Bad TV
If you're wondering why this book hasn't appeared long before now, consider the difficulty of establishing a cutoff date for the study of incredibly bad TV. Had Nelson undertaken this work before the most recent late-night talk-show wars (1993), he'd have necessarily missed out on evaluating Conan (no comic timing, self-assurance, poise, etc.) O'Brien's show, which Nelson rates as even worse than 1978'sMel(Tillis)& Susan(Anton)Togetherand the peer of 1980's legendaryPink Lady & Jeff. All the other usual suspects appear here, too, includingThe Brady Bunch Variety Hour(not the "classic" BB sitcom) andMy Mother the Car(natch) as well as some delightful obscurities (1959'sPeck's Bad Girl) and recent treacle fests (Saved by the Bell). Nelson covers all in pithy, one- or two-paragraph summaries that are dead-on devastating. Noteworthy because it treats genres, programming strategies, and movies on TV as well as particular shows, Nelson's effort is a necessary addition to popular pop culture studies and a darn fine bathroom book.Mike Tribby