UNDERSTANDING TELEVISION TEXTS
by PHIL WICKHAM
Out now from the BFI.
Paperback: 15.99 GBP
Available from the BFI Filmstore at http://filmstore.bfi.org.uk/acatalog/info_5867.html
'Understanding Television Texts' is a new textbook aimed at undergraduates and Media Studies 'A' Level students.
It sets out the debates that define television and examines how they can be applied to the study of particular programmes.
How do we respond to what we watch and what affects those responses? Production and consumption contexts are examined, but also the meanings in the texts themselves. In addition there is a consideration of how technology and social change are transforming our experience of TV. These themes are explored through a range of examples of TV programmes and shows - fact and fiction, contemporary and historical, British and American; from 'Planet Earth' to 'Doctor Who'; 'The Sopranos' to 'The Apprentice'.
Understanding Television Texts emphasises the importance of the active viewer. TV shows are not passive objects that just 'reflect' social attitudes; when we watch them we create meanings and make judgements. This book encourages students to consider and develop their own responses, as well as offering an accessible critical overview that equips them for this task.
Phil Wickham is currently a TV curator at the BFI and is the author of the forthcoming BFI TV Classics book on 'The Likely Lads'. In January 2008 he takes up the post of Curator of The Bill Douglas Centre at the University of Exeter.
Phil Wickham
TV Curatorial Unit
British Film Institute
21 Stephen Street
London W1T 1LN
Direct Dial 020 7957 4730
020 7255 1444 x 4730
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