Corporate crime and conspiracy in contemporary television: Power, profits and paranoia.

This article provides an overview of how corporate crime and conspiracy have been portrayed and critiqued in UK and US television from their early histories to contemporary series. It highlights that British television, particularly through public service broadcasters like the BBC, has a longer tradition of depicting corporate malfeasance and conspiracies, ranging from early adaptations of Karel Čapek's play *Rossum's Universal Robots* to modern miniseries such as *The Honourable Woman* and *Black Earth Rising*. In contrast, US television, initially shaped by commercial sponsorship, featured fewer corporate antagonists until the 2000s, when increased media outlets and real-world corporate scandals led to a rise in series portraying corporations as complex villains, exemplified by shows like *Mr. Robot*, *Dollhouse*, and *Severance*. The article also introduces a Special Issue that further explores these themes through diverse analytical perspectives, emphasizing the ongoing cultural relevance of televisual critiques of corporate power and its ethical implications.