'Thought-provoking' - Evening Standard 'Unlike almost all critics, David Thomson is unafraid to see, to read, to experience or re-experience the story television tells as true history not a reflection, but a version of what really happened in the world at large, and what may. ' - Greil Marcus 'Only a mind as resourceful and clever as David Thomson's would have the courage to try to put his arms around the whole vast wasteland of our beloved, hated television and make some idiosyncratic sense of it.' - Ken Burns 'A succession of limpid, allusive brilliance.' - Prospect 'A panoramic history of television that s full of thoughtfulness, gusto and intelligence. It s also extremely entertaining. At the moment when screens are finally everywhere, David Thomson is out to decide how we salvage excellence from ubiquity.' - David Hare 'The greatest writer about the big screen has now written a defining book about the small screen.' - Geoff Dyer 'Thomson at his best (which is, bluntly, better more intriguing, more infuriating, more fun than just about any other critic).' - Sight & Sound, BFI Magazine 'Full of unexpected insights, it's learned and beautifully produced. It's also tremendous fun.' - Guardian (2016 Books of the Year) 'This is the read (and respect) that culture s dominant force deserves.' - Sunday Times (2016 Books of the Year)