A survey of early research that assessed television violence through content analysis shows that crime and violence have always been prominent in prime-time television. A discussion of content analysis methods focuses on researchers' assumptions and coding reliability. Another review of the research reveals that both children and adults do not always read the same meanings into television as do researchers. A 1985 study compared viewers' reactions to scenes from British and American crime series, science fiction programs, and cartoons. Factors influencing viewers' perceptions included familiarity of surroundings, kinds of fictional characters who inflict the violence, how the violence is inflicted, and how much harm is done. The paper discusses two elements that mediate relationships between viewing patterns and social perceptions: viewers' ability to distinguish reality from fantasy on television and the ability to follow storyliners effectively. Approximately 30 references.