TV History and Appreciation is a foundation course for Radio/TV/Film students and a prerequisite for future production courses. This course will focus on the decade of the 1950 in which the structure of American commercial television developed. Students will explore the art and impact of one of the most pervasive information delivery systems ever invented. Students will discuss the evolution of some of today’s most popular and influential programming. The cultural, economic and regulatory decisions that shaped the medium will be discussed. Students will also analyze primetime TV’s portrayal of the American family, gender roles, violence, politics and the legal law enforcement and medical professions.