Television is commonplace in developed societies‎,‎ an unremarkable and routine part of most people‎'‎s everyday lives‎,‎ but also the subject of continued concern from academia and beyond‎.‎ But what do we really know about television‎,‎ the ways that we watch it‎,‎ the meanings that are made‎,‎ and its relationship to ideology‎,‎ democracy‎,‎ culture and power‎?‎ ‎"‎Television‎,‎ Audiences and Everyday Life‎"‎ draws on an extensive body of audience research to get behind this seemingly simple activity‎.‎ Written in a clear and accessible style‎,‎ key audience studies are presented in ways that illuminate critical debates and concepts in cultural and media studies‎.‎ The key topics and case studies include‎:‎ news‎,‎ debate and the pubic sphere‎;‎ reality television‎,‎ talk shows and media ethics‎;‎ soap opera‎,‎ play and gossip‎;‎ the uses of television in the home‎;‎ television‎,‎ identity and globalization‎;‎ and‎,‎ textual analysis‎,‎ discourse and semiotics‎.‎ Each chapter makes a compelling case for the importance of audience research in our thinking about television texts‎.‎ The case studies introduce important new terms in the study of television‎,‎ such as play‎,‎ semiosis and modality‎,‎ while also throwing new light on familiar terms‎,‎ such as decoding‎,‎ ideology and the public sphere‎.‎ ‎"‎Television‎,‎ Audiences and Everyday Life‎"‎ is essential reading for undergraduate students on media‎,‎ cultural studies and sociology courses‎,‎ or anybody who wants to understand television‎,‎ its genres‎,‎ and their place in everyday life‎.‎