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Paperback Reading 24: TV Against the Clock Book

ISBN: 1845113292

ISBN13: 9781845113292

Reading 24: TV Against the Clock

When "24" exploded onto TV screens in 2001, "Time" magazine called it one of the 'Best Television Events of the Decade'. "24" has gone on to establish itself as groundbreaking and controversial entertainment that has changed the face of television. Each season of "24" traces the events of a single day in the life of CTU Field Agent Jack Bauer. Racing against the clock, Bauer battles assassination attempts, germ warfare and terrorist factions to 'save the day'. "24" presents the nail-biting events of each day through its use of split-screen and 'real-time' devices. Dramatically explosive and visually dynamic, "24" taps into a global sense of uncertainty and suspicion with its provocative depiction of America's role on the world stage and of terrorist activity and political double-dealing. "Reading '24'" is the first book to bring together critical discussions of "24" from a wide range of perspectives. Entertaining and illuminating, the book looks in detail at the creative and controversial features of "24". It considers, for example, "24"'s stylistic innovations, its engagement post 9/11 with the 'War on Terror', and its masking of identities.
The pioneering spirit of the show is matched by the original arguments on display here, celebrating and censuring "24" - TV on the edge.

Recommended

Format: Paperback

Condition: Good

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A Fascinating Look at a Network Television Phenomenon

When the techno-soap drama "24" premiered on Fox in November 2001, it quickly became a media phenomenon that won both critical and popular acclaim as a prime example of quality television programming. Each season of the multi-Emmy-award-winning series attracts legions of loyal, dedicated fans who breathlessly follow Counter-Terrorism Unit (CTU) agent Jack Bauer in "real-time" through one seemingly endless day as he battles in a frantic race-against-the-clock to protect America from horrible terrorist threats. "Reading 24" is not an episode handbook. This is not the place to find the usual cast biographies, shooting scripts, glossy color photos (there are no photos in the book) or behind-the-scenes tales typical of a television series "companion guide." Rather, in a collection of 16 individual essays, "Reading 24" offers scholarly, insightful and fascinating assessments of the structure, style, morality, politics and culture in the world of "24." Topics include (among many others): 1) analyses of the show's innovative split-screen visual technique, 2) comparisons of the arrogant, corrupt and dishonest politicians in "24" with the current (2007) Washington administration, and 3) an examination of the morality of the torture that "24" depicts with such brutal realism. A very interesting chapter explores the relationship among program sponsorship--the Ford Motor Company paid up to $5 million in Season 2 to assure that "24" prominently featured its huge, gas-guzzling SUVs--and the politics of the global oil industry and the "War on Terror." Perhaps one of the most intriguing things about "Reading 24" is the fact that the majority of the contributing scholars are non-American. With no obvious partisan axes to grind, they observe the U.S.'s actions in the post-9/11 world, and the insights into the national psyche that "24" captures so well, with objective, critical detachment. Thus "Reading 24" is much more than simply a book about a television show. It is also a perceptive, thought-provoking look at America's place in the world, and somewhat of a cautionary tale about what may happen "if this goes on..." Highly recommended.

Fascinating essays and discussions about the "24" TV series

This may prove a bit too academic for some, but the essays and discussions presented here are a fascinating read for fans of the series, as well as for those interested in screen-writing and television production. There are more than just critical discussions on content -- terrorism, masked identities, germ warfare, government operations, etc. There are also interesting forays into the creative side of the show, such as the stylistic innovations of split screen presentation, and the omnipresent clock. Well presented, thoughtfully provoking in it's content, and a pleasure to read.
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