Call For Papers: Cultures of British Television Drama, 13-15 September,
2005

Organised by the Centre for Television Drama Studies at the University of
Reading, under the auspices of the AHRB-funded research project, 'Cultures
of British Television Drama, 1960-82', this conference will focus on
television drama in Britain, from the pre-war period of BBC broadcasting
to the present day. The conference aims to give a broad platform to new
research into British television drama from a range of textual,
institutional, and cultural perspectives, and to reopen debates around the
past, present and future of television drama in Britain.

In particular (though not exclusively) we welcome papers that:

* address the theoretical and methodological questions arising from the
study of 'popular' television drama and popular culture and/or explore
previously under-explored genres and popular series, serials and single
plays.
* interrogate the categories of serious, radical, progressive, quality,
and/or experimental television drama in British television, offering new
research in these areas
* incorporate research into the institutions and professional practices
which have surrounded the production of British television drama and/or
the micro and macroeconomic factors affecting the production of fiction on
British television
* discuss the output of regionally-based drama departments, independent
production companies, and commercial television companies
* consider drama produced for specific audiences (e.g. children's/youth
drama, women's genres, etc.) and/or think about the complex modes of
viewing at play in the reception of British television drama
* analyse the relationship between British television drama and other
media (e.g. film, theatre, radio) and/or the relationship between British
television drama and the output of other national television services
* draw on new archival research into the history of British television
drama, or that incorporate the first-hand accounts of practitioners
working on television drama over its seventy year history in Britain
* engage with questions of historiography in the study of British
television drama, and analyse how a canonical body of texts and received
histories have been established in previous studies of British Television
Drama, questioning previous methodologies, theoretical assumptions, and
the inclusions and exclusions of television drama study.


The conference will run from the 13th to the 15th of September 2005 at the
University of Reading's Bulmershe campus. The conference will begin at
approximately 4 p.m. and will end at approximately 4 p.m. High quality
residential accommodation will be available for the duration of the
conference. Booking details will be circulated at a later date.

'Cultures of British Television Drama: 1960-82' is directed by Dr Jonathan
Bignell (University of Reading), Dr Stephen Lacey (Manchester Metropolitan
University), and Prof John Ellis (Royal Holloway, University of London)
and combines analytical and archival study of British television drama
programming between these years. The project focuses in particular on
popular generic television drama in the period (based on postdoctoral
research undertaken by Dr. Helen Wheatley at the University of Reading),
institutional cultures and practices, and the regional drama output of
Granada and BBC Pebble Mill (through doctoral research conducted by Lez
Cooke at Manchester Metropolitan University). This conference is the
culmination of a series of symposia organised in conjunction with the
Centre for Television Drama Studies at Reading and the Department of
Contemporary Arts at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Abstracts of proposed papers should be of 300 words (max.) and should be
submitted by March 21st 2005. Papers should be of no more than 20 mins in
length. We also welcome proposals for 3 paper panels - abstracts for a
panel should be submitted together, along with a panel title, by March
21st 2005. Please indicate whether you would like to screen material
during your paper (in video or DVD formats).

Abstracts should be sent to Helen Wheatley via email
([log in to unmask]) or post: Dr Helen Wheatley, Dept. of Film,
Theatre and Television, University of Reading, Bulmershe Court, Earley,
Reading, RG6 1HY.


Dr Helen Wheatley

Centre for Television Drama Studies
Department of Film, Theatre and Television
University of Reading
Bulmershe Court
Woodlands Avenue
Reading RG6 1HY

0118 378 5894