Introduction to Television Studies

In this comprehensive textbook, now updated for its third edition, Jonathan Bignell provides students with a framework for understanding the key concepts and main approaches to Television Studies, including audience research, television history and broadcasting policy, and the analytical study of individual programmes. Features include:a glossary of key termskey terms defined in marginssuggestions for further readingactivities/assignments for use in class New and updated case studies feature:‘Every Home Needs a Harvey’ adapproaches to news reportingtelevision schedulingCSI Crime Scene Investigationanimated cartoon seriesIndividual chapters address: studying television, television histories, television cultures, television texts and narratives, television genres and formats, television production, television and quality, television realities, television you can’t see, television audiences, beyond television.

Praise for the first and second edition:"A wonderfully ambitious and clear introduction to television studies for the undergraduate reader." Gill Branston, University of Cardiff, and co-author of The Media Student’s Book"An excellent introduction to television studies, with helpful accounts of key concepts tied to some engaging discussions of recent shows." David Gauntlett, University of Bournemouth and author of Media, Gender and Identity"I have no doubt that this work will become a must for all students wishing to study the new and growing discipline of television studies." Paul Rixon, University of Surrey, Roehampton"…destined to feature prominently on every television student’s preparatory reading wish-list." Deborah Jermyn, University of Surrey, Roehampton and co-editor of Understanding Reality Television

Jonathan Bignell is Professor of Television and Film at the University of Reading. He is the author of Beckett on Screen: The Television Plays, Media Semiotics: An Introduction, Big Brother: Reality TV in the Twenty-first Century and Postmodern Media Culture, and co-author of The Television Handbook, 2nd edition. He is the editor of Writing and Cinema, and joint editor of Popular Television Drama and British Television Drama: Past, Present and Future.