a look at what he considered the best TV series to that time. If Bianculli had followed that format, I would have liked this book more.
May 8, 2017
Kind of funny that I enjoyed this book as much as I did, since I rarely watch scripted TV shows these days. I've always enjoyed David Bianculli's segments on "Fresh Air" - he's just as entertaining and informative as a writer. This is a very thorough, almost exhausting, look at the last 50 or so years of television, tracing the evolution of "the really good stuff" genre by genre. It's even broken down into sub-genres (sitcoms at work, sitcoms at home, single working women sitcoms, medical dramas, legal dramas, etc). Lots of nostalgia reading about the shows I grew up with, even if I can't really relate to the excitement about many of the current shows he writes about.
November 14, 2017
It's hard to argue with the premise of David Bianculli's book that TV's never been better than it is now. And with streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon and Hulu, it's getting harder and harder to keep up with the high-quality shows coming at us from so many outlets now. Bianculli does a nice job tracing the early influences of shows like "Kolchak: The Night Stalker"--one of my favorites as a kid--on "The X-Files" or "Gunsmoke" and "Maverick" on HBO's great western, "Deadwood." I also enjoyed his interviews with several of TV's top creators, writers and showrunners on what influenced them and how they developed their own groundbreaking shows. Fun read for TV lovers.
March 14, 2022
Disclaimer: This is more a reference book than anything else. There is way too much content to read front to back in my opinion.
On top of that, there's nothing special about it. Everything in the book is documented straightforward stuff. It's all factual yes, but anyone who picked this book up in the first place more than likely already knew what was written.
No behind the scenes or never heard before tidbits. Just what was aired and when it was aired and how it shaped TV at the time.
Very dry. Very boring. Don't waste your time.
On top of that, there's nothing special about it. Everything in the book is documented straightforward stuff. It's all factual yes, but anyone who picked this book up in the first place more than likely already knew what was written.
No behind the scenes or never heard before tidbits. Just what was aired and when it was aired and how it shaped TV at the time.
Very dry. Very boring. Don't waste your time.
June 5, 2017
The book is likely designed to be read in sections, not as a whole; therefore, it repeats facts often, sometimes within the same chapter.
The other downside is that the author seems obsessed with Emmy nominations and wins, devoting at least a paragraph in each section to list them.
The divisions are well established and fun enough; I respect the attempt to pinpoint key evolutionary points of television, even if some of them are too based on Emmy wins.
I'd give it 2.5/5 stars.
The other downside is that the author seems obsessed with Emmy nominations and wins, devoting at least a paragraph in each section to list them.
The divisions are well established and fun enough; I respect the attempt to pinpoint key evolutionary points of television, even if some of them are too based on Emmy wins.
I'd give it 2.5/5 stars.
January 13, 2018
This book gave me so many great memories! I almost didn’t read it because I have spent more of my decades without TV than with. Memories of shows not even mentioned in the book were triggered. Speaking of triggered, there were Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, TRIGGER, and Buttermilk all of a sudden at the Ohio State Fair. Had no idea reading this would be so much fun BUT I was watching TV in the early 50s.
November 2, 2018
Interesting and enjoyable - especially if you like TV and then reading about TV! Curious as to what the author would now say about Louis CK, as book was published before allegations against the comic came to light, and subsequent outcome of Bill Cosby’s trial. I would be interested in an addendum from the author (and his opinion on Louis CK’s attempted comebacks).
March 9, 2019
I was expecting a narrative-style exploration of how TV got so good over the past several decades. Instead, this book is more like an encyclopedia of good TV shows, organized by genre. I found it wearisome to read it straight through, but fascinating to flip through randomly and read different entries.
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