Maximizing production values in a dramatic television series production

The paper uses empirical data from an ethnographic study of the production of a dramatic television series to explore the calculative practice of the production team. In its focus on three distinct calculative spaces – estimates, schedules, and the production floor – the analysis draws on a broadened conception of calculative practice that integrates (non)numeric calculation and judgment. This conception of calculative practice provides the basis for exploring how both economic and non-economic forms of calculation are integrated into the routines of the production team and manifest in the concept of ‘production values’ deployed by industry insiders. In doing so, this paper outlines the role of calculative practice in shaping the emergence of the final product.