- Paperback: 268 pages
- Publisher: University of Texas Press; 1 edition (31 May 2003)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0292709277
- ISBN-13: 978-0292709270
- Product Dimensions: 2.3 x 1.5 x 0.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,201,605 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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More About the Author
Product Description
Review
"The power to influence our concept of style lies in the hands of designers in television. Most people today can recognize 'a look' that a character projects. Steed and Emma Peel [of The Avengers] were the first to convey 'a look,' and their designers should be saluted. At the heart of this book lies the story of how the look came about." Madeline Ann Kozlowski, Professor of Drama, University of California, Irvine, and Emmy Award-winning costume designer for Pryor's Place
Product Description
From the alien worlds of Star Trek to the realistic operating room of ER, the design of sets and costumes contributes not only to the look and mood of television shows, but even more importantly to the creation of memorable characters. Yet, until now, this crucial aspect of television creativity has received little critical attention, despite the ongoing interest in production design within the closely allied discipline of film studies. In this book, Piers Britton and Simon Barker offer a first analytical study of scenic and costume design for television drama series. They focus on three enduringly popular series of the 1960s - "The Avengers", "The Prisoner", and "Doctor Who" - and discuss such topics as the sartorial image of Steed in "The Avengers", the juxtaposition of picturesque and fascistic architecture in "The Prisoner", and the evolution of the high-tech interior of Doctor Who's TARDIS. Interviews with the series' original designers and reproductions of their original drawings complement the authors' analysis, which sheds new light on a variety of issues, from the discourse of fashion to that of the heritage industry, notions of 'Pop' and retro, and the cultural preoccupation with realism and virtual reality.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
So this is what happens to people who watched a lot of TV when they were young, then went on to become professional students (humanities professors, in other words). They deconstruct their favorite TV shows. Well, okay, that works for me.
In Reading Between Designs, Britton and Barker examine the set designs and costumes in The Avengers, The Prisoner, and Doctor Who. They discuss the changing look of the Avengers over the run of the show, especially the costumes of Steed. In the first few seasons, when the show was only seen in Great Britain, Steed was expensively attired, but within the norms of his class. Later on, he became not only a caricature of upper class snobbery, but a fop as well.
The Prisoner provides a wealth of possibilities for analysis with its contrived sets, carnival-like costumes, and the fact that no one really knows what it was all about. Never having watched Doctor Who, I skipped the part about it, but fans will surely enjoy the discussions of the designs of sets, gadgets, costumes, and characters.
The authors have a very clear and readable style, without the jargon and psycho-babble one might expect in an academic text of this kind. They even acknowledge the annoying habit many of their colleagues have of talking about "reading" television or film. With plenty of black-and-white photos to back up their theories and observations, this is quite an enjoyable book.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
1 review
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Looking Good
24 Dec 2003
Format:Paperback
So this is what happens to people who watched a lot of TV when they were young, then went on to become professional students (humanities professors, in other words). They deconstruct their favorite TV shows.
In Reading Between Designs, authors Britton and Barker examine the set designs and costumes in The Avengers, The Prisoner, and Doctor Who. They discuss the changing look of the Avengers over the course of the show, especially the costumes of Steed. In the first few seasons, when the show was only seen in Great Britain, Steed was expensively attired, but within the norms of his class. Later on, he became not only a caricature of upper class snobbery, but a fop as well. Apparently, this played better in North America.
The Prisoner provides a wealth of possibilities for analysis with its contrived sets, carnival-like costumes, and the fact that no one really knows what it was all about. Never having watched Doctor Who, I skipped that section, but fans will surely enjoy the discussions of the designs of sets, gadgets, costumes, and characters.
The authors have a very clear and readable style, without the jargon and psycho-babble one might expect in an academic text of this kind. They even acknowledge the annoying habit many of their colleagues have of talking about "reading" television or film. With plenty of black-and-white photos to back up their theories and observations, this is quite an enjoyable book.
In Reading Between Designs, authors Britton and Barker examine the set designs and costumes in The Avengers, The Prisoner, and Doctor Who. They discuss the changing look of the Avengers over the course of the show, especially the costumes of Steed. In the first few seasons, when the show was only seen in Great Britain, Steed was expensively attired, but within the norms of his class. Later on, he became not only a caricature of upper class snobbery, but a fop as well. Apparently, this played better in North America.
The Prisoner provides a wealth of possibilities for analysis with its contrived sets, carnival-like costumes, and the fact that no one really knows what it was all about. Never having watched Doctor Who, I skipped that section, but fans will surely enjoy the discussions of the designs of sets, gadgets, costumes, and characters.
The authors have a very clear and readable style, without the jargon and psycho-babble one might expect in an academic text of this kind. They even acknowledge the annoying habit many of their colleagues have of talking about "reading" television or film. With plenty of black-and-white photos to back up their theories and observations, this is quite an enjoyable book.
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