More Than Meets the Eye: Watching Television Watching Us

In today's day and age, it's easy to be critical of television. We can cite numerous shows that inaccurately portray life, shows that convey messages we would never send our children, shows that aim for the cheap laugh, no matter how immoral it is.But "More Than Meets the Eye" does the opposite. It looks at television's illustrious history and shows how some of today's greatest shows evolved. True, the early parts of this book read like a tv commercial and it cites Entertainment Weekly far too often (a good, but not exactly scholarly magazine), but its strength lies in defending today's television shows.The authors take an honest look at today's shows (ER, The X-Files, Frasier, just to name a few) and dissect what fans love about them, why critics hate them, and why they work. The authors, who are obviously avid tv watchers, judge the tv shows for what they really are, not what they appear to be. Here are a few examples... Even though they're an animated family, The Simpsons are the truest depiction of family life on tv. And even though it's a fantasy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer says more about teenagers in one episode than Beverly Hills 90210 ever did.Now if you believe this book is just advertisements for current tv shows, think again. One of the authors is a school principal and he certainly wouldn't put his name on a book that advocates television outright. The book may defend television, but it also explains that not everything should be watched by kids. Shows like The Simpsons and Buffy may appeal to younger viewers, but their impact is probably greater on older viewers.The book does more than look at current tv dramas and sitcoms (it covers shows as recent as Charmed and Brimstone). It also examines the media's role in recent newsbreaking events, such as Princess Di's death.So if you really like tv, but you're feeling bad about watching too much of it, I recommend this book. You'll appreciate the book (and tv as well).