Abstract
Sharp-witted political comedy about the Church illustrates how British television has dramatised the appointment of the Church of England’s bishops. This chapter examines comedy set against the real-life politics of appointment, as politicians decide who will and will not lead the Church. The chapter builds a study from episodes of BBC comedies Yes, Prime Minister and Absolute Power, one a classic representation of the centre of British politics, the other a more recent comedic treatment of politics and the church, situated not at the heart of the political system but at the periphery and in the world of public relations. Their contribution to broadcasting about the Church is a clinically astute interpretation of how bishops are made and unmade. The programmes distil anxieties about social welfare, nuclear war and single mothers as all intersecting with the problem of choosing the right sort of person to be a bishop.
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Harmes, M., Harmes, M., Harmes, B. (2020). ‘Cricket, Steam Engines and a Complete Ignorance of Theology’: The Comedy of Bishops’ Appointments. In: The Church on British Television. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-38113-4_7
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