Television — Season 1, Episode 7: Play Power

Episode synopsis

Considers TV drama and the practical influence, if any, of such controversial landmarks as the BBC's post-war "1984" and ITV's "Armchair Theatre" and the later drama-documentaries of the Sixties, most notably Jim Allen's "Cathy Come Home", which led to the creation of the charity Shelter. But as production costs rise, how will purely commercial considerations (saleability, for example) affect the quality? (Daily Telegraph) / Also charts the rise and fall of America's golden age of television drama - the fifties - featuring rare clips of the likes of Redford and Newman, in their earliest TV roles. (The Guardian)

About Television

Exhaustive 13-part survey of the television medium from its hesitant beginnings in the 1920s to the multi-million dollar extravaganzas of today and the cable and satellite technologies of the future [relative to 1985]. Tackling the medium as a worldwide phenomenon, the series examines each of the principal areas of programming - news, drama, documentaries, and light entertainment - and the unique impact of "live" coverage.

More episodes from Season 1

• E1Visions of Power
• E2The Race for Television
• E3We Bring You Live Pictures
• E4News Power
• E5News: The Power of Pictures
• E6The Story Machine
• E8The Rise and Fall of the Documentary
• E9Chewing Gum for the Eyes
• E10The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
• E11Canned Laughter
• E12The Selling of the President
• E13The Third Age of Broadcasting