Module: Television Drama

Module Specifications.

Current Academic Year 2024 - 2025

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Date posted: September 2024

Module Title	Television Drama
Module Code	CM3001 (ITS) / MCO1017 (Banner)
Faculty	Humanities & Social Sciences	School	Communications
Module Co-ordinator	Debbie Ging
Module Teachers	Kirsty Park
NFQ level	8	Credit Rating	5
Pre-requisite	Not Available
Co-requisite	Not Available
Compatibles	Not Available
Incompatibles	Not Available

Repeat examination
Array

Description

This module examines a range of methodologies for the critical analysis of television drama to trace the recurring themes, images, plots, settings and modes of characterisation and the patterns of change emerging in these over the years. It reflects on the relationship between the shifting shapes of TV drama and the larger pattern of social experience, to facilitate an intensive study of particular TV drama series.

Learning Outcomes

1. Charcterise the overall terrain of TV drama in the current period
2. Demonstrate an awareness of the social, political, economic and cultural forces shaping TV drama
3. Consider the range of critical concepts for judging TV drama
4. Demonstrate a knowledge of key genres in television drama
5. Apply a range of different analytical frameworks to individual texts and genres

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full-time hours per semester
Lecture	22	in class instruction
Independent Study	43	viewing of key texts
Independent Study	60	reading texts, viewing material, writing diary
Total Workload: 125

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

1. Introduction, Theoretical Perspectives on Television Drama

2. Television and new media

3. Television audiences

4. The history of Irish television drama

5. Contemporary Irish television – quality at last?

6. British social realism. Ken Loach, class and television

8. READING WEEK

7. American quality television and HBO – television after TV

9. American quality television and the representational politics of race, gender and sexuality

10. Subtitles as quality? – the new wave of European TV drama and Nordic Noir

11. Antipodean anxiety - The Slap and Top of the Lake

12. Guest lecture

Assessment Breakdown
Continuous Assessment	100%	Examination Weight	0%

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Course Work Breakdown

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories: Resit category 1: A resit is available for both* components of the module. Resit category 2: No resit is available for a 100% continuous assessment module. Resit category 3: No resit is available for the continuous assessment component where there is a continuous assessment and examination element.
* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a Continuous Assessment/Examination split; where the module is 100% continuous assessment, there will also be a resit of the assessment
This module is category 1

Indicative Reading List

Allen, Robert and Hill, Annette: 2003, The Television Studies Reader., Routledge,
Becker, Ron: 2006, Gay TV and Straight America, Rutgers University Press,
Cardwell, S.: 2007, Quality TV: Contemporary American Television and Beyond, Is Quality Television Any Good? Generic Distinctions, Evaluations and the Troubling Matter of Critical Judgement, IB Tauris,
Caughie, J.: 2000, Television Drama: Realism, Modernism and British Culture,
Cooke, L.: 2003, British television drama: a history.,
Fiske, J.: 1987, Television Culture,
Sheehan, H.: 1987, Irish Television Drama: A Society and its Stories (Available on Doras),
Sheehan, H. .: 0, Tracking the tiger: the continuing story of Irish television drama. (Available on DORAS),
Spigel, Lynn: 2014, Television After TV: Essays on a Medium in Transition. Duke University Press, 2014.,
Turner, Graeme and Tay, Jinna: 2009, Television Studies After TV: Understanding Television in the Post-Broadcast Era., Taylor & Francis,
Weber, Brenda (Ed.): 2014, Reality Gendervision: Sexuality and Gender on Transatlantic Reality Television, Duke University Press,
Bignell, Lace & Macmurraugh-Kavanagh (Ed): 2000, British Television Drama: Past, Present & Future,

Other Resources

None

Additional materials on Loop