Evolution on British television and radio : Transmissions and transmutations 1st ed.

Author

• Hall, Alexander

Additional Author(s)

-

Publisher

Cham, Switzerland : Springer International Publishing, 2021

Language

English

ISBN

9783030830434

Series

Palgrave studies in science and popular culture

Subject(s)

• EVOLUTION ON TELEVISION
• RADIO BROADCASTING
• TELEVISION BROADCASTING

Notes

. .

Abstract

This book charts the history of how biological evolution has been depicted on British television and radio, from the first radio broadcast on evolution in 1925 through to the 150th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s Origin of the Species in 2009. Going beyond science documentaries, the chapters deal with a broad range of broadcasting content to explore evolutionary themes in radio dramas, educational content, and science fiction shows like Doctor Who. The book makes the case that the dominant use in science broadcasting of the ‘evolutionary epic’, a narrative based on a progressive vision of scientific endeavour, is part of the wider development of a standardised way of speaking about science in society during the 20th century. In covering the diverse range of approaches to depicting evolution used in British productions, the book demonstrates how their success had a global influence on the genres and formats of science broadcasting used today.

Physical Dimension

Number of Page(s)

1 online resource (xv, 281 p.)

Dimension

-

Other Desc.

-

Summary / Review / Table of Content

1. Introduction: surveying the airwaves
2. Situating the Story: the early years of evolution on the wireless
3. Evolving the content for the small-screen, from radio to early television formats
4. Educating the Next Generation: schools and adult education
5. Settling into the Schedule: speaking about evolution across diverse genres
6. Humanist Blockbusters: the evolutionary epic on television
7. Reluctantly talking about Human Origins: Creationism in British broadcasting
8. Remembering or deifying? The Darwin anniversaries of 1959 and 2009
9. Conclusion

Exemplar(s)

#	Accession No.	Call Number	Location	Status
1.	00636/22	791.4566 Hal E	Online !	Available