Action TV: Tough-Guys, Smooth Operators and Foxy Chicks

From re-runs of "classics" likeThe AvengersorStarsky and Hutch,to current series influenced by the genre likeBuffy the Vampire Slayer,the action series is enjoying a revival at the center of prime-time tv. Yet relatively little attention has been paid to the specific history, nature and appeal of the action series, and its place in popular culture, past and present. Action TVexplores the historical development of this tv genre from its genesis in the 1950s, its place within the history of television institutions and systems of production, its relationship to other genres, and its position within broader social, cultural and political contexts.