TV & Media Studies

When Twin Peaks ended in 1991, audiences were left with a warning: ‘I’ll see you again in 25 years’. Much of the show’s surrealism wasn’t to be taken literally, but this time showrunners David Lynch and Mark Frost made good on their word, releasing Twin Peaks: The Return a quarter century later to rapturous acclaim. This course will explore how The Return both built upon and shattered much of what the series established through contexts like reboots, streaming, and Lynch’s wider oeuvre.

The television programmes of ITC (Incorporated Television Company) launched the careers of Patrick McGoohan and Roger Moore, made Lady Penelope and Kermit the Frog household names and attracted Hollywood stars such as Tony Curtis and Shirley MacLaine. Rivalling America television shows, ITC produced stylish, colourful Cult adventure series throughout the 1960s and 70s

“Holy Hole-In-A-Doughnut!” Executive producer, William Dozier “I had the simple idea of overdoing it, of making it so square and so serious that adults would find it amusing. I knew kids would go for the derring-do, the adventure.” In January 1966 Batman Krunched! Klonked! and Ker-splooshed! on to the screen in glorious colour and crooked camera angles, creating a ground breaking series that has continued to enthral audiences young and old for over 60 years. “To the Batmobile!”

The 1990s has been described by some as a ‘golden decade’ for broadcast television. It was the decade that preceded the digital streaming services that began to appear in the mid-2000s and represents a high point for the sitcom with the blockbusting Friends (1994 - 2004) one of the most popular and most enduring.

Cult classics such as Twin Peaks (1990 - 91) and The X-Files (1993 - 2001) made a significant impression on audiences and were to prove influential while animated shows such as The Simpsons (1989 onwards), South Park (1997 onwards) and King of the Hill (1997 onwards) were hugely popular. The Cheers (1982 - 1993) spin-off Frasier (1993 - 2004) was another erudite and intelligent sitcom that was broadcast on the UK’s still newish Channel 4 and made stars of Kelsey Grammer and David Hyde Pierce as the pompous, ultra-competitive Crane brothers. US crime dramas such as NYPD Blue (1993 - 2005) and the Star Trek reboot Voyager (1995 - 2001) were also avidly watched by UK audiences; and of course, who can forget Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which ran for seven series between 1997 and 2003.

There were many more popular series that enriched the decade, so join us for four weeks of 1990s nostalgia as we explore our favourite shows from the 10 years that preceded Y2K as it was known.

Gerry Anderson: “I never wanted to work with puppets.” Gerry and Sylvia Anderson created with their team at AP Films British television’s greatest puppet series, Thunderbirds. For over sixty years the iconic programme alongside other productions from the Anderson stable have continued to amaze and enthral generations of youngsters, with their stories of action and adventure.