Popular Culture Association / American Culture Association Annual Conference (PCA/ACA)

Description

A Haunted Season: Seasonality and the Television Gothic This paper demonstrates the importance of television Gothic in relation to seasonality, and the cultural reasons for these connections. Focussing primarily on the long history of ghost stories and other Gothic tales which are broadcast specifically on British television at Christmas, it shows how these connect to traditions of family story-telling derived largely from the Victorian creation of the modern Christmas, and how the elements of nostalgia, heritage and taste play into concepts of national identity. It also raises questions as to how these considerations can be applied in other national contexts, and to other national television systems and their scheduling of Gothic specials, TV movies and similar programming which breaches the normal television schedules.

Period	14 Apr 2012
Event type	Conference
Location	Boston, United States