Beyond the Box

Beyond the Box charts the revolution in television viewing that is currently underway in living rooms across the country. From voting practices on American Idol and text-messaging on Degrassi, to online forums for connecting with other Buffy the Vampire fans and "Save-the-Show" write-in campaigns aimed at television execs, the power of the Internet has fundamentally altered television viewing. Americans no longer just watch TV; they participate in, lobby for, respond and relate to favorite shows and characters in an entirely new --indeed, unprecedented -- way. Once the domain of cult TV alone --think "trekkies" and "Xena Warrior Princess" devotees -- tele-participation has now gone mainstream. Sharon Ross probes how the Internet's development has altered how television is made and consumed. She offers a fresh and innovative perspective that focuses on the shift in audience experience and how it has blurred the lines of established boundaries. Featuring discussions of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Lost" and "American Idol", Beyond the Box gives students and couch potatoes alike a better understanding of what it means to watch television in an era of profound technological change.