Module Information

1. Introduction: What is Television Studies?
2. Defining Television: A Medium in its Own Right?
3. Textual Analysis 1: Shot by Shot Analysis
4. Textual Analysis 2: Genre and Narrative Structure
5. Textual Analysis 3: Structuralism & Semiotics
6. Textual Analysis 4: Television & Ideology
7. Textual Analysis 5: Post-Structuralism
8. Television and its Audience
9. Television and Postmodernism
10. Global Television

The aim is to offer a comprehensive introduction to the academic study of television at Level 1. As such, it aims to present a broad base knowledge of television by means of an analysis of a range of issues from the academic study of television. This will include the 'grammar' of television, television as text, television genres, the relationship between television and audiences and an introduction to the application of social theory to the study of television. In order to address these questions, the module aims to introduce students to key topic areas that have dominated discussion and debate in TV studies, to apply theories that have dominated these topic areas to relevant programmes, and to then offer the opportunity for students to develop their critical skills, by debating and critiquing these theories in seminar sessions.

The module is in two parts: the first half explores a selection of different methodological approaches to TV - these include genre, ideology, audience research, shot by shot analysis and so on. The second part of the module aims to contextualise television a little more, looking at areas of history, the state, globalisation, postmodernism and so on. The module will also allow for the development of effective essay-writing and examination skills in the subject area.

This module will take a different topic each week that is specifically aimed to introduce students to some of the most crucial and fundamental issues, debates and methodologies in TV studies as a whole. Each week will begin with an introductory lecture followed by a relevant screening. The screening will usually take the form of a TV programme that will allow focused discussion and debate about that week's chosen topic. For example, if the subject is ideology, then the lecture will outline some of the major theoretical histories of the concept whilst also offering different ideological readings of a number of TV programmes. Students will then be asked to make a similar textual deconstruction of the relevant screening. The fortnightly seminars will be designed around a particular task that will allow further discussion, debate and clarification of the relevant topic.

Within and through this loose structure, students will become familiar with core academic approaches to studying television (including the aesthetics of TV, genre and narrative, shot by shot analysis, ideology, semiotics, structuralism and post-structuralism, postmodernism and globalization). In addition, students will also, throughout the module, be given continual opportunities to develop their analytical skills, through close formal analysis of relevant TV texts (the particular focus of one lecture, one seminar and their first assessment for the module).