Our seminar series takes place online to remain inclusive. We aim to cover a variety of topics and interests, and want to keep the seminars flexible, to allow the breadth of research into television to become visible.
Seminars in 2024
17 December 2024, 2pm
Room M48 in the Main Building, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk Campus
The Taste for Soap Opera:
Food, Television and the Transmedia Cookbooks of 7de Laan and Coronation Street
Sarah Gibson, University of KwaZulu-Natal
To join, click here.
This talk explores the articulation of food and television through an analysis of the soap opera genre and their transmedia cookbooks. Whilst debates on food & literature and food & film have been researched extensively, the relationship of food & television remains relatively underexplored (Murray, 2012; Oren, 2003). This limited work has tended to focus on the cookery programme genre (Strange, 1998; Bonner, 2009) or on the rise of digital food television (Phillipov, 2022; Matwick and Matwick, 2019).
The focus of this research is on the articulation of food and television through the genre of the soap opera. I will explore how the women’s genres of soap operas and cookbooks are key sites for exploring the project of nation-building. Both soap operas and cookbooks are also key cultural texts associated with the construction of femininity and which have been reclaimed by feminist scholars.
The paper focuses on the ‘fan cookbooks’ as a form of transmedia storytelling, through a close comparative analysis of the Coronation Street (UK) and 7de Laan (South Africa) soap opera cookbooks. Whilst Coronation Street represents a distinctly regional (‘Northern’) identity, 7de Laan instead represents a nostalgic Afrikaner ethnic nationalism. These ‘fan cookbooks’ offer fans of the soap opera the opportunity to participate in the fictional community of the soap opera through being able to share the recipes of the characters as well as to be able to cook and eat the food through a mediated culinary tourist experience.
Author Biography
Sarah Gibson is an Associate Professor in the Centre for Communication and Media in Society [CCMS] at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. She has previously taught at Surrey University and Lancaster University, and originally hails from Formby. Her research interests focus on cultural studies, critical theory and the new mobilities paradigm. Her current research projects are diverse, including work on food cultures, soap operas, the railways, cultural memory, and mobilities & pedagogy.
21 October 2024
The portrayal of mental illness in Egyptian Films Made and Shown on TV
Nermeen Amrea, Canadian University in Egypt.
In person, St James Campus at Edge Hill University or online here. 1-2pm
Drama often supports certain values and orientations among its audience, offering particular images of people, roles, and issues, these images may reflect reality or present a distorted view, influencing how the audience perceives them. Media, especially drama and films, significantly contribute to shaping these perceptions. Mental illness has been portrayed in diverse ways in Egyptian films across various periods, affecting the audience’s understanding of the nature of mental illness, its treatment methods, its problems, and the depiction of both psychiatrics and patients. The significance of this research lies in its comprehensive examination of the portrayal of mental illness in Egyptian films; by analyzing a sample of films made for and shown on TV from various periods, the study seeks to explore how mental illness has been represented over time and the impact of these representations on public perceptions, it also investigates the personal and professional characteristics of psychiatrists as depicted in these films, providing insights into the media’s influence on the image of psychiatrics. Furthermore, the research addressed the portrayal of psychiatric patients, shedding light on the stereotypes and narrative frameworks that shape their depiction. By gathering feedback from psychiatrists regarding these portrayals, and also drama writers and filmmakers, the study aims to offer informed suggestions for improving the dramatic representation of mental illness, thereby contributing to a more accurate understanding of psychiatric issues in the media.
The study uses both quantitative and qualitative tools: content analysis to review a sample of Egyptian films dealing with mental illness, over 100 films were reviewed; however, a purposive sample of 45 Egyptian films were selected for in-depth analysis, because they prominently featured mental illness as a central theme and included either a psychiatrist or a psychiatric patient as a key character. The purpose of this analysis was to obtain precise indicators regarding the depiction of mental illness, psychiatric patients, and psychiatrists in Egyptian films. Also focus group discussions were conducted, consisting of psychiatrists, drama writers, and filmmakers, the aim was to gather their perspectives on the dramatic treatment of mental illness in Egyptian films, and their suggestions for improving it.
The study found that mental illness portrayed through a tragic lens, with occasional comedic elements. Phobias was the most common mental health conditions depicted in the Egyptian films analyzed, presented in both comedic and tragic forms across different time periods. Also conditions such as: paranoia, schizophrenia, and post-traumatic stress disorder were among the most commonly depicted mental illnesses. Individual psychotherapy sessions were the most prominent treatment method depicted in the films analyzed. This approach is rich in dramatic potential, as it often involves the patients narrating their life events in an effort to uncover the root of their psychological issues. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) was also featured, but its portrayal differed from its real-life application. Some films depicted imbalanced emotional relationships between psychiatrists and their patients, a portrayal that was confirmed by psychiatrists during the focus group discussions. In these sessions, the psychiatrists provided suggestions for improving the dramatic representation of these relationships. The character of the psychiatrist was portrayed positively more than the character of psychiatric patient which can be attributed to the negative traits associated with mental illness that tend to influence the roles they play in the films, the study also identified the key positive and negative traits of both psychiatrists and psychiatric patients as portrayed in films. Additionally, it offered recommendations for improving the dramatic representation of psychiatric patients, aiming to present a more accurate and sensitive portrayal of mental illness in films.
21 February 2024
Communicating climate change: cultivating creativity, collaboration and participation
Julie Doyle, School of Art and Media, University of Brighton
Climate communication researchers and practitioners call for new climate stories that go beyond apocalyptic imaginings to offer more culturally meaningful narratives and engagements (Moser 2016; Good Energy 2024). As such, climate communication is a constitutive dimension of climate action, shaping cultural understandings and societal responses to climate change (Carvalho, Russill & Doyle 2021). Drawing upon my experiences of working on a number of creative climate communication projects with young people in the UK and Europe (Doyle 2020, Cli-Mates 2017; System Change Hive 2019), in this talk I will explore how collaborative and participatory approaches to climate communication can help facilitate multidimensional and interdisciplinary modes of climate learning and engagement.
In foregrounding playfulness, co-creation, emotional sharing and interdisciplinarity, collaborative approaches can facilitate (young) people’s socio-cultural understandings of climate change and increase self and group efficacy. Discussing these findings, the talk will also reflect upon the challenges of time/space specific learning experiences and collaborative projects for researchers and participants. Despite these challenges, I argue for the need to work together across disciplines and practices, and in careful collaboration with communities, to foster new climate stories and engagements.
Biography
Julie Doyle is a Professor of Media and Communication in the School of Art and Media at the University of Brighton, UK. Julie’s research explores the role of visual media and popular culture in shaping societal understandings of, and responses to, climate change. Julie also works collaboratively with artists and cultural educators on co-created climate communications projects that seek to facilitate transformational climate learning experiences. She has provided consultancy for environmental NGOs, government and the sustainability communications sector on best practice for climate and environmental communication. She was a member of the founding Board of Directors of the International Environmental Communication Association (IECA), is on the Editorial Board of Environmental Communication, and her research is cited in IPCC Assessment reports.
March 2024
11 March 2024, 7pm UK time
Book Launch: TV Drama in the Multiplatform Age, edited by Trisha Dunleavy and Elke Weissmann, Cham: Palgrave Macmillan (2024).
Presenters: Trisha Dunleavy (Te Herenga Waka/Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand), Richard Paterson (University of Glasgow) and Joanna Rydzweska (Swansea University).
Book Launch: TV Drama in the Multiplatform Age (Palgrave Macmillan 2024)
We invite you to join our book launch for the TV Drama in the Multiplatform Age: Transnational Coproduction and Cultural Specificity (Palgrave Macmillan, 2024), edited by Trisha Dunleavy and Elke Weissmann. We will hear three short presentations from our authors:
Trisha Dunleavy (Te Herenga Waka/Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand) will introduce the book project and introduce the larger scope of the book. This will include a discussion of the role of multi-national corporations, the importance of SVoDs and the explosion of different forms of coproductions, involving local as well as transnational companies, cultural elements and processes.
Richard Paterson (University of Glasgow, UK) will present the story of The Man in the High Castle (Amazon Prime, 2015-19) the first UK commission for Amazon Prime. He will discuss how the small production company that developed the project, namely Headline Pictures, negotiated the involvement of a number of big players in the process of getting the programme made.
Joanna Rydzewska (Swansea University, UK) will present her work on World on Fire (BBC, PBS, 2019-) which unusually for a British production about the Second World War spends significant time introducing the experience of Polish people both in Poland and abroad. She will highlight the programme’s representational strategies as well as consider the role of local diasporas in the UK and the USA and their place in the (trans)national imaginaries of the UK and the USA.
Biographies:
Trisha Dunleavy is Associate Professor in Media Studies and Communication at Te Herenga Waka/Victoria University Wellington, New Zealand. Her central research interests are multiplatform television, creative industries, high-end TV drama, TV drama and aesthetics and transnational coproduction. She is co-editor of the book Transnational Television Drama in the Multiplatform Age (Palgrave Macmillan, 2024).
Richard Paterson is Honorary Professor and Research Associate in the Centre for Cultural Policy Research at the University of Glasgow. He was formerly Head of Research and Scholarship at the British film Institute and is currently editing a Gedenkschrift for Tony Smith, the architect of Channel Four to be published by Bloomsbury Academic next year.
Joanna Rydzewska is Senior Lecturer in Film and TV Studies at Swansea University, UK. Her research focuses on European, Eastern European and British cinema with particular emphasis on exile, migration and transnational film studies. She has co-authored with Elżbieta Ostrowska The Films of Paweł Pawlikowski (EUP, 2024).
The event has been recorded and can be seen here.
25 March, 12.30pm
Reflective Reels – The Impact of Embedding Reflection into Film and Television Production Management Training
Perelandra Beedles (University of Salford)
In the realm of higher education within the creative arts, it is imperative to instil a reflective approach in students. While reflection is often a component of assessment criteria for written assignments, it is frequently overlooked in curricula for technical training within film and television production degrees. This oversight neglects the growing need for reflective practitioners in the media industry.
To address this issue, the research presented in this session introduced an educational toolkit named ‘Reflective Reels’ to early career Television Production Managers. This toolkit included breakout sessions for reflection, production journals, and video diaries. By emphasizing the practicality of reflection as a tool that can be directly linked to action, this approach views training as a dynamic process that combines technical knowledge and intellectual agility.
The name ‘Reflective Reels’ is a nod to the film and television industry, while also showcasing how each step of knowledge retention and reflection can be effortlessly intertwined, much like the reels of a film. Ultimately, this toolkit empowers learners to create novel processes and interpretations of training actions.
Perelandra Beedles has worked extensively as a Television Director, Producer and Production Manager at the BBC, ITV and Sony Film and Games and is now a Lecturer and Programme Leader for the MA Production Management Film, TV and Media at the University of Salford. Additionally, she is engaged in an EdD Research project at Edge Hill University, titled ‘Reflective Reels’. This project aims to analyse the impact of incorporating reflection into film and television production management training.
The talk was recorded and can be accessed here.
May 2024
1 May 2024, 1pm
Catherine Johnson (University of Leeds):
What’s at Stake in the UK Media Bill?
The UK Parliament is currently debating the introduction of a new Media Bill that is expected to be passed into law this summer. The Media Bill aims to future-proof the UK’s media regulation in the wake of significant changes since the 2003 Communications Act. This paper sets out the key interventions of the Media Bill and discusses what the implications of the proposed legislative changes might mean for the UK’s media landscape. In doing so, it focuses on changes to legislation underpinning public service media, the introduction of ‘prominence’ legislation, and the development of a new ‘VOD Code’ that extends responsibilities accorded to broadcasters for protection from harm to VOD services. It asks whether these policy interventions go far enough in addressing the current challenges facing the UK’s media landscape and interrogates what is absent from the Media Bill.
The recording is available here.