From the early 1960s, in which television spies were used essentially as anti-Communist propaganda, through the subsequent years that both built upon and parodied this model, and finally to today's gadget-laden world of murky motives and complex global politics, spy television has served as much more than mere escapism. From the beginning, television spies opened doors for new kinds of heroes. Women quickly took center stage alongside men, and minority leads in spy programs paved the way for other kinds of roles on the small screen. For half a century, television spies have been trained professionals, reluctant heroes, housewives, businessmen, criminals, and comedians. They have by turns been glamorous, campy, reflective, sexy, and aloof. This is the first book-length treatment of one of TV's oldest and most fascinating genres. Topics include:

How both popular and obscure spy shows came to the screen

Why they succeeded or failed

Analyses of series both famous and obscure

A dissection of the ways in which fact and fiction have routinely been blurred in the genre Wesley Britton's comprehensive guide provides readers, from casual viewers to die-hard fans, with behind-the-scenes stories to this notable segment of television entertainment.

A writer and college English teacher traces the evolution of television spy series over the past half-century from the early 1960s anti-communist propaganda spy shows to today's high-tech global- international espionage programs. The 14 chapters explore topics including the genre's ideological roots, cultural contexts, analysis of a wide range of programs and characters, and the future of TV espionage.
Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

[A] powerful contribution not only to Praeger's television collection, but to television analysis as a whole....Spy Television considers the history of spy shows on the screen, why they succeeded or failed, and how fact and fiction have been molded by them.Internet Bookwatch/The Midwest Book Review

Wesley Britton has his finger squarely on the pulse of the TV spy. A wonderfully comprehensive examination of the numerous spies who have passed through our living rooms over the decades, Britton's Spy Television covers the espionage gamut from Avengers to Wild Wild West. A must-have for anyone interested in the history of this all-important TV genre.Danny Biederman, writer/director, Hollywood SpyTek

Spotlight on The Arts Top 10 Performing Arts BookBooklist

For half a century, television spies have been trained professionals, reluctant heroes, housewives, businessmen, criminals, and comedians. They have by turns been glamorous, campy, reflective, sexy, and aloof. This is the first book-length treatment of one of TV's oldest and most fascinating genres. Britton's comprehensive guide provides readers, from casual viewers to die-hard fans, with behind-the-scenes stories to this notable segment of television entertainment.

This comprehensive guide to television's spy genre covers 50 years of programs ranging from The Man From U.N.C.L.E. to Alias.

WESLEY BRITTON earned his Ph.D. in American Literature from the University of North Texas. Since then he has taught college-level English in Texas, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania, and has published poetry, book reviews, scholarly, encyclopedia entries, and newspaper columns in various books and periodicals.

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Defining a Genre

The Roots of a Family Tree

Bond, Beatles, and Camp: The Men from U.N.C.L.E

More British than Bond: John Steed, The Avengers, and Feminist Role-Playing

Cold War Sports and Games: I Spy and Radical Politics

The Cold War and Existential Fables: Danger Man, Secret Agent, and The Prisoner

The Page and the Screen: The Saint and Robin Hood Spies

Interchangeable Parts: Missions: Impossible

Bond on the Prarie: From The Wild Wild West to the Secret Adventures of Jules Verne

Tongues in Cheek to Tongues Sticking Out: Get Smart and the Spoofing of a Genre

Also Rans and New Branches: Network Secret Agents from 1963-1980

Reagan, Le Carre, Clancy, Cynicism, and Cable: Down to Earth in the 1980s and 1990s

The Return of Fantasy and the Dark Nights of Spies: The X-Files, La Femme Nikita, and the New Millennium

Active and Inactive FILES: Alias, 24, The Agency and 21st Century Spies

Conclusion

The Past, Present, and Future of TV Espionage: Why Spies?

Chapter Notes

References