Overview
- Analyses how evolutionary themes have been represented across all broadcasting genres in the UK across the 20th century
- Demonstrates how media producers play a crucial role in the translation and popularisation of scientific ideas
- Highlights how science communication often reflects wider societal narratives and worldviews
Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in Science and Popular Culture (PSSPC)
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Table of contents (8 chapters)
Keywords
About this book
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.
Reviews
- Jean-Baptiste Gouyon, author of BBC Wildlife Documentaries in the Age of Attenborough (Palgrave, 2019)
Authors and Affiliations
About the author
Alexander Hall is a historian of science and Research Fellow in the Institute for STEMM in Society and Culture at the University of Birmingham, UK. His work examines the intersections between science and the media, exploring the narrative and visual forms of science communication to better understand sciences’ role in society.
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Evolution on British Television and Radio
Book Subtitle: Transmissions and Transmutations
Authors: Alexander Hall
Series Title: Palgrave Studies in Science and Popular Culture
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-83043-4
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Cham
eBook Packages: Literature, Cultural and Media Studies, Literature, Cultural and Media Studies (R0)
Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-030-83042-7Published: 01 October 2021
Softcover ISBN: 978-3-030-83045-8Published: 02 October 2022
eBook ISBN: 978-3-030-83043-4Published: 30 September 2021
Series ISSN: 2731-4359
Series E-ISSN: 2731-4367
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XV, 281
Number of Illustrations: 7 b/w illustrations, 7 illustrations in colour