Chapter 5

Television and Serialized Storytelling

America seemingly went from no television to television everywhere overnight. The industrial base of post-World War II was ready to go, and that manufacturing prowess began cranking out television sets at an astonishing rate. What happened next was the result of an unexpected confluence of cultural and market pressures. Former B and C movie stars moved to television and went from relative obscurity to household names overnight. A furry coon-skin cap pops up on a kids’ show and sells millions in a matter of weeks and a handful of viewers watching experimental stations scattered around the country suddenly become millions of Americans waiting with bated breath for Lucy to have her baby. Little Ricky ...

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