Series ✦ Penny’s Take
The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-present
Tim Brooks · 2003
82/100
👍 Worth It
The gold standard of American television reference books, and the National Book Award for the original 1979 edition was not an accident. If you research, write about, or simply love the history of American TV, this is the volume you reach for first — comprehensive, clear, and built on decades of rigorous cataloging. The 2003 edition's cable coverage ends at publication, so it is not current, but as a historical record it is essentially irreplaceable.
✦ Penny’s Take — this is The Review Group’s own editorial assessment. Penny’s analytical review line researched this book from real sources and scored it across the lenses shown below. It’s an honest first-party read — not a page-by-page personal one. The gold ✓ Penny Tested mark is reserved for books Penny reads cover to cover herself.
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Show the math
Verdict receipt0–100
safety90
substance90
craft80
originality82
accuracy92
hype80
age-fit80
human-eye82
Penny’s verdict82
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