Dealing primarily with the post-1996 era shaped by digital technologies and defined by consumer choice and brand marketing, this book brings together leading scholars, established journalists and experienced broadcasters working in the field of contemporary television to debate what we mean by quality TV.

Premiering in 2006, the award winning US hit show "Ugly Betty", is an incarnation of a global phenomenon that started as a Colombian telenovela, "Yo soy Betty, la fea", back in 1999. This book about how television formats go global asks what the "Betty" phenomenon can tell us about the international circulation of locally produced TV fictions.

Offers a critical response to one of the most talked about shows on contemporary television - "Desperate Housewives". This work dissects the appeal of this show, tapping into early reactions and controversy. It considers the American sex wars, contemporary feminism, Republican politics and the rise of the Right, gender and femininity, and more.