Marques, Maria João Brasão2017-06-202017-06-202017-05978-972-9370-27-4http://hdl.handle.net/10400.21/7188This dissertation intends to analyse the shift in North-American television storytelling by considering the historical and political events that laid the groundwork for a creative revolution at the end of the 20th century. This boom in quality television programming became known as the third “Golden Age” of American television, whose centre became populated by a new type of protagonist, suggesting a shift in the archetype of the hero. Through significant examples of American television series, such as Oz (1997-2003), The Sopranos (1999-2007), The Wire (2002-2008), Dexter (2006-2013) and House of Cards (2013-present), and analysing the characteristics of villains, serial killers, cowboys and gangsters as well as their significance in the creation of the hero figure in contemporary narratives, this dissertation will attempt to show how heroes, anti-heroes and villains all share ever more common traits and ever more tenuous differences. The protagonist Walter White from the series Breaking Bad (2008-2013), both hero and villain in a disenchanted America, was the example chosen to delve into what makes this type of character so enticing and complex. Focusing on this protagonist, whose journey reflects the making of a villain, one of the main objectives of this dissertation will be to demonstrate how the boundaries of the hero paradigm have been redefined to encompass contemporary fears, concerns and realities.engTelevision storytellingHeroAnti-heroProtagonistVillainCreative revolutionHero paradigmbook