Glued to the Set: The 60 Television Shows and Events ... (ISBN 0385324111)

Amazon.com Review:
Do you love TV? Do you want a way to silence those poor souls who chastise you for spending too many hours in front of the tube? Glued to the Set is what you've been looking for. NPR commentator, cultural critic, and unapologetic TV-watcher Steven Stark explores six decades of television to find the shows and the events that prove how important this medium has been in the shaping of modern American culture. From Milton Berle's invention of TV-comedy to "ER and the fight for health-care reform," Stark engages in serious, thoroughly researched analysis while occasionally moving his tongue towards his cheek. He examines the subversive pleasures of The Monkees, and the ways in which sitcoms both reflect and create ideas about family. The book's serious premise is kept afloat by Stark's lively prose, and this allows his points to hit home with a force that would be lost in a more academic arena. After reading Glued to the Set, America's Funniest Home Videos will never seem the same again: "As the theme song says: 'America, America, this is you.'" --Simon Leake

Not Supposed to be about the 60 GREATEST shows:
This book is not meant to be about the 60 greatest shows ever to appear on television. It is not, in reality, a book about television at all, but rather about sociology. It analyzes the impact of television on American life, and, conversely, the impact of American life on television. Bravo to Mr. Stark for writing a book which gives us much more than so many other books do in discussing television. Mr. Stark actually makes us think about its impact.

An ideal essayist:
Mr. Stark has managed to capture what the whole spirit of essay-writing is about: to spark debate and seamlessly incorporate the various (and often needlessly divorced) disciplines, be it sociology, psychology, design, media, education, etc. Many other reviewers on this democratic yet altogether newfangled 'Amazon' service have expressed displeasure at Stark's omissions and/or the marketing of the book. For those who expected a simple list of the Best Shows of All Time, you should not bother with books to begin with; yet if you persist in reading, I suggest you start with Ziauddin Sardir's essay about list and rank obsession in 'The A to Z of Postmodern Life'. Mr. Stark's cause, I believe (and teach my students) is to provoke the very debate and discussion that has prompted both 1 and 5 star rankings. He is perhaps one of the most effective essayists of our time, for he manages to incorporate opinion, research, and a broader historical view by referencing the very (and only) things that give our American culture its ballast. Most importantly, he manages to do this without falling into the academic sophism that describes much of the current film/video literature.

You Won't Look at TV the Same Way Again:
Mr. Stark has insights on television that you won't find elsewhere. He is fair and thoughtful. Although he appears to be a liberal (albeit with at least some sympathy toward cultural conservatism), you won't often find his analysis colored by party lines. He has positive things to say about Lawrence Welk, Mr. Ed and Ronald Reagan and harsh words about Masterpiece Theater, 60 Minutes and Edward R. Murrow. Moreover, he shows you why you should agree with him even if your initial reaction was quite the opposite. Many of the reviewers remarked that he would be a good person to have a conversation with. I heartily agree. I only wish that he would do a sequel. Reading this 1997 book in 2005 makes you realize just how much has changed since then.

Doh!:
Anybody who thinks they're writing a book about the sixty best television shows ever made yet somehow doesn't include The Simpsons is obviously so stupid and ignorant that no further comment need be made. Time for this windy old hack to be sent to the glue factory.

Historians and Sociologists interested in Technology: Read It:
This book is an excellent example of scholarship that is accessible and fun, and yet theoretically relevant. Anyone interested in how television or, to a broader extent, technology has shaped or been shaped by American culture and social events should read this book. You'll get some great insight, plus half of the fun is just seeing what Stark has to say about your favorite TV programs.