Masterpiece Theatre and the Politics of Quality

Masterpiece Theatre, the popular British-made series that enjoyed a long and successful run on public television, is regarded by many as the standard against which all "quality" programs should be measured. In this study, Laurence Jarvik provides insight into the many forces that shaped the series: its sponsor (Mobil Oil Company), its American broadcast affiliate (television station WGBH in Boston), the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), its host (Alistair Cooke), and the Nixon Administration…