The ‘History of Forgotten Television Drama in the UK’ project, led by Professor John Hill, was funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) from 2013 to 2017 and investigated why many UK television dramas have been ‘forgotten’ while others have been elevated to the status of ‘classic’ British television dramas.
The project has sought to identify the artistic, cultural and socio-political significance of work that has been unjustifiably ‘forgotten’ or critically neglected (particularly if made in the English regions or non-English nations). In doing so, the project has also aimed to broaden our sense of the history of UK television drama and raise questions about what is conventionally considered to make up the television canon.
The project has also increased the availability and understanding of neglected television dramas of the past through talks, publications, conferences, restorations, public screenings, and a DVD series entitled ‘Forgotten Television Drama’ in association with the distributor Network. The project also maintains an ongoing Forgotten Television Drama blog that may be found here: https://forgottentelevisiondrama.wordpress.com/
For more information on the work of the project see: https://www.tvcentre.org.uk/projects/the-history-of-forgotten-television-drama/
