Amanda Potter

I studied for my first degree and my MA with the Open University, concentrating on English and classical literature, and then went on to complete my PhD with the Open University in 2014. My thesis was on viewer reception of classical myth on television, and my supervisors were Paula James from the Open University and Gideon Nisbet from the University of Birmingham. I was the recipient of the AOUG Chancellor Asa Briggs Award for Arts in 2013 for my research. I am now a Visiting Research Fellow with the Open University.

My main research interest is classics in popular film and television, and particularly viewer (or audience) reception. Modern texts I have worked on include Xena: Warrior Princess, Charmed, Torchwood, Doctor Who, HBO Rome and Starz Spartacus. I am also interested in classics and feminism, and receptions of classical myth and literature focussing on female characters. Recently I have been working on how fans engage with the classical world creatively via fan fiction, and also visual representations of ancient violence on television.