British and French Television Drama

A comparative study of the politics and production processes of television drama in France and in Britain during a formative historical moment for communication systems. The juxtaposition reveals surprising similarities in the intentions and achievements of practitioners in this expanding field in Britain and France during the 1950s and 1960s. The years following World War II marked a formative moment for television drama in France and Britain – a time of technological change, social transformation, and new possibilities for innovation in communication systems. Although the two countries developed distinct broadcasting cultures, this book reveals striking similarities in the intentions and achievements of socially conscious communication practitioners. Drawing on cross-boundary comparison, the book uncovers the internal struggles within the French and British institutions that controlled broadcasting. It shows how creative initiatives with a social class perspective were able to break through the dense fabric of institutional control before bureaucratic structures fully solidified. The study offers a unique view of the active engagement and political judgement of writers, editors, producers, and directors who, though facing managerial scepticism and at times direct interference, persisted in reaching rapidly expanding audiences. 'Heartfelt, critical, reflexive, meticulous and highly readable, Joy Leman's British and French Television Drama is full of detail we might have thought we knew but didn't. Drawing deeply on comparative cultural history, sociology, political economy, and a multi-layered Marxist theory, her book traces similarities and differences through the formative years of British and French television drama.' John Tulloch, Professor Emeritus at Charles Sturt University, Australia Joy Leman is an independent media researcher working in Britain and France. She previously worked at the University of the Arts, London. A comparative study of the politics and production processes of television drama in France and in Britain during a formative historical moment for communication systems. This juxtaposition reveals surprising similarities in the intentions and achievements of practitioners in this expanding television field in Britain and France during the 1950s and 1960s. The post WW2 era marked a substantial shift in socio-political structures and organisation in both countries within a context of change and possibilities for innovative approaches. This study reveals internal struggles within the French and British institutions controlling broadcasting as crucial determinants in the background decision making which constitutes the focus of the study. Analysis of those events indicates how creative initiatives with a social class perspective can penetrate the threads of communication control in a new system, prior to the consolidation of all the determinants of prevalent bureaucratic structures. This book foregrounds how socially conscious communication practitioners deployed methods intended to retain control of style and meaning in productions in the face of management scepticism and, in some cases, direct interference. The text draws upon oral history contributions plus research documentation and archive material from within the Institutions. Case studies are presented across national and cultural boundaries. These are reinforced by authentic voices and testimonies from personal interviews which I carried out with directors and writers in both Britain and France. The book provides a unique insight into active engagement, and socio/political judgements used by writers, editors, producers, and directors in reaching out to what was a rapidly expanding audience.

Pages: 194, Hardcover, Intellect (UK)