Television mockumentary

Reflexivity, satire and a call to play

By (author) Craig Hight

Publication date:

01 July 2010

Length of book:

320 pages

Publisher

Manchester University Press

Dimensions:

216x138mm

ISBN-13: 9780719073168

Mockumentary is now an established part of the spectrum of television styles, with both deep roots in television history and a key part of innovations in the sitcom genre since the 1990s. Tracing the development of mockumentary series within the broader history of traditions of satire, drama and nonfiction programming, the author uses detailed discussions of popular and innovative television series from Britain, the United States, Canada, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.

This is the first detailed study of the rich vein of mockumentary television programmes, covering series such as The Larry Sanders Show, The Daily Show, and the British and American versions of The Office to discuss how producers have experimented with mockumentary as a distinctive approach to storytelling.