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Crisell, A. (ed) (2004) More Than A Music Box, Oxford: Berghahn.
Crisell, A. (ed) (2009) Radio, London: Routledge.
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Creeber, G. (ed) (2008) The Television Genre Book, London: BFI.
Hilmes, M. (ed) (2003) The Television History Book, London: BFI.
Holmes, S. (2008) Entertaining Television, Manchester: Manchester University Press.
Shingler, M & Wieringa, C. (1998) On Air, London: Arnold.
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Wheatley, H. (ed) (2007) Re-viewing Television History, London: I.B. Tauris.

There will be a series of weekly lectures with TV/radio screenings/listenings and workshops for the consideration of different programme forms. There will be a some non-assessed pieces of work, which will provide you with a basis for the final piece of assessment (100% critical analysis essay).

The module introduces a range of popular broadcast programme forms and styles, and begins to examine their historical significance, modes of address, textual construction and reception. These will be considered through a range of historical, critical and theoretical elements and their practical application to both radio and television. The development of broadcast media will be identified through the ways in which the production of texts have been affected by their institutional, political, social and cultural contexts in order to establish the interconnectedness of texts and contexts.

The forms for analysis will include both non-fiction and fiction such as: documentary, drama, comedy, light entertainment, quiz/game show and children's. The content of these programme forms will be considered through a range of different examples and case studies to establish how meaning is being anchored through the relationship between form and content. The development of popular forms will be considered through their contemporary focus, as well as offering an insight into their historical significance and future developments. The module also identifies some links between the creative development of programmes and their adopted forms, and the available technologies that broadcasters have applied to their work.

A critical analysis of a programme form, through a consideration of its historical and contemporary significance. [Learning Outcomes 1-4]

Blackboard, Library and online resources, TV/DVD/Video/Audio playback facilities.
The Blackboard virtual learning environment will be available to support this module. Details will be supplied in the module handbook.