Abstract
Reasoning that class identity is partly a matter of cultural allegiance,
this chapter examines how viewing alignment with a fictional
protagonist may call upon sympathies, attitudes and values comparable to
those which underpin class affiliations. The possibilities of this are
demonstrated through close analysis of the series Happy Valley
(BBC 2014–) with a particular focus on the moral positioning of its
central character, Catherine Cawood, and her role in policing the wider
community of a ‘troubled town’. It also explores how this drama reworks
one of the more powerful, traditional tropes of the detective story.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | Social Class and Television Drama in Contemporary Britain |
Editors | David Forrest, Beth Johnson |
Publisher | Palgrave Macmillan |
Chapter | 13 |
Pages | 181-200 |
Number of pages | 19 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9781137555069 |
ISBN (Print) | 9781137555052 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 13 Jun 2017 |
Keywords
- Social Class
- Television Drama
- Representation
- Happy Valley
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Dive into the research topics of 'Happy Valley: Compassion, Evil and Exploitation in an Ordinary ‘Trouble Town’'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Profiles
-
Dr Helen Piper
- Department of Film and Television - Associate Professor in Television Studies
- Screen Research
Person: Academic , Member