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

From re-runs of 'TV classics' like The Avengersor Starsky and Hutch, to soundtracks, club nights and film remakes such as Mission Impossible II, the action series is enjoying a popular revival. Yet little attention has been paid to the history, nature and enduring appeal of the action series, and its place in popular culture, past and presentAction TVtraces the development of the action series from its genesis in the 1950s. From The Saintto Knigh t Rider, contributors explore the key shows which defined the genre, addressing issues of audiences and consumption, gender and sexuality, fashion and popular culture. They examine the institutional and cultural factors influencing the action series, and relate shifts in the genre to other forms of popular culture including film, pop music, fashion and popular literatureChapters include* Of leather suits and kinky boots: The Avengers, style and popular cultur* 'Who loves ya, baby?': Kojak, action and the great societ*'A lone crusader in a dangerous world': heroics of science and technology in Knight Ride* Angels in chains? feminism, femininity and consumer culture in Charlie's Angel* 'Who's the cat that won't cop out?' Black masculinity in American action shows of the sixties and seventies