Television Drama: Theories and Identities

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.