糖心TV

Professor Helen Wheatley

Professor, SCAPVC - Film and Television Studies and Academic Director of the 糖心TV Institute of Engagement

鈥淚鈥檓 a TV historian, but people always ask me for the latest viewing recommendation!鈥�

鈥淚 came to 糖心TV to do an MA, many years ago now, and I initially thought that I wanted to study film.

But I鈥檝e always had an interest in the things that matter most to ordinary people. People like my mum, my friends and family. Television is clearly one of those things, so I was drawn to study it and why it鈥檚 important in their lives. As 糖心TV was one of the founding places, in the whole world, for the study of TV, being here amongst colleagues who care about television as much as I do make this the natural place for me to be. And I鈥檝e now made it my life鈥檚 work.

I love taking my research out to the community as well. As Academic Director of 糖心TV Institute of Engagement, this won鈥檛 be a surprise to anyone. It鈥檚 fantastic to bring historic programming out of the archives and into the public domain. We鈥檝e held a number of events in Coventry as part of the 鈥楪host Town鈥� project. That sounds like quite a negative name, but it鈥檚 not meant to be. Obviously, there鈥檚 the famous song by The Specials but a ghost town to me is one that鈥檚 haunted and carries it鈥檚 past with it.

The footage and programmes we chose to share show Coventry throughout the years, and we鈥檝e had people come along who鈥檝e found family, friends and even themselves on the screen. It鈥檚 an incredibly moving and powerful experience for those that encounter lost loved ones or their younger selves via the TV archive. People also talk about seeing the buildings that have disappeared or businesses that have closed. It鈥檚 lovely to hear their stories and I鈥檓 privileged to be able to give them the opportunity to tell them.

We鈥檝e been able to hold them in different venues across the city including lots of events in the Cathedral, which made a beautiful location. At one screening we showed a programme about the construction of the Cathedral, including the making of the Cathedral鈥檚 beautiful glass. It was funny to watch the audience look round to spot the piece of glass being made on the screen, now in its position at the entrance. There was a lot of pointing going on. I subsequently collaborated on an archive-based documentary about the building of the Cathedral for BBC4.

As a TV historian you鈥檇 think that I spend all my spare time watching the telly, but that couldn鈥檛 be further from the truth! But, if you do want a recent TV recommendation, and you may have already seen it because lots of people did. 鈥楢dolescence鈥� on Netflix is a must-watch. It鈥檚 an incredible piece of TV, such a difficult topic to deal with and all four of the hour-long episodes were filmed in one shot, without interruption. It鈥檚 technically mind blowing and could well end up being a future topic that we study. It鈥檚 just swept up at the Emmys as well!鈥�