The TV Detective
Voices of Dissent in Contemporary Television
Published on 20. March 2015
Book
Paperback/Softback
200 pages
978-1-78076-295-1 (ISBN)
Description
2016 Winner - BAFTSS (British Association of Film, Television and Screen Studies) Best BookWhat makes British television crime drama so perennially popular, both in the UK and internationally? What are the attractions and pleasures of these shows? How are detectives positioned in relation to viewers' national and collective experience of the 'everyday'? This book addresses these questions, examining the trends evident in a range of series - including A Touch of Frost, Lewis, Cracker, Life on Mars and the more recent Luther - in the context of their broader social meaning. Helen Piper develops a compelling argument regarding the cultural relevance of some of the more popular and powerful television detectives, claiming that theirs is a privileged role as the licensed "voices" of dissent. The discontented TV detective, she suggests, may serve to express a broader sense of cultural malaise.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Illustrations
12 integrated bw
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Weight
290 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-78076-295-1 (9781780762951)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Helen Piper is Senior Lecturer in Television Studies, based in the Department of Film, Television and Theatre at the University of Bristol where she has been teaching into a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes for over a decade. She is also responsible for numerous published journal articles on popular television drama and other genres. Previously, Helen Piper worked as a theatrical agent and held a number of senior management positions at BBC Worldwide and for the Entertainment Group at BBC Television.
Content
List of Figures
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Broadcasting the Detective 1992-2012
Engaging with the Detective Character
Residual Voices: A Touch of Frost and Lewis
Ambivalent Voices: Moral Allegiance in Prime Suspect and Cracker
The Reactionary Voice: Life on Mars and the Gene Genie
Emergent Voices I : Wallander and Vera
Emergent Voices II : Luther, Scott and Bailey and Line of Duty
The Resonance of the Detective
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Broadcasting the Detective 1992-2012
Engaging with the Detective Character
Residual Voices: A Touch of Frost and Lewis
Ambivalent Voices: Moral Allegiance in Prime Suspect and Cracker
The Reactionary Voice: Life on Mars and the Gene Genie
Emergent Voices I : Wallander and Vera
Emergent Voices II : Luther, Scott and Bailey and Line of Duty
The Resonance of the Detective
Notes
Bibliography
Index