Review of Dean J. DeFino, HBO Effect, London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2013

What is it about?

One more book on HBO risks raising critical eyebrows in some quarters. Much has already been written, especially on classic shows such as The Sopranos. However, HBO Effect amply provides fresh perspective by shedding light on HBO’s enduring legacy or, as the title of the book suggests, its effect on US television from HBO’s inception in 1972 to the present-day.

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Why is it important?

HBO’s legacy of original programming has become so familiar in the history of television it can seem sui generis. However, the book argues that what defines HBO’s success was not its ability to have utilised the technological possibilities of cable TV, but its innovatory approach to content ‒ a reminder that whatever creative and interactive possibilities exist in the post-television era, content continues to be king.