Rollins (English and American film studies, Oklahoma State U.) and O'Connor (history, New Jersey Institute of Technology) present 11 scholarly essays that explore a number of issues raised by the television drama of the American presidency. The way the presidency is portrayed as dealing with political issues is explored in terms of the relationship with the press, cultures of gender and race, and mythmaking as a corrective to public cynicism. Other contributions look at the cinematic language and dramatic structure of the series, while still others offer differing perspectives on the use of the show as a pedagogical tool. Also included are three critical reactions from American journalism. Annotation ©2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR