Comic Culture in British Film and TV

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label Diverse autorenew 2025-09-29, 17:01 history_edu Ioana Dinescu
Whether it's Borat, Shaun of the Dead, or Love, Actually, the global success of British comedy is a testament to the vitality of a tradition that draws on expertise from Charlie Chaplin to Mr Bean.This course investigates British humour as a dynamic and developing phenomenon. Using examples like the Carry On films, Ealing Comedy, Monty Python, Blackadder and Steptoe and Son, we'll find out what constitutes classic British comedy.

We will seek to understand British humour through reference to national culture, and will consider recurrent motifs in British comedy, from class commentary to slapstick, from realism to nonsense.Attracting Arts and Humanities students as well as those keen to deepen their knowledge of comedy, British culture and film and television for personal or professional development, we will study humour as a central aspect of British culture and identity, and the role of London as a comic location.

The course will include screenings and visits to well-known filming sites as well as the potential for links to events at the British Film Institute and practitioners currently making British comedies along with visits to The Comedy Store, a live BBC filming, the Museum of Film and Television and the Victoria & Albert Theatre exhibition.By the end of the course, you will be able to:

- Discuss ways in which comedy can be used to understand British society and identity

.- Distinguish the different trends that mark British comedy, and categories such as realism and situation comedy alongside those of slapstick, surrealism and nonsense.

- Determine what distinguishes prestige productions like the Ealing films from lower or popular forms of comedy.

- Discuss the relation of film and television to comic literature, song and theatre.

This course is distinctive in that it will study humour as a central aspect of British culture and identity. More specifically, it will provide an overview of the range and development of what constitutes 'classic' British comedy, and will understand this in terms of broader relevant artistic practices and movements. It will remain focused on the question of what has constituted funniness within British society by investigating the contexts and meanings of its comic culture.



Period
01-07-2013 - 19-07-2013 (3 weeks)

Target group
This course will principally attract students from an Arts & Humanities background, in particular those with an interest in Cultural Studies and British Studies, as well as students of Film Studies, Media Studies, and Theatre Studies. It does not however require prior specialist knowledge in these fields, as explanation of key analytical tools including cultural, communications, and socio-historical analysis will be provided. It will therefore be of interest to anyone who wishes to deepen their knowledge of comedy, British culture, and the study of film and television, as well as professionals seeking further knowledge of the cultural background to their industry.

Course aim
The course aims to provide a historicised knowledge of classic British film and television comedies, methods of analysis of comic performance, dialogue, and visual representation, and critical methods regarding the socio-cultural aspects of the topic.The central London location of the course offers a range of activities, which will depend on availability and dates regarding what is proposed.

We will be able to go to The Comedy Store, and to a live BBC filming, as well as a trip to the Museum of Film and Television on the South Bank and the Victoria & Albert Theatre exhibition. It is also envisaged that the course will include trips to important sites relating to British comedy, as well as potential guest speakers involved in comedy production.

Credits
7.5 ECTS credits

Many of our students get credit for the summer courses taken at Kings. You should approach your home university before applying to find out whether they accept our courses for credit. We would recommend a three-week course to be equivalent 4 US credits or 7.5 ECTS, for instance.

Course fee
GBP 1350: tuition fee only

Course leader
Dr Louis Bayman received a degree in Italian and Film Studies at the University of Glasgow, an MA in Film and Television Studies at the University of Warwick, and a PhD, focusing on post-war Italian melodrama, at King's College London. He has taught

King's College London
Address: Strand, London
Postal code: WC2R 2LS
City: London
Country: United Kingdom
Website: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/summerschool
E-mail: summerschool@kcl.ac.uk
Phone: +44 20 7848 1533