Refusing generic plotlines, commercialization, and mass-market ploys, cult TV programs utilize offbeat, original concepts to gain intensely loyal fan bases. The Essential Cult TV Reader covers a wide spectrum of shows, providing a broad examination of series from across the globe. Spanning the progenitors of cult TV like The Twilight Zone and Star Trek and contemporary shows such as Supernatural and 24, this diverse collection explains how a series can evolve from a virtual broadcasting nonentity with a relatively small following of devoted fans to achieve cult status and phenomenal success.Examining television shows that amass engaged, active fan bases by employing an imaginative approach to programming, The Essential Cult TV Reader includes essays by a number of distinguished scholars who seek to present the essential definition of cult TV. Classic cult series like Blakes 7, Dark Shadows, The Avengers, Monty Pythons Flying Circus, and Doctor Who are explored along with popular, modern shows such as Alias, Dexter, and Lost. The essays examine the characters, relationships, narratives, settings, intertextuality, and recurring motifs that set cult shows apart-for example, the island on Lost plays an active, mysterious role in the shows narrative. Freaks and Geeks, however, is driven by character development among a group of high school outcasts. In contrast, many sitcoms and dramas rely on predictable characters and homogenized plots to appeal to the tastes of mainstream audiences.The Essential Cult TV Reader answers many questions surrounding the genre while revealing emerging debates on its future, demonstrating that cult TV has staying power in the mediascape. The Essential Cult TV Reader is a collection of insightful essays that examine television shows that amass engaged, active fan bases by employing an imaginative approach to programming. Once defined by limited viewership, cult TV has developed its own identity, with some shows gaining large, mainstream audiences. By exploring the defining characteristics of cult TV, The Essential Cult TV Reader traces the development of this once obscure form and explains how cult TV achieved its current status as legitimate television. The essays explore a wide range of cult programs, from early shows such as Star Trek, The Avengers, Dark Shadows, and The Twilight Zone to popular contemporary shows such as Lost, Dexter, and 24, addressing the cultural context that allowed the development of the phenomenon. The contributors investigate the obligations of cult series to their fans, the relationship of camp and cult, the effects of DVD releases and the Internet, and the globalization of cult TV. The Essential Cult TV Reader answers many of the questions surrounding the form while revealing emerging debates on its future.
