This collection of essays by well-known authors on the subject of writing for television is divided into three sections. The first is devoted to the debates about quality television. The second focuses on literature and television. Going beyond the the question of literary adaptation, prominent writers such as Malcolm Bradbury and Fay Weldon voice their concern, but also their continuing engagement, for a tradition of quality television writing, which they see as being under siege in the new world of deregulation and international co-productions. The final section examines "Science on Television" with series editors from Britain and Germany giving first-hand accounts of the scope for serious science reporting on television.

Author Biography

Thomas Elsaesser is Professor of the Department of Film and Television Studies at the Universiteit van Amsterdam and General Editor of the series Film Culture in Transition.|Jan Simons teaches Theory and aesthetics of Film at the Department of Film and Television Studies at the University of Amsterdam.|Lucette Bronk is Chairperson of the Dutch Screenwriters' Network and the editor of Plot, a quarterly magazine about screenwriting.