The Persistence of Television examines more than 60 years of television to identify the elements that have entertained and informed viewers from the beginning of mass broadcasting to the present day, proposing that most television viewing is rooted in traditional programming that is still largely received in conventional ways.

The book includes the discussion of popular shows such as Doctor Who, Twin Peaks, Who Wants to be a Millionaire and David Attenborough's nature documentaries. On-screen faces, programmes and genres drawn from British, American and Australian television services are examined to demonstrate how continuity persists in the face of change. There's no denying the excitement or the value of the new, but the authors of this book argue that it runs in tandem with enduring aspects of the already existing.

Frances Bonner is Honorary Associate Professor at the University of Queensland, Australia.

Jason Jacobs is Associate Professor of Film and Television and Reader in Cultural History in the School of English, Media Studies and Art History at the University of Queensland, Australia.