Why are some contemporary television shows so compelling? ''The Sopranos'', ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'', ''Friends'', and ''ER'' are examples among many of a new era of the 'must-see' program. These shows and others, like ''The X-Files'' and ''Ally McBeal'', have a compulsiveness, a depth of characterization and backstory that puts most of cinema to shame. ''Quality Popular Television'' looks at this new category of 'cult' television (mostly U.S.-produced) and the reasons for its emergence. Considering shows as diverse as ''Ally McBeal'', ''Martial Law'', ''Buffy'', ''Lois and Clark'', ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'', and ''Ellen'', the book examines the particular qualities necessary for success and how they relate to issues such as the economics of network scheduling, the growth of the Internet, and contemporary debates about television audiences. This important new book provides an invaluable window on transformations in contemporary television culture.