Tube of Plenty: The Evolution of American Television
by Erik Barnouw
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Book Summary Information
Author: Erik BarnouwEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1990-05-31
ISBN: 0195064844
Number of pages: 624
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Book Reviews of Tube of Plenty: The Evolution of American Television
Book Review: Essential for understanding the development of TV as a business and technology
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a generous single-volume condensation of Erik Barnouw's seminal three-volume HISTORY OF BROADCASTING IN THE UNITED STATES. It is not a perfect book--took much is left out for that--but it does provide any student of American TV with an essential overview of many aspects in the birth and development of the medium. Despite the great length of the book, even in the single-volume abridgment, there are some curious omissions, but the strong points of the book are very strong indeed and make the book one of the crucial volumes for any personal library on television.
Barnouw tells in wonderful (and wonderfully entertaining) detail the development of the technologies that allowed the existence of radio and television, as well as the economic realities that turned it into the massive business that it has long been. He also explores the political aspects of the medium, both in terms of serving as part of the Fourth Estate by providing oversight to government actions and policies, and the erosion of that role as right wing groups have undermined that role (Barnouw anticipates the ultimate melding of right wing politics and corporate owned media, while at the same time crying crocodile tears over the mythical liberal media). He is also exceptional at detailing what kinds of shows arose at what time and what the constituent factors were. Even if one has a pretty decent idea of what was happening on TV at what time, Barnouw will both broaden and deepen one's understanding of the medium.
Nonetheless, while this is an outstanding book, one can't help but be struck by what was left out. For instance, there is no mention of a large number of seminal television shows. Although one of the most popular shows on TV in the fifties, THE PHIL SILVERS SHOW with Silvers as Sgt. Bilko got no mention at all. THE TWILIGHT ZONE was one of the best-written and iconic shows of all time, yet it is not discussed at all. Though I was never a fan of GILLIGAN'S ISLAND, it was nearly as popular as THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES, which receives extensive notice. One recognizes that there are time restrictions, but these omissions are significant. There is also an amazing neglect of British Television shows. SECRET AGENT MAN aka DANGER MAN received no mention nor did the massively influential MONTY PYTHON'S FLYING CIRCUS.
This all highlights the book's strength. It is far weaker in discussing the aesthetics of TV than examining it as an industry and as a technology. The cut off point for the book is the late eighties, yet not a single word deals with the enormous growth of television as an art form in that decade. The most important show that decade by far was HILL STREET BLUES. Virtually every series (what Barnouw would call a telefilm) in the history of prime time television prior to HILL STREET BLUES adhered to the episodic format, each series consisting of a series of self-contained segments that would resolve all of that week's action and then be forgotten by the next week and the next episode. Some prime time soap operas did use the serial format, with the action spilling over from week to week, but none of these enjoyed any critical acclaim and were at best contained rather simplistic plots. HILL STREET BLUES, on the other hand, though it tried to resolve one story arc each week, contained multiple story arcs and possessed a remarkably complex narrative style. This revolutionized television narrative and made possible subsequent shows as various as ST. ELSEWHERE, THE X-FILES, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, 24, THE GILMORE GIRLS, FARSCAPE, ER, THE SOPRANOS, SIX FEET UNDER, LOST, and VERONICA MARS (the list could go on and on and on). In other words, almost everything good on TV can be said to have evolved out of what HILL STREET BLUES wrought. Yet, Barnouw does not mention HILL STREET BLUES even once. The development of the multiple story arc series was the greatest aesthetic development not merely of the eighties, but one of the two or three most important developments ever, yet Barnouw simply doesn't notice.
But for understanding the history of television as a business and the technology it is rooted in, Barnouw's book stands alone. Most people imagine the story of television beginning in the fifties or perhaps the late forties, but Barnouw begins in the late 19th century with Marconi. This isn't just a book that any more-than-casual student of TV ought to read; it is one they MUST read.
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