About this product

Product Identifiers

PublisherEdinburgh Tea & Coffee Company University Press

ISBN-101474479804

ISBN-139781474479806

eBay Product ID (ePID)27050393712

Product Key Features

Number of Pages248 Pages

Publication NameColumbo : Paying Attention 24/7

LanguageEnglish

Publication Year2021

SubjectTelevision / Référence, Television / History & Criticism, Acting & Auditioning

TypeTextbook

Subject AreaPerforming Arts

AuthorDavid Martin-Jones

FormatTrade Paperback

Dimensions

Item Length9.2 in

Item Width6.1 in

Additional Product Features

Intended AudienceCollege Audience

Dewey Edition23

ReviewsThis is probably far more enjoyable an academic work than it has a right to be ... The positioning of the book is what is going to be of interest moving forward as it is potentially a crossover between academia and popular interests ... Fans of Columbo will be attracted to the idea of a solid addition to the lore surrounding the show ... Other readers familiar with Martin-Jones' previous outputs on film will know that he is a fine writer with an agile mind that questions and probes topics and subjects and manages to convey complex theoretical issues with aplomb and a clarity that can sometimes be lacking in such tomes., Martin-Jones' book made me rethink my teenage love affair with Columbo as not some starry-eyed crush but rather a budding "attention" to the details of crime and social injustice during the dawn of the Reagan-Thatcher revolution., David Martin-Jones' analysis of the Columbo character and narrative is original and rich in sociological and philosophical perspectives. Columbo comes out as a mythological modern hero. We are fascinated by him, also because he is a moral hero, and pays attention for us., Crime is ... as we learn from David Martin-Jones' fascinating and original work on Columbo , the signature role of Peter Falk, also a narrative of social change and critique. Behind Columbo's seemingly absent-minded, but in reality, constantly very attentive figure lies a deeper meaning. ... [T]he theory behind the analysis, the explanation for why this story, spanning three decades, has fascinated audiences, is that the way we are watched and have watched others, is reflected in the show. It spans a cold war era, a liberal era and an era of increased digital surveillance and communication. Columbo is a stand in for all the attentive laborers of the world. ... David Martin-Jones' analysis of the Columbo character and narrative is originaland rich in sociological and philosophical perspectives., Columbo: Paying Attention 24/7 is peppered with insightful facts and original analyses. The aesthetic and ideological comparisons drawn between other Cop Dramas of the same era means anyone with a critical interest in the development of American detective series will need this book as an essential point of reference. Additionally, the regular comparisons made with contemporary popular series including shows as leftfield as Game of Thrones in what Martin-Jones terms "flash forwards" will prove a useful tool when demonstrating to undergraduates how Columbo continues to maintain a strong presence in popular culture. ... [It] offers something sufficiently original, significant and rigorous to all readers with varying levels of interest in the series. "Oh, and one more thing", Chapter One's analyses of Columbo 's unique relationship with its fans is a hidden treat., Any writer who understands that Columbo is a cultural phenomenon and creative achievement well worth investigating, celebrating, scrutinising, analysing and enlarging upon gets my vote. With Columbo there was always just one more question, and David Martin-Jones asks those questions and comes up with some revealing and fascinating answers. A wonderful contribution to Columbo lore and wider cultural history., Martin-Jones has written a captivating and dense book on television, modernity, neoliberalism, and philosophy. ... Columbo: Paying Attention 24/7 is not merely an investigation but also an intervention that Martin-Jones believes necessary because (film-)philosophical and television studies approaches should be connected more often than they are now. ... Columbo: Paying Attention 24/7 is therefore a must-read not only for those interested in attention in neoliberal society, but also for those who want to explore the philosophical potency of television as a medium., In this fascinating book on a widely popular detective series, David Martin-Jones explores television as an attention seeking medium. Focusing on Columbo 's unique style of investigation, Martin-Jones shows how the program captivates viewers with murder stories that re-enact the crimes of class conflict, urban strife, policing, and technological surveillance in neoliberal times. A riveting read!, The book is a valuable contribution that guides experts towards various areas of television studies and the philosophy of communication [...] the author's comparative analysis of different TV series and movies makes it a unique study in communication studies that historians of culture could also use., Martin-Jones ... uses a range of approaches to illuminate his take on Columbo and its significance for television history, both then and now. What he demonstrates, in the process, is just how much the attentive reading of a popular television crime drama can tell us about what matters to its producers and its audience at a particularmoment in time - and indeed across the intervening years, as only a long runningprogramme like Columbo can. In the end, this is a wide-ranging and exemplary study of a television series that well deserves another look for what it can tell us about television and history.

IllustratedYes

Dewey Decimal791.4572

Table Of ContentIllustrationsAcknowledgementsIntroduction: Fifty Years of Columbo1. Blueprint for Murder2. Pay Strict Attention3. Performing: Falk Acts/Columbo Pays Attention4. Learning: Columbo vs Modernity 5. Policing: Not Class, History 6. Locating: Bare Life in L.A.Conclusion: Paying Attention 24/7BibliographyIndex

SynopsisColumbo is fifty years old. A global smash in the 1970s, it is now a cult TV favourite. What is the reason for this enduring popularity? In this fascinating exploration of a television classic, David Martin-Jones argues that Columbo reveals how our current globalized world - of 24/7 capital, invasive surveillance and online labour - emerged in the late 20th century. Exploring everything from the influences on Falk's iconic acting style to the show's depiction of Los Angeles, Martin-Jones illuminates how our attention is channelled, via technologies like television and computers, to influence how we perform, learn, police and locate ourselves in today's world. Columbo emerged alongside shows like Kojak and The Rockford Files , but re-viewing the series today reveals how contemporary television hits - from Elementary to The Purge - continue to shape how and why we pay attention 24/7., Columbo is fifty years old. A global smash in the 1970s, it is now a cult TV favourite. What is the reason for this enduring popularity? In this fascinating exploration of a television classic, David Martin-Jones argues that Columbo reveals how our current globalized world - of 24/7 capital, invasive surveillance and online labour - emerged in the late 20th century. Exploring everything from the influences on Falk's iconic acting style to the show's depiction of Los Angeles, Martin-Jones illuminates how our attention is channelled, via technologies like television and computers, to influence how we perform, learn, police and locate ourselves in today's world. Columbo emerged alongside shows like Kojak and The Rockford Files, but re-viewing the series today reveals how contemporary television hits - from Elementary to The Purge - continue to shape how and why we pay attention 24/7.

LC Classification NumberPN1992.77