9781557835574. Pre-Owned: Good condition. Trade paperback. Language: English. Pages: 352. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 352 p. Applause Books. Television history was made on April 30 1997 when comedian Ellen DeGeneres and her sitcom alter-ego Ellen Morgan came out to her close friends and 36 million viewers. This groundbreaking episode represented a significant milestone in Amerian television. For the first time a TV series centered around a lesbian character who was portrayed by an openly gay actor. The millions of viewers who tuned in that historic night were witnesses to a new era in television. THE PRIME TIME CLOSET offers an entertaining and in-depth glimpse into homosexuality on television from the 1950s through today. Divided into four sections each devoted to a major television genre this unique book explores how gay men and lesbians have been depicted in over three hundred television episodes and made-for-TV films. These include medical series police/detective shows situation comedies and TV dramas. THE PRIME TIME CLOSET also reveals how television s treatement of homosexuality has reflected and reinforced society s ignorance about and fear of gay men and lesbians. At the same time it celebrates programs like Ellen and Will & Grace that have broken new ground in their sensitive and enlightened approach to homosexuality and gay-related themes. This book is witty and insightful accessible and illuminating a look into what has become an integral part of American media culture.