"This book assesses Joss Whedon's contribution to US television and popular culture. From his earliest work to his most recent tweets and activist videos, Pateman explores the complex and contradictory role of Whedon as both cult outsider and mainstream blockbuster. The book insists on the wider industrial, technological, political and economic contexts that have both influenced and been influenced by Whedon, and refuses the notion of Whedon as television auteur. Using key source material, with exclusive access to drafts of many of the episodes across Whedon's career, as well as unique correspondence with Whedon collaborator Jane Espenson, this book offers unparalleled access to the creative process that helped produce the series. Energetic, engaging, lively and informed by detailed scholarship and theoretical rigour, the book is not just an essential addition to the study of Whedon, but a timely and important re-invigoration of television studies."--Publisher's description.