Abstract

Long overlooked by scholars and critics, the history and aesthetics of German television have only recently begun to attract serious, sustained attention, and then largely within Germany. This ambitious volume, the first in English on the subject, provides a much-needed corrective in the form of penetrating essays on the distinctive theories, practices, and social-historical contexts that have defined television in Germany. Encompassing developments from the dawn of the medium through the Cold War and post-reunification, this is an essential introduction to a rich and varied media tradition.

“This collection of essays is the first of its kind in English … this volume offers well-researched, in-depth reflection on the subject of German television ranging from historical overview to case study and spanning the history of West and East Germany, the key relationship between film and television, and the transnational dimensions of programming, technology and audience.” · Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television

Robert Shandley is Professor of German and Film Studies at Texas A&M University. His most recent books include Hogan's Heroes (TV Milestones Series, 2011) and Runaway Romances: Hollywood's Postwar Tour of Europe (2009).

Larson Powell is Professor of German and Film Studies at the University of Missouri - Kansas City.  His publications include the books The Technological Unconscious in Modern German Literature (2008) and a volume on post-1945 electronic media arts, The Differentiation of Modernism (2013).