Television dramas and the global village : storytelling through race and gender /

A critical summation of television's mirror for humankind, this collection of 20 essays covers major American series plus dramatic and comic presentations from 10 countries other than the US. Character and theme analyses review the intent of dramatizing particular quandaries, such as disdain for homosexuals as portrayed through the career of footman Thomas Barrow in Downton Abbey and amplification of changing morals as depicted in the Brazilian telenovela Delegacia de Mulheres. The text incorporates script citations and features a thorough listing of subgenres including, e.g., five models of police procedurals as well as a definition of honor killings as seen in Pakistani re-enactments. References tend toward 21st-century scholarship on such topics as public perception of social engineering and the evolution of medical procedures as portrayed in the media. The input of 28 critics enhances the scope and diversity of the collection. A surprising omission was noted in the absence of commentary on the Scotch powerhouse series Outlander, with the result that the collection overlooks opportunity to provide a comprehensive examination of portrayals of sexual violence on two continents. Still, this book will be an excellent addition to the public and university library media shelf. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates. Graduate students, faculty, and professionals. --Mary Ellen Snodgrass, formerly, Lenoir-Rhyne University