Inside the Box: The TV History Podcast

This week join Andrew, Steve, and Jonathan as they hangout, chat, and close out this season's worth of episodes of Inside the Box: The TV History Podcast. They'll probably also talk a little bit about holiday TV programming and make a few New Year's resolutions as well.

Join as Steve continues his interview with TV producer, Joe Gannon, in part two of this two-part episode about his experiences working with actor Carroll O'Connor on In The Heat of the Night (1988-1995) and how the industry has changed from Gannon's perspective.

This week join us for a truly Steve-centric episode as Steve Voorhees welcomes longtime CBS Manager of Prime Time Feature Films, Steve Besserman to the program. If you love the nuts-and-bolts of late-20th Century network television practices as Steve Voorhees does, you'll dig this episode. Learn about how the network chose, edited, scheduled, and promoted certain feature films to achieve the highest rating possible. Hear how certain directors would actually get involved with the edits needed for either timing or censorship reasons. Also, hear about the role "made-for-TV-movies" had on the presentation of feature films on TV.

This week join Jonathan and Steve in conversation with fellow academic, David Brokaw to discuss his new book, Monsters on Maple Street: The Twilight Zone and the Postwar American Dream. We discuss the false dichotomy between "good writing" and "bad television" during the 1950s, the psychology of advertising within 1950s culture, the effect Rod Serling's service during World War II had on his later writing, and where Twilight Zone-style social commentary can and can't be found today.

This week join Jonathan and Steve as we commemorate the 9/11 terrorist attacks by speaking with Dr. Paul Arras (SUNY: Cortland) about his new book, American Television's Live Coverage of the 9/11 Attacks: Journalism on the Screen (Rowman & Littlefield).

This week join Steve and Jonathan as they continue their discussion of the groundbreaking US sitcom, All In The Family. We discuss it's transition from All In the Family to Archie Bunker's Place, what other shows tried to fill the void, what shows today attempt to take on its themes, and whether the show could be re-done today to address our newest president…

This week Jonathan, Steve, and Andrew attend the All-Star Party for Ronald "Dutch" Reagan. Do you like barely warmed over jokes? Do you love generic sound stages in Burbank? Want to see Sinatra struggle through a song that should be an easy home run? Want to see a group of aged genuine Hollywood stars pretend Reagan was a star? Well, rent your tux, call your driver, let us know whether you'd prefer the fish or the steak and join us for a lighthearted episode through one of the most surreal parties ever held on TV.

This week join Steve in conversation with welcomed returned guest, Dr. Craig Coenen as they discuss the current state of Regional Sports Networks in the U.S.

In this episode Andrew, Steve, and Jonathan discuss David Sarnoff’s introduction of television for RCA at the 1939 World’s Fair at Flushing Meadows NY. Tune in to listen to this story about hope, the future, and looking for the “World of Tomorrow” during a time between economic depression and the cusp of world war. You might just learn something and have a few laughs along the way. Be sure to check out some of the historical photographs and documents embedded in this episode’s post.

In this episode Steve, Andrew, and Jonathan discuss the often forgotten DuMont television network. Innovative, with stations in key east coast major markets, the DuMont network was ultimately done in by a combination of forces -- the least of which being its uncooperative partner, Paramount Studios. Join us as we discuss DuMont and its legacy upon others' later attempts at establishing a fourth network.

This week join Steve as he leads Jonathan through a discussion of representations of The Myth of the Lost Cause on 1960s U.S. television. Shows discussed include: Dennis the Menace, Rawhide, The Twilight Zone, The Americans, and The Rebel.

This week join Jonathan for a short topic on television female protagonists and when they've led or co-starred in a show that also featured a prominent vehicle. More importantly, why aren't there more examples?

This week join Steve, Andrew, and Jonathan as they delve into one of Steve's favorite subjects - the flow of TV. We discuss Raymond Williams, the traditional TV programming grid, the effect of DVRs, and the resurgence of in-program product placement. Plus, what the heck does Andy Griffith have to do with it all? [clue - Steve knows].