Jews of Primetime, The

By Zurawik, David
Brandeis University Press, 2003, Hardcover, 310 pp., ISBN: 1584652349, $29.95

From the late 1980s through the early 2000s, American TV networks and syndicated programming saw a significant increase in shows featuring Jewish characters.

Seinfeld, thirtysomething, and Mad About You were popular examples of this movement, and this critical book concentrates on and attempts to explain in different ways the impetus behind this programming trend.

Zurawik's The Jews of Prime Time goes beyond comedies to cover dramas, casting a critical eye on individual series to discern how they have handled certain themes. Intermarriage, stereotyping, and the exploration of Jewish identity are just some of those topics.

The book is of primarily academic appeal and an integral choice for academic communications and broadcasting collections. Library Journal