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Over four decades, Stephen Poliakoff has proved himself to be a distinctive dramatist in the mediums of theatre, film and television. Moving from playwright to television and film director, he has been hailed as ''TV''s foremost writer'' ( Independent ) and as ''one of our most poetic and best TV dramatists'' ( Daily Telegraph ). In the USA, his TV ''films'' have received industry acclaim, The Lost Prince winning three Emmy Awards and Gideon''s Daughter two Golden Globes. This book is the first to offer a comprehensive overview of Poliakoff''s work for stage and screen and a framework for its critical evaluation. It will prove invaluable to students of theatre, film, and television studies. Robin Nelson locates Poliakoff''s distinctive vision and fierce independence as a writer and director in both personal and public histories and against industry contexts. He charts Poliakoff''s ''meteoric rise'' as a playwright, and his ''second starburst'' in television drama since Shooting the Past (1999) which re-affirmed his reputation as a dramatist of distinction.While the chronology of Poliakoff''s impressive output is clearly laid out, works are discussed in thematic clusters ranging across mediums to afford a fresh perspective. The book covers ''issue dramas'', ''quirky strong women'' and ''histories/memories'' as well as Poliakoff''s early developing dramaturgy, and it examines in detail the later feature films and television dramas which have secured his reputation as our most distinctive television dramatist.>
List of contents
Introduction
1 Poliakoff: A Life on Stage and Screen
2 A Second Starburst: TV Mini-Series 1999 2007
- Shooting the Past
- Perfect Strangers
- The Lost Prince
- Friends and Crocodiles
- Gideon's Daughter
3 Developing a Dramaturgy: Finding a Framework for Critical Review
4 Meteoric Rise (1970s): Urban Youth on Stage and Screen
- Hitting Town
- City Sugar
- Shout Across the River
- Bloody Kids
- The Tribe
5 Issue Dramas
- Strawberry Fields
- Stronger than the Sun
- Close My Eyes
- Century
- Blinded by the Sun
6 Quirky Strong Women
- Coming Into Land
- She's Been Away
- Caught on a Train
- Capturing Mary
7 Histories/Memories
- Clever Soldiers
- Breaking the Silence
- Talk of the City
- Remember This
- Joe's Palace
8 Medium Boundaries: Feature Films and Films for Television
- Soft Targets
- Runners
- Hidden City
- Food of Love
- Glorious 39
9 The 'Poliakovian' Reviewed
About the author
Robin Nelson is Visiting Professor at the University of London (CSSD) and Emeritus Professor at Manchester Metropolitan University where he was Professor of Theatre and Television Drama until 2010. His publications include Stephen Poliakoff: On Stage and Screen and State of Play: Contemporary "High-end" TV Drama.
Report
Robin Nelson respects his subject and his readers. The outcome is a wonderfully accessible book that makes a convincing case that Poliakoff's 40-year career demands our attention in this media- saturated age. Peter Thomson Studies in Theatre and Performance June 2012. Vol 32 Issue 2
