History by HBO: Televising the American Past

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The television industry is evolving, enhancing its ability to engage in debate and represent American history. Since its founding in 1972, HBO has led this transformation, paving the way for network, cable, and streaming services in the "post-network" era. However, most scholarship has focused on historical feature and documentary films, leaving long-form dramas underexplored. In this work, Rebecca Weeks addresses this gap in media studies, defending the historiographic power of long-form dramas. She explores how history is portrayed on television and the various forms it can take, emphasizing the long-form serial's capacity to engage with historical narratives. The shift from the traditional network model to narrowcasting has allowed for more challenging histories to flourish in home viewing. Weeks analyzes HBO's unique approach to producing quality historical dramas through four case studies: Band of Brothers, Deadwood, Boardwalk Empire, and Treme. Each series illustrates how HBO's lack of advertiser influence, commitment to creative freedom, and substantial budgets attract talent eager to tell historical stories. By balancing historical and film theories, Weeks evaluates mise-en-scène, characterization, narrative complexity, and sound in crafting effective historical dramas, celebrating the recent Golden Age of TV while critically examining the interplay between entertainment media and collective memory.