Meta in Film and Television Series

David Roche is Professor of Film Studies at Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier, a 2022-27 IUF member and President of SERCIA. His recent publications include the monographs Arrival (2024), Meta in Film and Television Series (2022). His articles have appeared in the journals Adaptation, Horror Studies, Journal of Film and Video, Miranda, Positif, Post-script and TV/Series among others. His current research focuses on the relationship between aesthetics and politics, with particular interest in the work of women directors in the scope of the FEMME ANR project.

• AcknowledgmentsForewordPart I: The Theory and History of Meta1. What Is Meta and Who Uses the Term?2. How Does Meta Work?3. When, Where and Possibly Why Did it Appear?Part II: The Aboutness of Meta4. Industry and Creation5. Apparatus and Spectatorship6. Medium and Materiality7. Adaptation and Remake8. Genre9. Seriality10. History and Historiography11. PoliticsConclusionNotesGlossary of Meta-PhenomenaFilmographyBibliographyIndex

In this impressive study Roche weaves together numerous strands of thought on the ‘meta’ and reflexive in cinema, television and media culture, with admirable clarity and focus. Full of insightful analysis of a diverse corpus of moving-image works – and engaging with important non-English language scholarship – this timely, indeed long　overdue, book will no doubt be a standard point of reference on a perennially fascinating topic.