No advertisers to please, no censors to placate, no commercial interruptions eve
ry eleven minutes, demanding cliffhangers to draw viewers back after the commerc
ial breaks: HBO has re-written the rules of television; and the result has been
nothing short of a cultural ground shift. "The HBO Effect" details how the finge
rprints of HBO are all over contemporary film and television. Their capability t
o focus on smaller markets made shows like "Sex and the City, The Sopranos, The
Wire," and even the more recent "Game of Thrones "and "Girls, " trigger shows on
basic cable networks to follow suit. HBO pioneered the use of HDTV and the wide
screen format, production and distribution deals leading to market presence, and
the promotion of greater diversity on TV (discussing issues of class and race).
"The HBO Effect" examines this rich and unique history for clues to its remarka
ble impact upon television and popular culture. It's time to take a wide-angle l
ook at HBO as a producer of American culture.
