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TV's New Golden Age

By: Eric R. Williams, The Great Courses
Narrated by: Eric R. Williams
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Summary

Television has gone through many transformations since the first TV sets arrived in the living rooms of the mid-20th century. While the quality of televised entertainment is difficult to measure objectively, most critics agree that the period beginning in 1999 and continuing for the next two decades was a "golden age" of television. It was not the first period marked by exceptional productions - in fact, it was the third in a series of golden ages in TV. What made so many of the television programs produced at this millennial turning point so notable?

In the 10 lessons of TV's New Golden Age, Professor Eric R. Williams will take you on a tour of this high watermark period in television history, sometimes known as the "Third Golden Age of Television", or G3. Along the way, you will consider some of the best and the worst that television has to offer, not just in G3, but throughout the history of the medium. With this invaluable perspective, you will be able to form a more complete picture of the amazing innovations and paradigm shifts that shaped so many of the shows that define this 20-year period of creative television excellence.

From crime dramas and fantasy epics to sitcoms and soap operas, you will examine shows of various genres and styles, all through the lens of the conditions and complexities that have shaped them. You will consider the shows themselves, as well as the creative minds behind them, and the changing nature of the television audience across the decades. As you trace the history of television past and present, you will see how it has moved beyond disposable entertainment to become an art form that both reflects and shapes the world we live in.

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Not what I expected

unless you are up on your US tv this can be a bit of a trial, But stick with it and the actual TV shows are less important than the message about them being put forward. However, it did small seem that everything sprung forth from Amercan TV providers and absolutely nothing came through from the rest of the world, the UK included, except for a few mentions of Dr Who and one for House of Cards,

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A broad recap of 20 years

This was a fun little refresher on trends in mainstream TV, though it's very light and very American centric. Even then, the author tries to appear enlightened on race and LGBT representation while glossing over more than two decades of quality niche content in favor of very mainstream and very recent shows, while attributing societal changes to television that are plainly the result of the internet and social media's rise.

Nonetheless, it's a decent audio essay with some insight on the appeal of modern genres, as well as good speculation on where television goes from here.

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Interesting but flawed analysis

I enjoyed this tour of the so-called Golden Age of television but it was unfortunate that the main lecturer, who promulgates a theory of how diversity of voice and perspective enhances art, does not share his platform with the the co-author of the lecture series. Why do we only hear from him and not her?

Nevertheless it is a well put together, if limited, analysis of the period of amazing television that we have all just lived through. While I don’t really think he properly covers some of the main changes that occurred in the G3, the third golden age as he calls it, he cover most of the main bases and I think that perhaps is all that can be expected in a limited lecture series of this sort.

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