New publication: The West Wing, by Janet McCabe
Dr Janet McCabe, Lecturer in Media and Creative Industries, has written a book on the US TV Series The West Wing, which will be out on December 2.
Dr Janet McCabe, Lecturer in Media and Creative Industries, has written a book on the US TV Series The West Wing, which will be out on December 2.
Dr McCabe's book The West Wing, published by Wayne State University Press, explores The West Wing as both a space for political and social discourse and a force that reshaped contemporary television.
McCabe begins by examining the series’ broadcasting history, including its scheduling in the United States and around the world, and how the show defines channels and television markets. McCabe goes on to explore the role of the show’s creator Aaron Sorkin as a TV auteur and investigates the program’s aesthetic principles, including the distinctive look, feel, and sounds of the series. McCabe concludes by considering the political discourse of The West Wing, as the show spoke back to a U.S. culture divided by politics, race, and gender as well as the trauma of 9/11 and anxieties over terrorism and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Peter Rollins commented that McCabe’s work “Places a television series of great prominence within its media and political context, showing how the series fits into the history of television and illuminating how the real presidency was affected by the depiction of the ‘reel’ office holder.”