Interrogating

摘要

Although AMC is the advertiser-supported network most closely linked with television's increasing cultural legitimacy in the post-network era, FX's The Shield (2002-2008) was the first show created for basic cable to "be likened to HBO hits like The Sopranos (1999-2007) and distinguished from broadcast programs in industrial and critical discourse" (Newman & Levine 2012, p. 33). The Shield was created by Shawn Ryan and set in the fictional Farmington district of contemporary Los Angeles, California. The plot centered on Vic Mackey (played by Michael Chiklis), a corrupt detective who murdered a fellow police office at the end of the pilot episode. In March 2002, The Shield premiered to more than 5 million viewers and broke basic cable ratings records (Goodman, 2008). Although it is difficult to overstate the show's cultural significance, the collection of essays in Interrogating The Shield, edited by Nicholas Ray, bring a variety of critical perspectives to bear on this seminal post-network era text.