Title:
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Genre, taste and the BBC : the origins of British television science fiction
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This thesis examines the earliest science fiction dramas on the BBC,
broadcast during the period between 1936 and 1955 when the BBC had the
monopoly on television within Britain. These dramas were not originally identified
as "science fiction", although their fantastic nature was recognised and provided
early television writers and producers the opportunity to engage with social concerns
and to experiment with the formal possibilities of the new medium. As the American
term "science fiction" became more familiar in Britain after the war, the approaches
and responses to these productions changed as the audience responded to the
connotations of the genre as well as to the individual programmes, and the BBC had
to consider these probable responses with regard to its programming. This coincided
with the expansion of the television audience, and the increased possibility of a rival
television broadcaster being established.
These factors required close consideration with regard to the way that the
BBC handled genre on television if it was to successfully adapt to these changing
circumstances The dangers of making wrong choices with regard to genre were
demonstrated by the controversy surrounding Nineteen Eighty-Four (1954), which
connected with concerns over loss of British culture. The benefits of making the
right choices regarding genre were shown by the success of Tile Quatermass
Experiment (1953). Science fiction production expanded across the BBC, continuing
to engage with social concerns, but also helping the BBC to develop a particular
identity for its television service based on past successes as it prepared for the
arrival of its competitor.
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