A comprehensive introduction to the historical and social context of British serial dramas, investigating the themes of politics, representations of women, authorship, genre and experiments in narrative form. 

The course will encourage you to engage critically with key aspects of television studies, and introduces institutional, textual, cultural, economic, production and audience-centred ways of thinking about television. 

Outlining significant groundbreaking strands in the field, as well as covering some serials that had less of an impact, the course promises an enjoyable and enlightening journey through the British television serial drama.

This course will be run over six weeks, every Tuesday from 5 March to 9 April 2013, 19.00 - 21.00.

Tickets  are £70 / £65 Concessions / £60 Members for the full course, or you can book each week individually for £12 / £11 Concessions / £10 Members.

Course leader: Kate Coventry, plus guest speakers TBA.

Week 1: Adaptations and Heritage Drama, Tuesday 5 March
An introduction to the structures and codes of serial drama through literary adaptations and heritage drama. Shows that will be looked at include: The Forsyte Saga (1967), I, Claudius (1976), Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (1979), The Jewel in the Crown (1984), Middlemarch (1994), Pride and Prejudice (1995), Bleak House (2005), The Red Riding Trilogy (2009), The Crimson Petal and the White (2011) and Parade's End (2012).

Week 2: Politics, Tuesday 12 March
How serial drama reflects and comments on politics. Shows looked at include: Boys from the Black Stuff (1982), Edge of Darkness (1985), The Beiderbecke Affair (1985), A Very British Coup (1988), House of Cards (1990) and State of Play (2003).

Week 3: Crime and Justice, Tuesday 19 March
Police procedurals and courtroom dramas. Shows include: Prime Suspect (1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 2003, 2006), Between the Lines (1992, 1993, 1994), Criminal Justice (2008, 2009), Luther (2010, 2011), Accused (2010, 2012), The Shadow Line (2011) and Cracker (1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2006).

Week 4: Women, Tuesday 26 March
Representations of women in serial drama, and a look at the work of female writers. Shows include: Widows (1983), The Lives and Loves of a She-Devil (1986), Band of Gold (1995), Tipping the Velvet (2002) and The Hour (2011).

Week 5: Form, Tuesday 2 April
Experiments in narrative form. Shows include: Talking to a Stranger (1966), Days of Hope (1975), Talking Heads (1988), A TV Dante (1990) and Clocking Off (2000).

Week 6: The Authored Serial, Tuesday 9 April
A look at the work of three writers:
Dennis Potter: Pennies from Heaven (1978) and The Singing Detective (1986)
Peter Flannery: Our Friends in the North (1996) and The Devil's Whore (2009)
Jimmy McGovern: The Lakes (1997, 1999) and The Street (2006, 2007, 2009)

About Film Courses and Classes at Hackney Picturehouse

Picturehouse Education runs regular evening courses on various aspects of film culture and theory at Hackney Picturehouse. We work with freelance film lecturers and industry bodies to deliver a wide variety of film education events. 

For more information or to be added to the Adult Education mailing list, please contact the Picturehouse Education Team, or check out the upcoming courses and book online.

Leah Byrne: leah.b@picturehouses.co.uk / 07918 745 267

Elinor Walpole: Elinor.w@picturehouses.co.uk / 07967 047 401

Follow us on Twitter: @PHEducation

Keep up to date with the Picturehouse Education blog.