Intelligent Writing For The Television Enthusiast
|
Every enthusiast of television drama should own this book. It works as an ultimate guide for absolute researchers, a diet of unprovoked nostalgia for adults and a stark reminder for all that drama for children was once a rich and challenging kingdom of creative grit and imagination.
The Hill and Beyond covers every British Children's drama from 1950 through until 2001, discussing them in depth through individual entries that offer a story synopsis, brief critique, transmission dates and cast and production credits.
The calibre of writing is top-drawer, demonstrating strong structure, a sound grasp of each drama's intent and a wry and dry sense of humour that doesn't sacrifice the authors' professionalism. In fact my only complaint is that I feel that the authors have tried just a little to hard to sell the positives of each and every drama regardless of its actual merit. Nevertheless, the book shines through the desire and zest of its authors and the best writing by far can be located in the drama entries. Must read examples include The Paper Lads, Sky, King of the Castle, The Snow Spider, Grange Hill and The Ginger Tickler.
The book also comes complete with unique quality stills not just from a plethora of dramas throughout the years but also of rare Radio Times, Look-In and videocassette covers, further demonstrating the scale of the authors' research and the hard graft involved in constructing The Hill and Beyond.
What else can I say? The individual who considers this book to be dull is missing the point. The hill and Beyond eclipses the rather lazy Encyclopaedia of British Children's Television and stands tall as one of the must-buy books for television enthusiasts.
|
|
Makes TV sound a bit boring
|
|
There's no faulting these guys credendtials. Sadly the overall tone is rather dull and tends to take itself just a little too seriously. Not how I remember the telly from when I was a kid !! I found myself getting bored, even when they were talking about my favourite shows. Perhaps the stuffy old BFI was trying to claw back some straight-faced sobriety [and revenue] from the overly irreverent nostalgia market. But it means this book fails to differentiate itself from the various other extant dry TV tomes, such as the Penguin TV Companion or the established Lewis/Stempel series. I suspect this is yet another one for the anoraks only [plenty of us out there, but still]. It's v. useful for research but unlikely to cross over beyond the cliquey fact-collecting 'hobby'. Shame.
|
|
|
The book we've been waiting for
|
|
This wonderful volume is to be treasured: there is not one fondly remembered children's television drama I have not been able to locate within its pages; many others have suddenly resurfaced like long lost friends; and plenty of arguments have been settled as a result of its authors' meticulous research. For once,here is a serious study of a genre often mocked by today's cynical generation, The enthusiasm and dedication of Messrs McGown and Docherty in compiling this book is as great as that of the people who made the programmes in the first place.Unique,informative and entertaining.
|
|
|
A definitive work on British children's drama
|
|
There have been plenty of books on classic children's TV that are the literary equivalent of a pub conversation - often trivial and riddled with inaccuracies, but here's the real deal. With The Hill and Beyond we have full episode guides for every British children's drama series from the '60s onwards, with a wealth of additional information, and lavish illustrations from stills of the shows to period delights like Look-In magazine front covers and paperback adaption covers. British TV has produced a wealth of gems in children's drama. Here the genre gets the unique and highly readable book it so richly deserves.
|
|
|
United States | 
United Kingdom | 
Canada