A reference on television superheroes and characters who fight crime by extraordinary means, from Superman in its various incarnations to programmes like The A-Team. There are entries on 125 network and syndicated series broadcast in the USA from 1949 to 2001, plus 26 pilot films.

Did you know that detective Adrian Mont (Monk) is afraid of milk? That Pinky's real first name on The Roaring '20s is Delaware? That on Charlie's Angels, Sabrina was the only Angel who was never seen in a bikini or swimsuit? These are only a few of the more than 9,800 facts readers will find in this work, which presents detailed information on 134 syndicated and cable series broadcast from 1948 to 2003, plus six experimental programs broadcast from 1937 to 1946 and 204 unsold pilots broadcast from 1948 to 1996, that featured the work of television's law enforcers who risk their lives to solve...

This is the guide to the entertainment specials that were broadcast on network, cable or syndicated television from 1939 to 1993. For each show the cast and crew, dates aired, networks and running times, and program synopses are included.

An encyclopedic reference work to 1802 radio programs broadcast from the years 1924 through 1984. It includes entries casts, character relationships, plots and storylines, announcers, musicians, producers, hosts, networks, running times, production information and, when appropriate, information on the radio show's adaptation to television.

Includes the openings and closings to radio programs of different types, from comedies to mysteries to game shows, to serials to crime dramas, and to westerns that were aired between 1931 and 1972. This work lists the programs alphabetically, providing information about the storylines, principal casts, sponsors and air dates.

Did you know that Alice Kramden's (The Honeymooners) first job was as a jelly donut stuffer--and that she was then promoted to donut taster? Or that John Robinson (Lost in Space) was a professor at the University of Stellar Dynamics and that his daughter Penny had an IQ of 147? How about the fact that Sam Malone (Cheers) graduated from Boston Prep School and then was a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox (jersey number 16) before he bought the bar where everybody knows your name?

Over the course of 80 years television has produced countless programs, many of which fit a particular profile. Did you know, for example, some programs are devoted to ghosts, genies, angels and even mermaids? Color broadcasting was first tested in 1941? Live models were used to advertise lingerie as early as 1950? Or that nudity (although accidental) occurred on TV long before cable was even thought possible? These are just a few of the many facts and firsts that can be found within the 145 entries included.

This is a complete revision of the author's 1993 McFarland book Television Specials that not only updates entries contained within that edition, but adds numerous programs not previously covered, including beauty pageants, parades, awards programs, Broadway and opera adaptations, musicals produced especially for television, holiday specials (e.g., Christmas and New Year's Eve), the early 1936-1947 experimental specials, honors specials. In short, this is a reference work to 5,336 programs--the most complete source for television specials ever published.

Since the beginning of network television, many shows have been preceded by an announcement or theme song that served various purposes. In the 1950s and '60s, it was common for announcers to declare that a program had been "brought to you by" a sponsor who paid for the privilege of introducing a show. Other programs, such as The Twilight Zone, Star Trek, and The Odd Couple, provided a brief encapsulation of the show's subject matter, a practice that has continued for recent shows like Alias, Battlestar Galactica, Person of Interest, and the various editions of Law & Order. In Television...

Created around the world and available only on the web, Internet "television" series are independently produced, mostly low budget shows that often feature talented but unknown performers. Typically financed through crowd-funding, they are filmed with borrowed equipment and volunteer casts and crews, and viewers find them through word of mouth or by chance. The fourth in a series covering Internet TV, this book takes a comprehensive look at 1,121 comedy series produced exclusively for online audiences. Alphabetical entries provide websites, dates, casts, credits, episode lists and...