In its exploration of some of the most influential, popular, or critically acclaimed television dramas since the year 2000, this book documents how modern television dramas reflect our society through their complex narratives about prevailing economic, political, security, and social issues. Television dramas have changed since the turn of the 21st century—for the good, many would say, as a result of changes in technology, the rise of cable networks, and increased creative freedom. This book approaches the new golden age of television dramas by examining the programs that define the first 15 years of the new century through their complex narratives, high production value, star power, popularity, and enthusiastic fan culture. After an introduction that sets the stage for the book's content, thematic sections present concise chapters that explore key connections between television dramas and elements of 21st-century culture. The authors explore Downton Abbey as a distraction from contemporary class struggles, patriarchy and the past in Game of Thrones and Mad Men, and portrayals of the "dark hero protagonist" in The Sopranos, Dexter, and Breaking Bad, as a few examples of the book's coverage. With its multidisciplinary perspectives on a variety of themes—terrorism, race/class/gender, family dynamics, and sociopolitical and socioeconomic topics— this book will be relevant across the social sciences and cultural and media studies courses.

In its exploration of some of the most influential, popular, or critically acclaimed television dramas since the year 2000, this book documents how modern television dramas reflect our society through their complex narratives about prevailing economic, political, security, and social issues. Television dramas have changed since the turn of the 21st century—for the good, many would say, as a result of changes in technology, the rise of cable networks, and increased creative freedom. This book approaches the new golden age of television dramas by examining the programs that define the first 15 years of the new century through their complex narratives, high production value, star power, popularity, and enthusiastic fan culture. After an introduction that sets the stage for the book's content, thematic sections present concise chapters that explore key connections between television dramas and elements of 21st-century culture. The authors explore Downton Abbey as a distraction from contemporary class struggles, patriarchy and the past in Game of Thrones and Mad Men, and portrayals of the "dark hero protagonist" in The Sopranos, Dexter, and Breaking Bad, as a few examples of the book's coverage. With its multidisciplinary perspectives on a variety of themes—terrorism, race/class/gender, family dynamics, and sociopolitical and socioeconomic topics— this book will be relevant across the social sciences and cultural and media studies courses.

A truly comprehensive overview of the craft of writing for contemporary film and video, by a multi-award winning screenwriter.

Suitable for screenwriters wanting to create an original series, film school students aware that real careers are on television staffs, or a writer trying to break in. This is a guide to the unique craft of writing a drama series for television.

Via 100 chapters, this set highlights the most important topics, issues, questions, and debates any student obtaining a degree in the field of communication ought to have mastered for effectiveness in the 21st Century. --from publisher description.

Since the turn of the 21st century, the television series has rivalled cinema as the paradigmatic filmic medium. Like few other genres, it lends itself to exploring society in its different layers. In the case of Great Britain and Ireland, it functions as a key medium in depicting the state of the nation. Focussing on questions of genre, narrative form, and serialisation, this volume examines the variety of ways in which popular recent British and Irish television series negotiate the concept of community as a key component of the state of the nation.

This report reviews the definition of Canadian content as it applies to film & television production and its relationship to public funding. After an introduction on the review and a summary of stakeholder comments, chapter 2 puts Canadian content into perspective with respect to how it is currently administered & defined, and what it represents in terms of production activity. It also analyzes in detail the degree to which the current definition, more specifically the ten-point creative system, responds to today's realities. It provides information on how some foreign countries promote & determine their national content, and highlights major weaknesses in the current Canadian content system. Chapter 3 proposes fundamental changes to the Canadian content policy infrastructure in three key area: how a Canadian-content production is defined, how Canadian content is administered overall, and how to encourage the greater use of Canadian creators. Chapter 4 examines two areas believed to be integral to the Canadian content system: international treaty co-production and theatrical distribution. Chapter 5 considers the particular challenges faced by Aboriginal & minority communities within the Canadian film & television sectors. Annexes include a list of recommendations, summaries of stakeholder input to the review, and results of a creative & technical cost analysis of various types of productions.