In placing synthesis as a central dynamic, this article seeks to identify and value the occasions where the work of the television actor manages a delicate balance between functional requirements of an environment and their potential to establish a more developed set of interrelationships within it, disclosing intricacies of character interiority through expressive interactions with commonplace tasks and spaces. In response to their dual potential for expressivity and significance, we choose to focus on performances that occur within modes of transport, using detailed moments from 24 (Fox, 2001–2014), The Sopranos (HBO, 1999–2007), Happy Valley (BBC, 2014–) and Broad City (Comedy Central, 2014–).
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