Professor Jonathan Bignell
Research
Research Specialisms
Television Drama Television History Semiotics Postmodernism BBC Television fiction Popular television Popular film Children's media
Previous Projects
'The BBC Wednesday Plays and Post-War British Drama' 'Beckett on Screen' 'British television drama in the 1960-82 period.' 'Science fiction and fantasy on TV.' 'Children's TV, especially Teletubbies and Doctor Who.' 'British and US relationships and exchanges, 1970-present'
Current research
Historical research in British TV and its methodologies. US programmes shown in Britain. History of TV in Europe.
Publications
Books: J. Bignell, Big Brother: Reality TV in the 21st Century (Palgrave Macmillan, 2005). J. Bignell and J. Orlebar, The Television Handbook, third edition (Routledge, 2005). J. Bignell and S Lacey (eds), Popular Television Drama: Critical Perspectives (Manchester University Press, 2005). J. Bignell and A. O’Day, Terry Nation, (Manchester University Press, 2004) J. Bignell, An Introduction to Television Studies Routledge, 2004, second edition 2008). J. Bignell, S. Lacey and M. Macmurraugh-Kavanagh (eds), British Television Drama: Past Present and Future (Palgrave Macmillan, 2000). J. Bignell, Postmodern Media Culture (Edinburgh University Press, 2000). J. Bignell (ed.), Writing and Cinema (Longman, 1999). J. Bignell, Media Semiotics: An Introduction (Manchester University Press, 1997, second edition 2002). J. Bignell and A. Fickers (eds), A European Television History (Blackwell, 2008). J. Bignell, Beckett On Screen: The Television Plays (Manchester, 2009). J. Bignell and S. Knox, Transatlantic Television (I.B. Tauris, 2011).
Other
I am joint editor (with Steven Peacock) of the 'Television Series' (Manchester Univ Press) on TV screenwriters and creators. I am on the editorial board of New Review of Film & Television Studies, and Journal of Science Fiction Film & Television.
Email and website
Email: J.Bignell@reading.ac.uk
Website
Primary institution
Position
Professor of Television and Film
Department
Film, Theatre & Television
Faculty
Arts & Humanities
Institution
University of Reading
Address
- Bulmershe Court
- Woodlands Avenue
- Reading
- Berkshire
- RG6 1HY
- Tel: 0118 378 8878
- Fax: 0118 378 8873
