Bibliog
Baughman, James L. Same Time Same Station: Creating American Television. Baltimore: The John Hopkins University Press, 2007.
This book provided essential background to how the three major TV networks operated and how television was built. It’s engaging biography of NBC president Pat Weaver was integral for me to gain appropriate context for programs such as “Your Show Of Shows”.
Berman, Ronald. “Sitcoms” Journal Of Aesthetic Education 21.1 (1987) pp. 5-19
This article examines situational comedies and their relationship to the social and cultural environment in which they where created and viewed.
Boddy, William. “The Studios Move Into Prime Time: Hollywood and The Television Industry in the 1950’s” Cinema Journal 24.4 (1985) pp. 23-37
This article examines the beginnings of a long relationship between Hollywood studios and television networks, taking a close look at what obstacles hindered the union during the 1950’s.
Carr, Steven Allen. “On The Edge Of Tastelessness: CBS, the Smothers Brothers and the Struggle For Control.” Cinema Journal 31.4 (1992) pp. 3-24
This article examines the controversy of the smothers brothers within the cultural framework of networks trying to gain more control over their programming during the 1960’s.
Doty, Alexander. “The Cabinet Of Lucy Ricardo: Lucille Ball’s Star Image” Cinema Journal 29.4 (1990) pp. 3-22
This article examines Lucille Balls background and the creation of her star persona.
Kercher, Stephen E. Revel With A Cause: Liberal Satire In Postwar America. Chicago: The University Of Chicago Press, 2006.
This in depth guide to the history of Satirists throughout American history was important to my research especially regarding post-vaudeo comedy in the 1960’s.
Lears, Jackson T. J. “Making Fun Of Popular Culture” American Historical Assosication 97.5 (1992) pp. 1417-1426
This article examines the social role of satire and comedy in relationship to consumer culture.
MacDonald, Fred J. One Nation Under Television. New York: Wadsworth Publishing, 1993.
This book’s section on the 1950’s has a very useful description of the change in the network’s preference from vaudeo to sit-com programming.
Marc, David. Comic Visions: Television Comedy & American Culture. Malden: Blackwell Publishers Inc. 1989.
This book was central to my research, with it’s broad examination of the transformations and specific subgenres of television comedy. It’s main focus was on the sitcom’s relationship with American culture, but also touched on other genres.
Mintz, Lawrence E. “Standup Comedy As Social And Cultural Meditation” American Quarterly 37.1 pp.71-80
This article examines the way in which stand-up comedy seeks to articulate and define specific communities and reconcile these communities with culture at large.
Murray, Susan. “Ethnic Masculinity And Early Television’s Vaudeo Star” Cinema Journal 42.1 (2002) pp. 97-119
This article examined the personality of Milton Berle and how his ethnicity attributed to his rise and fall in the public eye.
Sennet, Ted. Your Show Of Shows. New York: Ted Sennet, 1977.
This book went deeply into the production process of YSOS, as giving solid backgrounds to the personalities that created the show.
Waley, David. The Ernie Kovacs Phile. New York: Bolder Books, 1975.
This was a fascinating glimpse into the work and personality of Ernie Kovacs, with an especially useful description of his early television career.
Whitfield, Steven J. “The Distinctiveness Of American Jewish Humor” Modern Judaism 6.3 (1986) pp. 245-260
This article examines what sets Jewish humor apart form other ethnic groups, and looks into what aspects of Jewish religion and culture lend to this unique comedic voice, especially concerning immigrants to America’s east coast.
Willhelm, Sidney and Gideon Sjoberg. “The Social Characteristics of Entertainers” Social Forces 37.1 (1958) pp. 71-76
This article takes a sociological approach to examining the social backgrounds of intervals who hold influence over American entertainment society.
