This episode pulls apart the intricacy of the term ‘hate-watching’, with the help of Dr. Amy Holdsworth, a researcher in television and domestic media. How does the strong emotion of hate become pleasurable? How does social media motivate and encourage engagement with hate-based watching? What is the definition of bad tv and pleasure? How does communal viewing enhance and shape the way we watch television?

Amy takes us on a deep dive into the different aspects of hate-watching, and how these are affected by personal taste, social media, community viewing, marketing and cultural ideologies. The episode discusses the thin line between hate-watching, ironic viewing and guilty pleasures. Does this impact the television produced globally? And is there a sense of hierarchy placed upon the television deemed ‘bad’?

The episode concludes with a look at how shifting contexts and different audiences can subvert the ‘hate’ for characters. How do audiences navigate the joy felt in the karmic watching associated with the defeat of the villain? How the success of the antihero and the ‘good’ character's downfall with the audience, is often perceived through sexism and misogyny. And the gender politics and anti-fandoms created in the wake of hate-watching female characters.

Find out how Glasgow Caledonian Alumni, Insha Aslam curated her role as a Background-checker in the BBC Dragons’ Den tv series. Working on Scottish based productions she used her connections to develop opportunities, internships and roles within the television industry. Insha reflects on her ‘happy accident’ into the industry after completing a science-based degree and swapping to the arts-based world, and how she hopes to combine the two differing background areas. The interview highlights the importance of networking and building relationships to help consolidate some job security in the hard to navigate industry. It also includes some tips for developing these memorable moments and creating a purpose-built film and television CV.

In this episode, we join Dr Abigail Jenkins as we dive deeper into the current television landscape. How different is television from film? How has streaming changed what we view television as, and how does that affect viewers and academics? From cult TV shows to mainstream hits, we attempt to cover it all.