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TelevisionSeptember 2004Terry Nation
by Jonathan Bignell, Andrew O'Day
This is the first in-depth study of the science fiction television devised and written by Terry Nation. Terry Nation was the inventor of the Daleks and wrote other serials for 'Doctor Who'; he also wrote the BBC's 1970s post-apocalyptic drama 'Survivors' and created the space adventure series 'Blake's 7'. Previously television science fiction in Britain has received little critical attention. This book fills that gap and places Nation's work in the context of its production. Using Terry Nation's science fiction work as a case study, the boundaries around the authorship and authority of the television writer are explored in detail. The authors make use of BBC's archival research and specially conducted interviews with television producers and other production staff, to discuss how the programmes that Terry Nation created and wrote were commissioned, produced and brought to the screen. The book makes an important contribution to the study of British television history and will be of interest to enthusiasts of Terry Nation's landmark drama series as well as students of Television Studies.
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The ArtsJune 2017Popular television drama
Critical perspectives
by Jonathan Bignell, Stephen Lacey
Popular television drama: critical perspectives' is a collection of essays examining landmark programmes of the last forty years, from 'Doctor Who' to 'The Office', and from 'The Demon Headmaster' to 'Queer As Folk'. Contributions from prominent academics focus on the full range of popular genres, from sitcoms to science fiction, gothic horror and children's drama, and challenge received wisdom by reconsidering how British television drama can be analysed. Each section is preceded by an introduction in which the editors discuss how the essays address existing problems in the field and also suggest new directions for study. The book is split into three sections, addressing the enduring appeal of popular genres, the notion of 'quality' in television drama, and analysing a range of programmes past and present. Popular television drama: critical perspectives will be of interest to students and researchers in many academic disciplines that study television drama. Its breadth and focus on popular programmes will also appeal to those interested in the shows themselves.
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Literature & Literary StudiesJune 2012Beckett and Nothing
by Jonathan Bignell, Peter Boxall, Enoch Brater
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The ArtsJanuary 2099David Simon's American city
by Mikkel Jensen, Jonathan Bignell, Sarah Cardwell
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The ArtsAugust 2005Popular television drama
Critical perspectives
by Jonathan Bignell, Stephen Lacey, Susan Williams
'Popular television drama: critical perspectives' is a collection of essays examining landmark programmes of the last forty years, from 'Doctor Who' to 'The Office', and from 'The Demon Headmaster' to 'Queer As Folk'. Contributions from prominent academics focus on the full range of popular genres, from sitcoms to science fiction, gothic horror and children's drama, and challenge received wisdom by reconsidering how British television drama can be analysed. Each section is preceded by an introduction in which the editors discuss how the essays address existing problems in the field and also suggest new directions for study. The book is split into three sections, addressing the enduring appeal of popular genres, the notion of 'quality' in television drama, and analysing a range of programmes past and present. Popular television drama: critical perspectives will be of interest to students and researchers in many academic disciplines that study television drama. Its breadth and focus on popular programmes will also appeal to those interested in the shows themselves. ;
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The ArtsMay 2012Troy Kennedy Martin
by Lez Cooke, Jonathan Bignell, Sarah Cardwell, Steven Peacock
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The ArtsMay 2012Tony Garnett
by Stephen Lacey, Jonathan Bignell, Sarah Cardwell, Steven Peacock
Tony Garnett is the first book-length study of one of the most respected and prolific producers working in British television. From ground-breaking dramas from the 1960s such as Up the Junction and Cathy Come Home to the 'must see' series in the 1990s and 2000s such as This Life and The Cops, Garnett has produced some of the most important and influential British television drama. This book charts Garnett's career from his early days as an actor to his position as executive producer and head of World Productions. Drawing on personal interviews, archival research, contextual analysis and selected case studies, Tony Garnett examines the ways in which Garnett has helped to define the role of the producer in British television drama. Arguing that Garnett was both a key creative and political influence on the work he produced and an enabler of the work of others, the book traces his often combative relationships with broadcasting institutions (especially the BBC). Additionally, the study discusses the films he made for the cinema and considers some of the ways in which Garnett's experiments in film technology 16 mm in the 1960s, digital video in the 1990s have shaped his creative output. Tony Garnett will be of interest to all levels of researchers and students of British television drama, media and film. ;
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The ArtsMay 2005Andrew Davies
by Sarah Cardwell, Jonathan Bignell, Sarah Cardwell, Steven Peacock
One of Britain's foremost TV practitioners, Andrew Davies is the creator of programmes such as 'A Very Peculiar Practice', 'To Serve Them All My Days', 'Pride and Prejudice', 'Othello' and 'The Way We Live Now'. Although best known for his adaptations of the work of writers such as Jane Austen and George Eliot, he has written numerous original drama series, single plays, films, stage plays and books. This volume offers a critical appraisal of Davies's work, and assesses his contribution to British television. Cardwell also explores the conventional notions of authorship and auteurism which are challenged by Davies's work. Can we identify Davies as the author of the varied texts attributed to him? If so, does an awareness of his authorial role aid our interpretation and evaluation of those texts? How does the phenomenon of adaptation affect the issue of authorship? How important is 'the author' to television? This book will appeal to both an academic readership, and to the many people who have taken pleasure in Davies's work. ;
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November 2011Lynda La Plante
by Julia Hallam, Jonathan Bignell, Sarah Cardwell, Steven Peacock
Lynda La Plante is Britain's most successful and well known screenwriter and the first woman to win the prestigious Dennis Potter writer's award. Attracting millions of viewers, the popular and critical success of La Plante's work is central to understanding changes that shook the UK television industry in the late twentieth century. This critical introduction, the first account of her work, focuses on three innovative serials: Widows (ITV, 1983), Prime Suspect (ITV 1991) and Trial and Retribution (ITV 1997). In each chapter questions of gender and genre, acting and stardom and authorship and value are mapped against the changing relationship between women and the television industry. The final chapter traces La Plante's metamorphosis from 'just a writer for hire' to the astute businesswoman she has become through a focus on the trans-national appeal of dramas such as Killer Net (C4 1997) and Bella Mafia (CBS 1997). ;
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The ArtsMay 2016Jimmy McGovern
by Steve Blandford, Jonathan Bignell, Sarah Cardwell, Steven Peacock
