ABSTRACT
Factual television constitutes a large and varied terrain of non-fictional programming. The production of factual takes place in departments such as news, documentary, features, light entertainment and new media. The content of factual includes communicative forms such as direct reportage, studio debates, observational documentary, presenter-led formats and dramatized reconstructions. The people who take part in factual programmes include presenters, journalists, experts, politicians, celebrities, members of the public and actors. One of the ways to make sense of the wide-ranging programmes that are part of this area of television is to organize them into production contexts and categories. Mapping factual TV is a process that turns a chaotic world into a territory that is recognizable according to common values and criteria. This chapter explains how the changing generic environment of factual television is constructed within culturally specific broadcasting contexts and commonly understood genre categories.
