Dennis Potter is the most well-known, respected and controversial television dramatist Britain has ever produced. Plays and serials such as The Singing Detective and Pennies From Heaven received huge critical acclaim whilst always attracting audiences in their millions. This book will critically analyse both the strengths and the weaknesses of Potter's oeuvre, whilst investigating his status as both an 'author' and a 'celebrity'. Re-examining the drama, it foregrounds its ambiguities and contradictions, whilst clarifying the complex mixture of themes, styles and techniques that produced its...

Dennis Potter is the most well-known, respected and controversial television dramatist Britain has ever produced. Plays and serials such as The Singing Detective and Pennies From Heaven received huge critical acclaim whilst always attracting audiences in their millions. This book will critically analyse both the strengths and the weaknesses of Potter's oeuvre, whilst investigating his status as both an 'author' and a 'celebrity'. Re-examining the drama, it foregrounds its ambiguities and contradictions, whilst clarifying the complex mixture of themes, styles and techniques that produced its...

This unique study offers a comprehensive and invaluable account of television from the perspective of the programs themselves. From I Love Lucy to The Simpsons, from The Twilight Zone to The X Files, from the moon landing to the events of September 11, the book chronicles some of the most fascinating and influential shows and global events ever to hit the small screen. Each entry will offer a basic guide to the history of the show, its textual and thematic context, and its critical and popular reception, while also explaining and frequently reconsidering ways in which it may have been...

This new study provides an introduction to TV aesthetics and viewership from the 1940s to the present day, at a time when television as a medium is 'converging' with the pc and laptop.