Rob Watts
@drrobertbobby.bsky.social
Lecturer in Television and Creative Industries, University of Manchester
Editor at Critical Studies in Television: https://journals.sagepub.com/home/CST
Editor at Critical Studies in Television: https://journals.sagepub.com/home/CST
Much respect to Robin Ince for taking a stand 👏
Robin Ince reveals to last night’s audience at a recording of Infinite Monkey Cage that the BBC has forced him to resign over his support of trans people
December 13, 2025 at 4:22 PM
Much respect to Robin Ince for taking a stand 👏
Reposted by Rob Watts
Play for Today is back. What does that mean?
Tom May & I interview Special Measures writer Lee Thompson, Big Winners director Emma Turner and Play for Today exec producer Paul Testar
tribunemag.co.uk/2025/12/tv-i...
Tom May & I interview Special Measures writer Lee Thompson, Big Winners director Emma Turner and Play for Today exec producer Paul Testar
tribunemag.co.uk/2025/12/tv-i...
TV Is the Public Talking to Itself
After a difficult start, could the new revival of the BBC’s often radical 1970s and 80s anthology drama series finally have promise?
tribunemag.co.uk
December 12, 2025 at 10:55 AM
Play for Today is back. What does that mean?
Tom May & I interview Special Measures writer Lee Thompson, Big Winners director Emma Turner and Play for Today exec producer Paul Testar
tribunemag.co.uk/2025/12/tv-i...
Tom May & I interview Special Measures writer Lee Thompson, Big Winners director Emma Turner and Play for Today exec producer Paul Testar
tribunemag.co.uk/2025/12/tv-i...
I want to see the positives in the Play for Today revival, I do. Handled well, it could be such a boon for low-budget UK drama. But to debut with a tale of straight white romance in your 70s, then to chase it with a tale of straight white marital tension in your 80s... It's certainly a choice.
November 30, 2025 at 2:32 PM
I want to see the positives in the Play for Today revival, I do. Handled well, it could be such a boon for low-budget UK drama. But to debut with a tale of straight white romance in your 70s, then to chase it with a tale of straight white marital tension in your 80s... It's certainly a choice.
OMG yes. The groan I made when I hit episode 7 of The Beast in Me. It was loud.
November 26, 2025 at 8:59 PM
OMG yes. The groan I made when I hit episode 7 of The Beast in Me. It was loud.
Reposted by Rob Watts
I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
November 25, 2025 at 9:26 AM
I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
In case you missed it, the CFP is out for next year's Critical Studies in Television conference. DEADLINE for abstracts: 19th December. #TVStudies
It's CFP time for the Critical Studies in Television conference 2026. All papers on TV welcome , but conference theme is 'Crisis'. sites.edgehill.ac.uk/tvresearchgr...
Critical Studies in Television Conference 2026 - Television Studies Research Group
Slow Online Conference6-17 July 2026 We invite papers on all aspects connected to television, but this year we want to pay particular attention to the feeling of crisis that envelops us and television...
sites.edgehill.ac.uk
November 6, 2025 at 3:38 PM
In case you missed it, the CFP is out for next year's Critical Studies in Television conference. DEADLINE for abstracts: 19th December. #TVStudies
Reposted by Rob Watts
‘Study after study shows that students want to develop these critical thinking skills, are not lazy, and large numbers of them would be in favor of banning ChatGPT and similar tools in universities’, says @olivia.science www.ru.nl/en/research/...
‘Opposing the inevitability of AI at universities is possible and necessary’ | Radboud University
Since the widespread release of ChatGPT in December of 2022, AI has taken over much of the world by storm – including academia. Most of this happened with very little pushback, despite a myriad of iss...
www.ru.nl
November 1, 2025 at 10:26 PM
‘Study after study shows that students want to develop these critical thinking skills, are not lazy, and large numbers of them would be in favor of banning ChatGPT and similar tools in universities’, says @olivia.science www.ru.nl/en/research/...
Reposted by Rob Watts
Reposted by Rob Watts
You can catch up with @philralph.bsky.social Keynote here www.linkedin.com/pulse/common... we will be sharing highlights and updates in the weeks to come! Stay tuned!
COMMON PEOPLE: RECLAIMING THE NARRATIVE ON CLASS IN TV AT A TIME OF CRISIS…
Here is the full text of my opening keynote address given at the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) 'What’s Class Got to Do With It?' symposium on class and the UK TV industry at the School o...
www.linkedin.com
September 23, 2025 at 9:17 AM
You can catch up with @philralph.bsky.social Keynote here www.linkedin.com/pulse/common... we will be sharing highlights and updates in the weeks to come! Stay tuned!
Reposted by Rob Watts
Today is another one of those days where I can only laugh extra loud at the colleagues who think me teaching classes on The Walt Disney Company or A History of Comedy are useless, I just wish it wasn‘t relevant cause of the fascism
September 18, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Today is another one of those days where I can only laugh extra loud at the colleagues who think me teaching classes on The Walt Disney Company or A History of Comedy are useless, I just wish it wasn‘t relevant cause of the fascism
Reposted by Rob Watts
Clear and compelling watch IMO.
Blackpill Aesthetics: A Crash Course in Meme Extremism
YouTube video by Cy Canterel
www.youtube.com
September 18, 2025 at 6:39 AM
Clear and compelling watch IMO.
Reposted by Rob Watts
as I wrote literally yesterday, gamergate never ended. It took over the country. www.moryan.com/on-the-firin... Congrats I guess to pepe the frog for his forthcoming talk show
September 17, 2025 at 11:34 PM
as I wrote literally yesterday, gamergate never ended. It took over the country. www.moryan.com/on-the-firin... Congrats I guess to pepe the frog for his forthcoming talk show
Hard agree. It's probably the White Lotus effect but now so ubiquitous as to be an instant turnoff
We need to start a movement that insists on skipping shows entirely if the first episode starts with something exciting and confusing and then jumps back in time to explain how we ended up in this situation. The networks are going to keep insisting on it until viewers make them stop.
September 17, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Hard agree. It's probably the White Lotus effect but now so ubiquitous as to be an instant turnoff
Reposted by Rob Watts
A great piece from @katiecrosson.bsky.social, who, it’s safe to say, knows a thing or two about Play for Today. 📺
Play for Today is back – nine ways Channel 5 can make it as successful as the original
Channel 5 has a lot to live up to, but research into the original BBC drama series has inspired nine principles the new Play for Today should live by.
theconversation.com
September 3, 2025 at 10:07 AM
A great piece from @katiecrosson.bsky.social, who, it’s safe to say, knows a thing or two about Play for Today. 📺
Reposted by Rob Watts
A pretty good summary of where things are at in contemporary Manchester from @helenpidd.bsky.social - whilst central Manchester is startlingly changed the wealth (and health) inequalities within the city are worse than ever.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
‘All those posh apartments. It’s a playground for the rich’: is Manchester turning into London?
£6 a pint, £199 a month for gym membership, £1,200 to rent a studio flat? The Guardian’s former North of England editor asks if the city she’s worked in for 12 years is changing for the better – or wo...
www.theguardian.com
July 20, 2025 at 7:22 AM
A pretty good summary of where things are at in contemporary Manchester from @helenpidd.bsky.social - whilst central Manchester is startlingly changed the wealth (and health) inequalities within the city are worse than ever.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Reposted by Rob Watts
Loved taking part at #CSTconference with @corpusng.bsky.social
We were looking forwards to speaking and writing about it’s a sin ever since we watched the series. This was a perfect (and much appreciated!) opportunity
We were looking forwards to speaking and writing about it’s a sin ever since we watched the series. This was a perfect (and much appreciated!) opportunity
July 10, 2025 at 10:59 AM
Loved taking part at #CSTconference with @corpusng.bsky.social
We were looking forwards to speaking and writing about it’s a sin ever since we watched the series. This was a perfect (and much appreciated!) opportunity
We were looking forwards to speaking and writing about it’s a sin ever since we watched the series. This was a perfect (and much appreciated!) opportunity
This was such a great time! So many fascinating panels and just a lovely bunch of people all round. Huge thanks to Elke and Dipali for making it all happen #CSTConference
Can't believe how many people are here for the #CSTConference and how far they travelled - New Zealand, Australia, USA, Europe, etc. And some joining us online. Cannot thank participants enough.
July 11, 2025 at 10:50 AM
This was such a great time! So many fascinating panels and just a lovely bunch of people all round. Huge thanks to Elke and Dipali for making it all happen #CSTConference
Reposted by Rob Watts
Had a great time presenting at the #CST conference yesterday, looking at the rise of live broadcasts on streaming platforms. Saw so many great papers!
July 10, 2025 at 6:33 AM
Had a great time presenting at the #CST conference yesterday, looking at the rise of live broadcasts on streaming platforms. Saw so many great papers!
Reposted by Rob Watts
Today kicks off the Critical Studies in Television conference! I'll be watching online today (looking forward to Catherine Johnson's keynote) and heading up to Manchester tomorrow to present on adaptation and television.
July 8, 2025 at 7:30 AM
Today kicks off the Critical Studies in Television conference! I'll be watching online today (looking forward to Catherine Johnson's keynote) and heading up to Manchester tomorrow to present on adaptation and television.
Torfinnur Jákupsson: “We need a system that better reflects how great TV is actually made in 2025. It is about backing those already doing more with less. High-end shouldn’t just be defined by how much money you spend. It should be defined by impact, artistry and ambition.”
Is UK HETV tax relief holding back regional production financing?
Calls are growing to allow lower-cost dramas – with budgets between £750,000 and £950,000 per broadcast hour – to qualify for the UK's high-end TV tax relief scheme.
www.c21media.net
June 22, 2025 at 5:22 PM
Torfinnur Jákupsson: “We need a system that better reflects how great TV is actually made in 2025. It is about backing those already doing more with less. High-end shouldn’t just be defined by how much money you spend. It should be defined by impact, artistry and ambition.”
Reposted by Rob Watts
Reposted by Rob Watts
This week on Wonkhe: Richard Wallis and Crista van Raalte call out the unhelpful mythology that has grown around higher education and the screen industries
We need a better quality of conversation about education and the skills agenda for the screen industries
Richard Wallis and Christa van Raalte call out the unhelpful mythology that has grown around higher education and the screen industries
buff.ly
June 21, 2025 at 3:02 PM
This week on Wonkhe: Richard Wallis and Crista van Raalte call out the unhelpful mythology that has grown around higher education and the screen industries
Reposted by Rob Watts
The U.K. government unveiled a £75 million ($100 million) “Screen Growth Package” for the film and TV industries on Saturday as the Labour Party administration of Prime Minister Keir Starmer focuses on future upside in the sector as part of its bid to provide a boost to the broader economy.
U.K. Unveils $100 Million “Screen Growth Package” for Film and TV, $200 Million Creative Places Fund
The U.K. government unveiled a £75 million ($100 million) “Screen Growth Package” for the film and TV industries on Saturday as the Labour Party administration of Prime Minister Keir Starmer focuses on future upside in the sector as part of its bid to provide a boost to the broader economy.
bit.ly
June 21, 2025 at 9:00 AM
The U.K. government unveiled a £75 million ($100 million) “Screen Growth Package” for the film and TV industries on Saturday as the Labour Party administration of Prime Minister Keir Starmer focuses on future upside in the sector as part of its bid to provide a boost to the broader economy.
Reposted by Rob Watts
the weakest shit I have ever read on this subject, kept trying to scroll thinking there must be more but no, this is it
June 14, 2025 at 10:13 AM
the weakest shit I have ever read on this subject, kept trying to scroll thinking there must be more but no, this is it
Reposted by Rob Watts
A grassroots movement like Arts Emergency rarely lasts or grows as we have.Our work changes lives, but we rely on monthly donations.Those donations are down £50k since 2021. We've cut all we can, now we're appealing to you for £2/month to plug the gap & go on www.arts-emergency.org/donate%F0%9F...
June 5, 2025 at 11:23 AM
A grassroots movement like Arts Emergency rarely lasts or grows as we have.Our work changes lives, but we rely on monthly donations.Those donations are down £50k since 2021. We've cut all we can, now we're appealing to you for £2/month to plug the gap & go on www.arts-emergency.org/donate%F0%9F...