While writers and producers are often represented as the predominant creators of television, in his new work, Television Directors, Race, and Gender: Written Out of the Story,
Professor of Rhetoric, Film, and Screen Studies Jonathan Cavallero  analyzes the role of television directors as a vital force in shaping the medium’s artistry, devoting particular attention to the place of race and gender in this history.

The book spans 80 years of television, highlighting the ways that directors’ artistic choices – including visual style and sound design – contribute to the thematic development and narrative complexity of the medium. 

Jon examines iconic television dramas such as Hill Street Blues, The Sopranos, and NYPD Blue and centers directors from underrepresented racial and gender groups. He argues that the work of Paris Barclay, Gabrielle Beaumont, Lorraine Senna, and Randa Haines have enriched television productions and paved the way for greater diversity, equity, and inclusion in the medium. 

One reviewer has commented, “…this book is worth its weight in gold. Deep, thoughtful, and essential for anyone (including and especially critics of television) who want to understand the director’s role in the medium. His revolutionary approach, reframing specific series through the lens of the director… is highly creative and refreshing. A must for all writers and directors who want to understand what directors do, and how to do it better.”

Jon is also the author of Hollywood’s Italian American Filmmakers: Capra, Scorsese, Savoca, Coppola, and Tarantino which was published by the University of Illinois Press in 2011 and the co-editor of Italian American Review’s special issue on “Italian Americans and Television.”