Overview

What is it like to make television comedy? How do writers get their ideas made, and how do commissioners and producers decide what to make? How do members of the comedy industry work with large broadcasters and production companies, and what does it mean to be creative – and stay creative? Drawing on interviews with many key writers such as Sam Bain, Paul Doolan, Graham Linehan, David Mitchell, Simon Nye and Sue Teddern, producers including Ash Atalla, Lisa Clark, Michelle Farr, Ali McPhail, Jon Plowman and Adam Tandy, and commissioners, the BBC’s Shane Allen, Channel 4’s Nerys Evans and Sky’s Lucy Lumsden, Creativity in the British Television Comedy Industry explores the creative processes that lead to successful programme-making. With detailed discussion of the processes by which series such as People Just Do Nothing and After Hours came to our screens, this book examines how members of the comedy industry maintain careers, manage failure, develop their craft, and stay creative. Creativity in the British Television Comedy Industry is essential reading for students and researchers with an interest in comedy studies, television production, and the creative/media industries.

Full Product Details

Author:   Brett Mills ,  Erica Horton
Publisher:   Taylor & Francis Ltd
Imprint:   Routledge
Weight:   0.380kg
ISBN:  

9780367595975

ISBN 10:   0367595974
Pages:   194
Publication Date:   14 August 2020
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Tertiary & Higher Education
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

Contents Acknowledgements Chapter 1: What is Creativity? Introduction Defining ‘Creativity’ The Creative Person Creativity and Society Creativity and Policy Creativity as Work Creativity and Comedy Chapter 2: The UK Television Comedy Industry Introduction The BBC ITV Channel 4 Imported Comedy Sky Current Issues Chapter 3: Creativity and New Writers Introduction A Desirable Industry? The Individual and the Industry Case Study 1: People Just Do Nothing Case Study 2: After Hours Case Study 3: The Script Editor Conclusion Chapter 4: Creativity and Established Writers Introduction The Creative Career Gender and Age Having a Career Precarity and Planning Mentoring and Support Conclusion Chapter 5: Creativity and Established Programmes Introduction Culture as an Industry Creative Teams Maintaining Individuality Being Recommissioned The Craft Industry Personnel Conclusion Chapter 6: Creativity and Failure Introduction Working with Failure The Scale of Failure Managing Failure Failure and Industry Structures Personnel Conclusion Chapter 7: So, What is Creativity? Introduction Creativity Must be Claimed Creativity is Work Creativity is Craft Creativity is Hierarchised Creativity is Pleasurable

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Author Information

Brett Mills is Senior Lecturer in Television Studies at the University of East Anglia and is an affiliated researcher at the Centre for Comedy Studies Research, Brunel University. He is the author of Television Sitcom (2005) and The Sitcom (2009). Erica Horton is a PhD student at the University of East Anglia. Her research focuses on discursive constructions of creativity within the British television comedy industry with a particular focus on Channel 4.

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