Synopses & Reviews
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&Apos;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.
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&Apos;s oldest and most fascinating genres.
Review
"[A] powerful contribution not only to Praeger's television collection, but to television analysis as a whole….^BSpy Television^R 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
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 ^ISpy Television^R covers the espionage gamut from ^IAvengers^R to ^IWild Wild West.^R A must-have for anyone interested in the history of this all-important TV genre. < p="">Danny Biederman, writer / director, ^IHollywood SpyTek^R^L <>
Review
"Spotlight on The Arts Top 10 Performing Arts Book" - Booklist
Review
"Here, for all television addicts, is a much-needed, long-overdue, in-depth exploration of one of the mediuM&Apos;s more enduring genres: spy TV….All of the classic series are discussed in considerable detail, but what makes the book such a resounding success for fans of the genre is the coverage of the forgotten show or the curious fact, stuff other books miss but devotees love….Britton's broad knowledge and his commitment to packing as much detail as possible into his book, that makes Spy Television an indispensable addition to any television buff's reference shelf. If you love spy TV, this book is, well…thrilling." - Booklist, Starred Review
Review
"Britton has produced a comprehensive guide to the many espionage-oriented television series that have aired in the United States from the 1960s to the present…. Offers a fascinating window into an understudied genre. The first entry in a new series on television, this work is recommended for academic libraries that support television and popular culture programs and public libraries." - Library Journal
Review
"Britton has written the Baedeker of spy television films and series, an encyclopedic history of this popular television genre….Public libraries; comprehensive academic collections supporting coursework in the history of television." - Choice
Review
Britton has conducted an exhaustive analysis of a unique time in our cultural history--the spy craze of the 1960s and its subsequent ripple effects over the years. He's left no stone unturned in digging up not only the classic entries in this genre, but also the obscure, the forgotten, and the one-season wonders. I thought I knew every entry in this genre, but his book reminded me of many I'd forgotten, and informed me on many I had missed completely. This book is the definitive history of the spy phenomenon that was a cultural outgrowth of the Cold War. < p="">Jon Heitland, author of ^IThe Man from U.N.C.L.E. Book: The Behind the Scenes Story of a Television Classic^R <>
Synopsis
Offers for the first time a comprehensive guide to television's spy genre, guiding the reader through fifty years of programs ranging from The Man From U.N.C.L.E. to Alias.
Synopsis
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.
Synopsis
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.
About the Author
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.
Table of Contents
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