Americans have always had special affection for the genres of television that have survived and evolved over many decades. In the first-ever series to cover the history of television from this perspective, "The Praeger Television Collection" explores comedy, science fiction, reality television, and many other genres, offering a fascinating and entertaining look at the shows that have formed our real favorite pastime. Television comedy has been the dominant genre of television because it embraces all aspects of American life, offering up a commentary on nationalities, customs, issues, and contemporary obsessions. Ron Simon"s new work examines how the styles and archetypes of TV comedy have evolved over 50 years to accommodate and reflect changes in American values and mores. The book features new interviews with television creators and performers, putting shows from "I Love Lucy" and "Your Show of Shows" to "Everybody Loves Raymond" and "Sex in the City" into a new historical and artistic context.