Reclaiming Female Authorship in Contemporary UK Television Comedy
Examines how UK female comedy authors have flourished in the contemporary televisual landscape
- Examines key female writers/performers creating UK television comedy
- Updates Kathleen Rowe’s conception of the ‘unruly woman’ to account for changes in contemporary comedy
- Identifies trends in the comedy genre (with a focus on dramedy, sitcoms, and semi-autobiographical/confessional comedy)
- Explores the complex connection between creator/craft/context, that is, female comedians’ intentions and background (creator), writing and/or performance style (craft), as well as the social, political, and cultural conditions in which their series were made (context)
This book explores female authorship in UK television comedy, with a focus on British and Northern Irish writers/performers. More specifically, it examines comedy texts produced between 2010 and 2020, a period marked by a proliferation of female-centric and female-created comedy. In the following order, comedians Julia Davis, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Caitlin/Caroline Moran, Michaela Coel and Sharon Horgan will be analysed as key case studies.
Drawing from these case studies, the book has two objectives. First, it seeks to update Kathleen Rowe's concept of the 'unruly' woman, shifting the emphasis from visibility and performance to the labour and contexts behind on-screen portrayals. Building on Rowe’s existing scholarship, the book introduces the term ‘fastidious’ to describe how comedians display delicacy, precision, and control over their carefully crafted TV series. Secondly, the book aims to extend this concept to British and Northern Irish TV writers/performers who have been either overlooked or examined within broader transnational projects. In doing so, it ‘reclaims’ the authorship of women from the UK.
Preface
Unravelling the ‘Unruly’ Woman: New Perspectives on Feminism, Intersectionality, and Authorship in Contemporary UK TV Comedy
Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Posh Humour, and Political Correctness: Constructing the Upper/Middle-Classes in TV Comedy
Julia Davis, Dark Comedy, and Defying Ageing Stereotypes: Analysing Older Female Stars in TV Comedy
Caitlin/Caroline Moran, Celebrity Comics, and Classed Humour: Examining Overlooked Duos in TV Comedy
Michaela Coel, Colourful Sitcoms, and Challenging the Status Quo: New Representations of Race in TV Comedy
Sharon Horgan, Comedy Screenwriting, and Starting Merman: Recognising Authorship and Entrepreneurship in TV Comedy
Rethinking Women’s Place in Contemporary UK Television Comedy
References
"Offering an analytical framework that convincingly deepens feminist analysis of comedy, Minor revitalises debates about humour, gender, power, and creativity. Via detailed analysis of key contemporary female UK and Irish writer/performers, this rigorous and persuasive analysis evidences that the sitcom remains a vital, elusive and – above all – political genre persistently picking at complex cultural tensions."
“An insightful and groundbreaking exploration, Reclaiming Female Authorship in UK Television Comedy offers a fresh lens through which to view female authorship in television. Illuminating the complex dynamics of power, privilege and representation, this book is an indispensable resource for scholars and enthusiasts alike, challenging traditional narratives and paving the way for a more inclusive understanding of women's contributions to television.”
Reclaiming Female Authorship in UK Television Comedy makes an impressive and necessary contribution to the field. In its range and reach this monograph points to significant possible directions for new innovative research by other TV comedy scholars and, of course, the author herself.
