A collection of essays that examine landmark popular television drama from the last forty years, from 'Doctor Who' to 'The Office'. Contributors focus on programmes across the range of popular genres, from sitcoms to science fiction, gothic horror and children's drama

Editors' introduction - Jonathan Bignell and Stephen LaceyPart IEditors' introduction: The boundaries of genre; the sitcom - Jonathan Bignell and Stephen Lacey1. 'Our usual impasse': The episodic situation comedy revisited - Barry Langford2. Remembering 'Butterflies': The comic art of housework - Julia Hallam3. They do 'like it up 'em': 'Dad's Army' and myths of old England - Robin NelsonPart IIEditors' introduction: Quality and the 'other' drama - Jonathan Bignell and Stephen Lacey4. Space for 'quality': Negotiating with the Daleks - Jonathan Bignell5. This is the modern world: 'The Prisoner', authorship, allegory - Mark Bould6. Can kinky sex be politically correct? 'Queer As Folk' and the geo-ideological inscription of gay sexuality - Peter Billingham7. 'Just that kids' thing': The politics of 'Crazyspace', children's television and the case of 'The Demon Headmaster' - Maìre Messenger DaviesPart IIIEditors' introduction: Revisiting the familiar - Jonathan Bignell and Stephen Lacey8. Haunted houses, hidden rooms: women, domesticity and the female Gothic adaptation on television - Helen Wheatley9. BBC Drama at the margins: The contrasting fortunes of Northern Irish, Scottish and Welsh TV drama in the nineties - Steve Blandford10. The new social realism of 'Clocking Off' - Lez Cooke11. Becoming popular: Some reflections on the relationship between television and theatre - Stephen LaceyAfterword

'Popular television drama: critical perspectives' is a collection of essays examining landmark programmes of the last forty years, from 'Doctor Who' to 'The Office', and from 'The Demon Headmaster' to 'Queer As Folk'. Contributions from prominent academics focus on the full range of popular genres, from sitcoms to science fiction, gothic horror and children's drama, and challenge received wisdom by reconsidering how British television drama can be analysed.Each section is preceded by an introduction in which the editors discuss how the essays address existing problems in the field and also suggest new directions for study. The book is split into three sections, addressing the enduring appeal of popular genres, the notion of ‘quality’ in television drama, and analysing a range of programmes past and present.'Popular television drama: critical perspectives' will be of interest to students and researchers in many academic disciplines that study television drama. Its breadth and focus on popular programmes will also appeal to those interested in the shows themselves.