Diane A Rodgers – Wyrd TV

Description

In this talk, Diane Rodgers explores British 1970s television, a landscape bursting with weirdness, eeriness, supernatural folklore and contemporary legend. The influence of this "wyrd" programming on those who grew up with it should not be underestimated. It has played a significant role in shaping Generation X, which Bob Fischer aptly describes as the "haunted generation", referred to here as Generation Hexed.

The importance and value of children's television has traditionally been overlooked, but modern scholars are increasingly seeking to redress this imbalance. Their work highlights the significance of children's programming not only within screen studies but also in relation to folklore studies and broader social and cultural developments.

Diane examines why supernatural folklore was so prevalent in 1970s media, why it emerged at that particular moment in time, and how it was represented on screen. Using Children of the Stones as a case study, often described as "the scariest programme ever made for children", she explores how television has frightened young audiences and the lasting impact such programmes can have across generations, extending far beyond the reach of the television screen itself.

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