Being Bionic

The contradictions and complexities of the cyborg therefore hold particular appeal to programme makers of dramatic TV narratives. Bronwen Calvert examines the uses and representations of the cyborg in this ground-breaking text by looking at its frequent appearance in a wide variety of popular and cult shows: from the iconic Daleks of Doctor Who and bionic female empowerment in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles to the duality of humanoid and distinctly robotic cyborgs in Battlestar Galactica. In doing so she reveals how television''s defining traits shape our experience of cyborgs and help us as viewers to question contemporary issues such as surveillance and terrorism as well as the function of simulation and ultimately what it means to be human.