American narrative television music as a unique art form. Drawing on music in a wide variety of television genres - from westerns to science-fiction thrillers to police dramas to sitcoms and commercials - author
Ron Rodman develops a new theory of television music to explain how it conveys meaning to American viewing audiences. Music in television, Rodman argues, finds its origins both in radio and in cinema, and is thus a unique multimedia form that demands its own methods of analysis. From The Dick van Dyke Show and I Love Lucy to Twin Peaks and The X-Files, Rodman's arguments are grounded in a fascinatingly historically wide-ranging and diverse selection of
shows. The book also crosses media genres, looking at how the Broadway stage and the Hollywood film musical have influenced television variety shows and situation comedies. Drawing on music analysis and narrative and
semiotic theories, this stimulating book illustrates how music forms part of the code that makes television broadcasts culturally meaningful.
Share This Book: