Television as we know it was invented through processes of trial and error. This book delivers the uncertainties and excitements of 1955-65 by looking at women's programs, current affairs, and popular drama. Programs had to be devised and the mass audience built. Though women were central to this audience their images were often demeaning, in line with fifties paternalism. Janet Thumim brilliantly illuminates television's role in Britain of the 50s and 60s, revealing the interplay of media and the feminine.