British Television Drama: Past, Present and Future

British Television Drama provides resources for critical thinking about key aspects of television drama in Britain since 1960, including institutional, textual, cultural, economic and audience-centred modes of study. It presents and contests significant strands of critical work in the field, since the essays by TV professionals reveal their strongly-held views about TV (which often conflict productively with the views of fellow contributors) and the academics offer reasoned and more developed arguments that advance understanding. The new edition includes a revised chapter by acclaimed TV producer Tony Garnett reflecting on his work since Cathy Come Home in the 1960s, new chapters by Phil Redmond, the creator of Brookside and Hollyoaks, and Cameron Roach, Head of Drama Commissioning at Sky TV and former executive producer of Waterloo Road. New academic analyses include work on Downton Abbey, The Sarah Jane Adventures, Ashes to Ashes, adaptations of Persuasion, and the changing production methods on Coronation Street. The book’s three sections are framed by new introductory essays by the editors to establish and contextualise the primary concerns and methodologies of each chapter.

Jonathan Bignell, University of Reading, UK Edward Braun University of Bristol, UK Victoria Byard, University of Leicester, UK Sarah Cardwell, University of Kent, UK John Caughie, Glasgow University, UK James Chapman, University of Leicester, UK Andrew Davies, writer for television, UK David Edgar, University of Birmingham, UK Tony Garnett, film and television producer, UK Julia Hallam, University of Liverpool, UK Barry Hanson, television producer, UK Stephen Lacey, University of South Wales, UK Ben Lamb, University of South Wales, UK John McGrath, film and theatre producer, UK Madeleine Macmurraugh-Kavanagh (Davies), University of Reading, UK Alan Plater, writer for television, UK Phil Redmond, producer and screenwriter, UK Cameron Roach, Senior Commissioning Editor for Drama at BSkyB, UK Irene Shubik, television producer, UK Billy Smart, Royal Holloway University of London, UK Shaun Sutton, drama producer, UK Timothy West, stage, film and television actor, UK