Since first going on the air in 1972, HBO has continually attempted to redefine television as we know it. Today, pay television (and HBO in particular) is positioned as an alternative to network offerings, consistently regarded as the premier site for what has come to be called "quality television."This collection of new essays by an international group of media scholars argues that HBO, as part of the leading edge of television, is at the center of television studies' interests in market positioning, style, content, technology, and political economy. The contributors focus on pioneering areas of analysis and new critical approaches in television studies today, highlighting unique aspects of the "HBO effect" to explore new perspectives on contemporary television from radical changes in technology to dramatic shifts in viewing habits. It's Not TVprovides fresh insights into the "post-television network" by examining HBO's phenomenally popular and pioneering shows, includingThe Sopranos, The Wire, Six Feet Under, Sex and the Cityas well as its failed series, such asK StreetandThe Comeback. The contributors also explore the production process itself and the creation of a brand commodity, along with HBO's place as a market leader and technological innovator. Contributors:Kim Akass, Cara Louise Buckley, Rhiannon Bury, Joanna L. Di Mattia, Blake D. Ethridge, Tony Kelso, Marc Leverette, David Marc, Janet McCabe, Conor McGrath, Shawn McIntosh, Brian L. Ott, Avi Santo, Lisa WilliamsonForeword by Toby MillerMarc Leveretteis Assistant Professor of Media Studies at Colorado State University. He is author ofProfessional Wrestling, the Myth, the Mat, and American Popular Cultureand co-editor ofZombie Culture: Autopsies of the Living DeadandOh My God, They DeconstructedSouth Park! Those Bastards! Brian L. Ottis Associate Professor of Media Studies at Colorado State University. He is author ofThe Small Screen: How Television Equips Us to Live in the Information Age. Cara Louise Buckleyis a lecturer at Emerson College. | It's Not Tv by Marc Leverette, Paperback | Indigo Chapters