The Arts

Sally Wainwright

by Kristyn Gorton, Beth Johnson

Description

The first and only book length study of British screenwriter, director and producer Sally Wainwright. Authors Gorton and Johnson brings together Wainwright's key television series and television films with theoretical work on the concept of emotion and feminist television criticism, exploring Wainwright's contributions to British television through the heroic female characters she creates. The book covers a wide range of theoretical work on melodrama, genre and emotion to explore Wainwright's televisual texts, offering analysis of globally recognised television series such as Happy Valley, Last Tango in Halifax, and Gentleman Jack.

More Information

Rights Information

Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo [DRC], Congo, Republic of the, Costa Rica, Ivory Coast, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, French Guiana, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Honduras, Hongkong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, China, Macedonia [FYROM], Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mexico, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Reunion, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Helena, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tokelau, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam, Western Sahara, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Sudan, Cyprus, Palestine, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Liechtenstein, Azerbaijan, Jamaica, Kyrgyzstan, Dominican Republic, Myanmar, Monaco

Reviews

The first comprehensive study of Sally Wainwright, this book examines the celebrated British screenwriter, director and producer through the lens of feminist television criticism and the concept of emotion, offering a detailed exploration of Wainwright's significant contributions to British television drama. Drawing on original interview material with Wainwright, the book opens with a biographical overview, situating Wainwright's work and sensibilities in Northern England alongside other Northern women writers such as Key Mellor and Lynda LaPlante. A central focus of the study is Wainwright's creation of heroic female characters, exemplified by Catherine Cawood in Happy Valley and Janet Scott and Rachel Bailey in Scott & Bailey. The book focuses extensively on the global success of Gentleman Jack, not only considering the contribution Wainwright has made to feminist and lesbian history but also the impact the series had on its fans through a discussion on Gentleman Jack Changed my Life. The book concludes by examining Wainwright's structuring of 'home' in both regional and national contexts. Essential reading for scholars of feminist television, British television, and drama, as well as fans of Sally Wainwright, this book illuminates how Wainwright's influential work engages with and contributes to feminist discourse in television.

Author Biography

Beth Johnson is a Lecturer in Television and Film Studies at Keele University

Trusted Partner
Manchester University Press

Manchester University Press

Manchester University Press is a leading UK publisher known for excellent research in the humanities and social sciences.

View all titles

Bibliographic Information

  • Publisher Manchester University Press
  • Publication Date July 2025
  • Orginal LanguageEnglish
  • ISBN/Identifier 9781526142870 / 1526142872
  • Publication Country or regionUnited Kingdom
  • FormatPrint PDF
  • Pages240
  • ReadershipGeneral/trade; College/higher education; Professional and scholarly
  • Publish StatusPublished
  • Dimensions216 X 138 mm
  • Biblio NotesDerived from Proprietary 4991
  • SeriesThe Television Series
  • Reference Code12277

Subscribe to our

newsletter