The Works of Russell T Davies
Description
The Works of Russell T Davies is part of Bloomsbury's Screen Storytellers series, which brings together a collection of essays that look critically at the works of one of the most prolific and accomplished writers in television history.
Since his earliest days working on children's shows such as Why Don't You? and Children's Ward, Russell T Davies has had an innovative and often transformative influence within the industry. Davies has produced original dramas and adapted works that dovetail with key social themes, becoming definitive contributions in the shaping of cultural debates. His 1999 series Queer as Folk was a landmark portrayal of gay communities, whilst 2021's It's a Sin offered a powerful depiction of the 1980s HIV/AIDS crisis, receiving universal acclaim. His work spans genres, from the period dramas and biopics of The Grand, A Very English Scandal, and Nolly to the dystopian fictions of The Second Coming and Years and Years. In 2005, he gained international recognition as he successfully resurrected Doctor Who, returning as showrunner in 2023 and launching the spinoff series Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures.
Whilst acknowledging the breadth of Davies' career, this collection provides focused critical analysis of his work and his achievements as a television writer. Chapters center upon individual works or explore themes across different shows within his diverse output. Some discussions reflect Davies' commitment to representing marginalized or minority groups on screen and his consistent engagement with LGBTQIA+ communities in his storytelling. In keeping with the structure of the Screen Storytellers series, chapters in the collection address three overarching themes: Works of Love, Works of Power, and Works of Art.
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Table of Contents
List of Contributors
Acknowledgements
Introduction
James Walters (University of Birmingham, UK)
PART I: WORKS OF LOVE
1. Russell T Davies: For the Love of Television
Beth Johnson (University of Leeds, UK)
2. Revisiting Cucumber and Banana: Expanding Boundaries of Theme, Content and Form
Will Stanford Abbiss (Independent Scholar UK)
3. Love Changes Everything: Revenge and Redemption in Years and Years
Richard Hewett (University of the Arts London, UK)
4. It Takes a Strong Woman in a Queer World: Resisting Shame in the Dramas of Russell T Davies
Christopher Pullen (Bournemouth University, UK)
5. 'The Greatest Love of All': Orientation and (Self)Acceptance in and through Torchwood
Melissa Beattie (Southern New Hampshire University, USA)
PART II: WORKS OF POWER
6. The UK's HIV/AIDS Crisis, Authored British Drama and It's a Sin
Trisha Dunleavy (Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand)
7. Power Lines: Russell T Davies' Pivotal Words
James Walters (University of Birmingham, UK)
8. 'I Know What It's Like To Be Not Seen': Russell T Davies, Ruth Madeley and Building Inclusive Worlds
Leanne Weston (Independent Scholar, UK)
9. Power Plays: Russell T Davies, Regionality and the Recrowning of Nolly
Jemma Saunders (University of Birmingham, UK)
PART III: WORKS OF ART
10. Russell T Davies' A Midsummer Night's Dream
Christine Geraghty (University of Glasgow, UK)
11. Appreciating The Grand: The Creative Orchestration of Period Drama and Melodrama
Sarah Cardwell (University of Kent, UK)
12. 'Maybe a Little Alteration Here and There': Subversions of Period Costume Design in Casanova
Christopher Hogg (University of Westminster, UK)
13. Nolly: Telephilia at the Crossroads of ITV History
Hannah Andrews (University of Lincoln, UK)
14. Soap in Space: Davies and the Queer Domestic in Doctor Who
Benedict Morrison (University of Exeter, UK)
Index
Product details
| Published | 21 Jan 2027 |
|---|---|
| Format | Ebook (Epub & Mobi) |
| Edition | 1st |
| Pages | 208 |
| ISBN | 9798765139158 |
| Imprint | Bloomsbury Academic |
| Illustrations | 27 bw illus |
| Series | Screen Storytellers |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
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