Television Drama

At a time when distinctions between television and film have blurred, and multiple TV channels offer us the chance to re-view TV dramas, there is still little attention paid to television drama as text or to ways of theorising such texts. This book offers both a clear account of theoretical approaches to television drama and readings of a range of television drama texts. Arguing that TV drama is a key site for exploring the usefulness of contemporary theories of identity, culture and representation, it offers a framework which links this analysis to theoretical concepts explored elsewhere in cultural, media and film studies over recent years. Each chapter provides a critical account of a specific theoretical approach, outlining its history and scope, and demonstrating its application across a range of TV dramas, ending with a close reading of particular examples. Organised around the themes of identity and subjectivity, the book encompasses a wide range of approaches and texts, from sitcom, to docudrama, to sci-fi and is an ideal resource for undergraduate students of Media Studies, Cultural studies, Communication Studies and Television and Film Studies.