Television is now a major area of study. This text is the first to outline the theories and approaches to the study of the medium in a systematic form for students. Written by leading international figures and including over twenty contributors, the book provides an accessible introduction to the subject's central debates, issues, and concerns. The book is divided into four sections--Forms of Knowledge, Audiences, Gender, and Race--and discusses many television shows including Star Trek, Kung Fu, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Xena the Warrior Princess, Sesame Street, and Australian soaps. 
The book's central analysis is supported by in-depth sidebars and discussions of key debates in the field of television studies. Fully illustrated, it includes selected reading guides and full bibliographies for students at all levels. Television Studies will become an essential and authoritative guide to understanding this increasingly important and popular field of study.