Television drama is frequently marginalised as a piece of fleeting popular culture rather than Ôa more lasting art formÕ.

The emergence of television studies has helped to question this mind-set. Innovative television drama can rival any field of the arts in terms of material worthy of critical exploration. This series of books focuses on ÔoutstandingÕ examples of British television dramas, centring on a single episode in an attempt to explain what makes both the episode in particular, and the series in general, remarkable. The social context, script, characters sets/locations, music, and direction are all focal points.

This Classic British Television Drama (CBTD) series of books continues with an exploration of Man in a SuitcaseÕs episode Day of Execution. Elements of Cold War espionage, American gumshoe, British thriller and ÔSwingingÕ London combine in a series which is hard to define and was, arguably, ahead of its time.