This book explores adaptation in its various forms in contemporary television drama. It considers the mechanics of adaptation as an ever-more prevalent form of production, most notably in the reworking of literary sources for television. It also explores the broader process through which the television industry as a whole is currently making necessary adaptations in how it tells stories, especially in relation to important concerns of equality, diversity and inclusion. Offering and analysing 16 original interviews with leading British television producers, writers, directors, production designers, casting directors and actors, and with a particular focus on female and/or minority-ethnic industry perspectives, the book examines some of the key professional and creative approaches behind television adaptations today. The book connects these industry insights to the existing conceptual and critical frameworks of television studies and adaptation studies, illuminating the unique characteristics of television adaptation as a material mode of production, and revealing television itself as an inherently adaptive artform.

Before it reached television, science fiction existed on the printed page, in comic books, and on movie screens for decades. Adapting science fiction to the new medium posed substantial challenges: Small viewing screens and limited production facilities made it difficult to achieve the sense of wonder that had become the genre's hallmark. Yet, television also offered unprecedented opportunities. Its serial nature allowed for longer, more complex stories, as well as developing characters and building suspense over time. Producers of science fiction television programming learned to create adaptations that honored the source material—literature, comics, or film—while taking full advantage of television's unique aesthetic. In Adapting Science Fiction to Television: Small Screen, Expanded Universe, Max Sexton and Malcolm Cook examine how the genre evolved over time. The authors consider productions in both the UK and the United States, ranging from Walt Disney's acclaimed "Man in Space"in the 1950s to the BBC's reimagined Day of the Triffids in the 1990s. Iconic characters from Flash Gordon and Captain Nemo to Superman and Professor Quatermass all play a role in this history, along with such authors as E. M. Forster and Wernher von Braun. The real stars of this study, however, are the pioneering producers and directors who learned how to bring imagined worlds and fantastic stories into living rooms across the globe. The authors make the case that television has become more sophisticated, capable of taking on larger themes and deploying a more complex use of the image than other media. A unique reappraisal of the history and dynamics of the medium, Adapting Science Fiction Television will be of interest not only to scholars of science fiction, but to anyone interested in the early history of television, as well as the evolution of its unique capacity to tell stories.

This is a comprehensive collection of original essays that explore the aesthetics, economics, and mechanics of movie adaptation, from the days of silent cinema to contemporary franchise phenomena. Featuring a range of theoretical approaches, and chapters on the historical, ideological and economic aspects of adaptation, the volume reflects today’s acceptance of intertextuality as a vital and progressive cultural force. Incorporates new research in adaptation studies Features a chapter on the Harry Potter franchise, as well as other contemporary perspectives Showcases work by leading Shakespeare adaptation scholars Explores fascinating topics such as ‘unfilmable’ texts Includes detailed considerations of Ian McEwan’s Atonement and Conrad’s Heart of Darkness

Adaptation in Contemporary Culture: Textual Infidelities seeks to reconfigure the ways in which adaptation is conceptualised by considering adaptation within an extended range of generic, critical and theoretical contexts. This collection explores literary, film, television and other visual texts both as 'origins' and 'adaptations' and offers new insights into the construction of genres, canons and 'classics'. Chapters investigate both 'classic' and contemporary texts by British and American authors, from Jane Austen, Edgar Allen Poe and Charles Dickens to Bret Easton Ellis, P.D James and Sarah Waters. A diverse range of literary, film and television genres is examined, from romance to science fiction, the Western to the 'women's picture' and the heritage film to postmodern pastiche. With a thematic focus on key critical paradigms for adaptation studies - fidelity, intertextuality, historicity and authorship - this collection expands the field of adaptation studies beyond its conventional focus on 'page to screen' adaptations to include film remakes, video games, biopics, fan fiction and celebrity culture.

The book examines the difficulty of adapting from one screen medium to another by looking at both successful and unsuccessful efforts in the area of science fiction. Those difficult efforts at moving from film to TV and from TV to film reveal much about the technologies involved and this highly technological genre as well.

This book is the first to focus on the role of European television crime drama on the international market. As a genre, the television crime drama has enjoyed a long and successful career, routinely serving as a prism from which to observe the local, national and even transnational issues that are prevalent in society. This extensive volume explores a wide range of countries, from the US to European countries such as Spain, Italy, the Scandinavian countries, Germany, England and Wales, in order to reveal the very currencies that are at work in the global production and circulation of the TV crime drama. The chapters, all written by leading television and crime fiction scholars, provide readings of crime dramas such as the Swedish-Danish The Bridge, the Welsh Hinterland, the Spanish Under Suspicion, the Italian Gomorrah, the German Tatort and the Turkish Cinayet. By examining both European texts and the ‘European-ness’ of various international dramas, this book ultimately demonstrates that transnationalism is at the very core of TV crime drama in Europe and beyond.

As American television continues to garner considerable esteem, rivalling the seventh art in its "cinematic" aesthetics and the complexity of its narratives, one aspect of its development has been relatively unexamined. While film has long acknowledged its tendency to adapt, an ability that contributed to its status as narrative art (capable of translating canonical texts onto the screen), television adaptations have seemingly been relegated to the miniseries or classic serial. From remakes and reboots to transmedia storytelling, loose adaptations or adaptations which last but a single episode, the recycling of pre-existing narrative is a practice that is just as common in television as in film, and this text seeks to rectify that oversight, examining series from M*A*S*H to Game of Thrones, Pride and Prejudice to Castle.

Television drama has been the dominant form of popular storytelling for more than sixty years, shaping the imaginations of millions of people. This book surveys the careers of the central creators of those stories for Australian television—the writers who learnt how to work in a new medium, adapting to its constraints and exploring its creative possibilities. Informed by interviews with many writers, it describes the establishment of Australian television drama production, observing the way writers grasped the creative and business opportunities that television presented. It examines the development of Australian versions of the major television genres—the sitcom, the police drama, the historical series, docudrama, and social drama— presenting a ‘canon’ of significant Australian television drama productions that deserve to be remembered. It offers an account of the emergence of work by Indigenous writers for television and it argues for the consideration of television drama alongside histories of Australian film and stage drama. ‘For years, Susan Lever has been talking to Australia’s best television writers about their work, their craft and their industry. Now it’s all here in this book; a toast to a vital part of Australian culture.’ – Geoffrey Atherden ‘This is a wonderful book. Meticulously researched and engagingly written, it tells in fascinating detail, from the writers’ points of view, the story of Australian scripted television from its beginnings in the 1950’s, to the present. Better yet, Susan Lever has allowed the writers themselves to speak about the work, about their visions and processes, their joys and frustrations. I am delighted to see television drama, docudrama and comedy acknowledged so generously for their role in Australian culture.’ – Sue Smith ‘Brilliantly researched, lucid, comprehensive … the big picture on writers for the small screen in Australia.’ – Ian David

The "live era" or "golden age"of television drama originating from New York, 1946 through 1951, was an exciting time of creative and commercial accomplishment. This is a complete history and reference guide to the live dramas that aired during those six years. Extensive coverage is given to the NBC anthologies Kraft Television Theatre and Philco Television Playhouse, and the CBS anthologies Ford Theater and Studio One, as well as to "he competitors"--the 28 new anthologies that appeared in the prime time schedule during 1950 and 1951. Appendices comprehensively list the day-by-day program logs for BBC, CBS and NBC dramas from 1946 through 1951.