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‘Shrink to the stars’: exploring therapeutic broadcast talk on BBC Radio 4’s In the Psychiatrist's Chair.

McDonald, K., 2026. ‘Shrink to the stars’: exploring therapeutic broadcast talk on BBC Radio 4’s In the Psychiatrist's Chair. Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television. (In Press)

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Abstract

In the Psychiatrist’s Chair (BBC Radio 4, 1982–2001) featured extended interviews presented by psychiatrist Antony Clare, in which public figures were invited to reflect on their emotional lives. This article argues that the programme functioned as a hybrid broadcast form, combining elements of therapeutic encounter with the conventions of public service interviewing. Drawing on archived episodes, it examines how format, interviewing style and institutional context shaped the programme’s authority and reception. The article shows how emotionally intimate talk was legitimised through BBC public service values, and how listeners were positioned as ethical participants in the encounter. It situates the series within the history of confessional broadcasting and debates around therapeutic culture, expertise and media intimacy.

Item Type:Article
ISSN:0143-9685
Uncontrolled Keywords:Public service broadcasting; therapeutic talk; BBC Radio; broadcast talk; media history; interviewing
Group:Faculty of Media, Science and Technology
ID Code:41811
Deposited By: Symplectic RT2
Deposited On:27 Feb 2026 12:27
Last Modified:27 Feb 2026 12:27

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