Module manager: Sarah Lahm
Email: S.Lahm@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2026/27
This module is not approved as an Elective
This module focuses on television programming: who makes it, what people produce, how they construct it and what they believe is important in constructing it. It considers TV texts not in isolation, but in reference to media industries, production practices, national and international markets and audiences, and the future of television in the age of platformisation.
This module develops a critical and practical understanding of television narrative. Through a series of ten one-hour lectures, the module questions what is narrative? How is narrative constructed for the medium of television? How is this approach distinctive from other mediums? How has television narrative been theorised within academia? Through a series of ten one-hour seminars, students will consider these questions and critical approaches by analysing set television texts and academic writing. They will then put these principles into practice by workshopping their own potential television story ideas. For assessment, students then have a choice: write a critical essay on television narrative, or write an original pilot script for their own television programme.
1. Critically evaluate key theories and academic debates surrounding the construction and function of narrative within the medium of television, and articulate how these differ from narrative strategies in other media.
2. Analyse and interpret television texts using advanced critical frameworks, demonstrating a nuanced understanding of narrative structures, genres, and audience engagement.
3. Synthesize theoretical knowledge with creative practice by developing original television narrative concepts that reflect an informed understanding of contemporary narrative conventions and innovations.
4. Produce either a scholarly critical essay or a creative pilot script that demonstrates mastery of television narrative principles, supported by appropriate academic research or professional storytelling conventions.
Skills learning outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will be able to:
Demonstrate proficiency in using industry-standard screenwriting software (e.g. Celtx) to format, structure, and present original television scripts in line with professional conventions.
Apply advanced analytical and communication skills to collaboratively develop, critique, and refine television narrative ideas within a workshop setting, responding constructively to peer and tutor feedback.
1. How to use screenwriting software (e.g. Final Draft, CeltX).
Weekly lectures may include discussions of character, dialogue, plot and structure. Weekly seminars discuss the points arising from the lecture and the set reading and viewing, and then apply the critical knowledge through practical story development exercises. Each week, students undertake both critical and creative activities, ensuring they are fully prepared for whichever assessment they choose to take.
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 11 | 1 | 11 |
| Seminar | 10 | 1 | 10 |
| Independent online learning hours | 30 | ||
| Private study hours | 249 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 21 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 300 | ||
Independent online learning:
3 hours of guided online television viewing (via Box of Broadcasts, iPlayer, All4 etc) per week, across ten weeks.
Private study during the teaching term includes: reading critical work on television narrative, reading television screenplays, and reading craft materials on constructing television narrative (weekly set reading); making notes on and analysing the online viewing; undertaking set creative activities to share in class the following week (e.g. moodboards, preparing pitches), and practicing using screenwriting software e.g. CeltX.
Beyond this, students will also spend time reading and researching for their assessment (essay or script), then drafting, writing and rewriting their assessment (essay or script).
Week 7 is dedicated to pitching. Students will be given 3 minutes to verbally pitch their script idea or their response to their chosen essay question. They will receive structured written feedback from a selection of their peers, based on the SMaC PG Marking Criteria for Creative Practice or PG Written work, dependent on their topic. The focus here will be how the student’s idea can be further developed for assessment. Each student will also receive individual verbal feedback from the tutor.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | . | 100 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
Check the module area in Minerva for your reading list
Last updated: 30/04/2026
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