Studying TV Drama

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Michael Massey

Softcover | 23.37 x 1.27 x 16.76 cm | 256 pp

Auteur Publishing | 2010 | 9781906733049

Students following graduate level courses in Media Studies have had the benefit of many books covering a variety of television genres, but titles on TV drama aimed specifically at students at a lower level have been notably few. But with drama now forming a major part of courses at this level, Studying TV Drama is designed to meet this need, analysing landmark productions from six decades as a way into the exploration of the techniques, technologies, aesthetics and values of television drama.

Studying TV Drama begins with a lengthy general introduction tracing the
history of UK TV drama from the 1950s, touching on the likes of Play for Today
and Up the Junction. The subsequent chapters take the form of case studies
of a specific TV drama, dealing with: the significance of that programme in the
history/ development of TV drama as a genre; content and narrative structure:
representation; dramatic style and form; and technical analysis (camera, sound,
editing, mise-en-scène). The chosen case studies focus on contemporary and
continuing drama likely to be familiar to students (such as Doctor Who) as well
as some landmark productions to act as key points (such as Bleak House), US
drama as a particular mode is represented by the Hugh Laurie vehicle, House
MD. The dramas selected also represent differences of production style to
provide a varied experience for the purposes of analysis, making Studying TV
Drama the perfect introduction to the field.

Chapter One – Analysing Television Drama
Chapter Two-Coronation Street
Chapter Three The Singing Detective
Chapter Four- Clocking Off & State of Play
Chapter Five-Casualty & Holby Gity
Chapter Six – Doctor VWho
Chapter Seven-Period Drama Adaptations
Chapter Eight- Life on Mars & Ashes to Ashes
Chapter Nine – House MD
Chapter Ten – Lost in Austen
Chapter Eleven – Approaches to Studying TV Drama