The sitcom isn’t the only television art form to undergo a seismic shift in the last two decades. TV critic Alan Sepinwall examines the so-called “millennial dramas” in his self-published The Revolution Was Televised: The Cops, Crooks, Slingers and Slayers Who Changed TV Drama Forever. Careful TV watchers already know the impact of HBO’s Oz and The Sopranos and their trickle-down effect on AMC, FX, and even the occasional network (NBC’s Friday Night Lights); where Sepinwall’s 12-case study really distinguishes itself is in the many revealing interviews with the major players behind the TV drama revolution.

This article appears in January 18 • 2013.

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A graduate of the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas, Kimberley has written about film, books, and pop culture for The Austin Chronicle since 2000. She was named Editor of the Chronicle in 2016; she previously served as the paper’s Managing Editor, Screens Editor, Books Editor, and proofreader. Her work has been awarded by the Association of Alternative Newsmedia for excellence in arts criticism, team reporting, and special section (Best of Austin). The Austin Alliance for Women...