Course Catalogue

Romantic Comedy FTV4121

  • Academic Session: 2026-27
  • School: School of Culture and Creative Arts
  • Credits: 20
  • Level: Level 4 (SCQF level 10)
  • Typically Offered: Either Semester 1 or Semester 2
  • Available to Visiting Students: Yes
  • Collaborative Online International Learning: No
  • Curriculum For Life: No

Short Description

This course explores the global evolution of the romantic comedy in relation to genre and medium conventions. It investigates questions around popular culture, hierarchies of taste, gendered representation, star power, and aesthetics. The course will introduce students to the key theoretical and critical debates associated with the form, with particular attention to the status of the genre as it falls in and out of fashion.

Timetable

Lecture - 10 x 1 hour over 10 weeks as scheduled in MyCampus
Seminar - 10 x 1 hour over 10 weeks as scheduled in MyCampus

Requirements of Entry

None

Excluded Courses

None

Co-requisites

None

Assessment

The standard assessments for this course are: 

■ 1 x Group Presentation 10 minutes in length- 20%  

■ 1 x Annotated Bibliography 1,000 words - 30% 

■ 1 x Final essay 2,500 words - 50% 

 

If required, for instance where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, the following alternatives are available: 

■ There are alternatives to the Group Presentation. Students may complete an individual presentation instead of the group presentation, submit a recorded presentation, provide a written script of equivalent length, or submit a PowerPoint presentation with substantial accompanying notes. Students should document their individual contribution to the presentation, and there is no requirement for individuals to present live. 

■ There are no alternatives to the Final Essay and Annotated Bibliography, but extensions to the deadlines can be offered as reasonable adjustment (Students should follow the usual process for extensions). 

 

Further reasonable adjustments may be provided where necessary. Students are encouraged to consult with the course convenor.  

Course Aims

This course aims to:

 

■ Introduce students to the themes, conventions, and aesthetics that define the genre of romantic comedy in film and television across different cultural contexts

■ Connect key developments in the genre to shifts in culture through analysis of audiences, fan practices, and popular criticism.

■ Develop students' ability to critically analyse notions of romance and comedy in relation to questions of representation, gender and sexuality, politics, and industrial motivations.

Intended Learning Outcomes of Course

By the end of this course students will be able to:

 

■ Demonstrate understanding of key debates around romantic comedy with particular attention to popular feminisms, hierarchies of taste, and gendered spectatorship.

■ Confidently organise, manage, and present independent research related to course themes and recognise intersections between film and television studies and romance studies

■ Critically analyse the aesthetic and affective dimensions of romantic comedy as a genre

■ Articulate the key similarities and differences between texts from a range of cultural contexts, assessing their approaches to relationships onscreen

 

Minimum Requirement for Award of Credits

No exceptions