Beautiful TV

<p>During its five-year run from 1997 to 2002 the popular TV show <i>Ally McBeal</i> engaged viewers in debates over what it means to be a woman or a man in the modern workplace; how romance factors into the therapeutic understanding of relationships; what value eccentricity has and how much oddity society should tolerate; and what utility fantasy has in the pragmatic world. In addition to these social concerns however <i>Ally McBeal</i> stood out for being well-constructed narratively complex and stylistically rich-in short beautiful TV.</p> <p>Starting from the premise that much of television today is drop-dead gorgeous and that TV should be studied for its formal qualities as well as its social impact Greg M. Smith analyzes <i>Ally McBeal</i> in terms of its aesthetic principles and narrative construction. He explores how <i>Ally</i>'s innovative use of music special effects fantasy sequences voiceovers and flashbacks structures a distinctive fictional universe while it also opens up new possibilities for televisual expression. Smith also discusses the complex narrative strategies that <i>Ally</i>'s creator David E. Kelley used to develop a long-running storyline and shows how these serial narrative practices can help us understand a wide range of prime-time TV serials.</p> <p>By taking seriously the art and argument of <i>Ally McBeal</i> <i>Beautiful TV</i> conclusively demonstrates that aesthetic and narrative analysis is an indispensable key for unlocking the richness of contemporary television.</p>