In the Dark (British TV series)
In the Dark is a four-part British crime drama that premiered on BBC One from 11 July to 1 August 2017. The series is an adaptation of the Mark Billingham novels, Time of Death and In The Dark. It is written by Danny Brocklehurst and stars MyAnna Buring as detective Helen Weeks.[3] Production and global distribution was handled by BBC Studios.[4]
| In the Dark | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Crime drama |
| Based on | In the Dark by Mark Billingham |
| Written by | Danny Brocklehurst |
| Directed by |
|
| Starring | |
| Composer | Neil Davidge |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 4 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Hilary Martin[1] |
| Producer | Hugh Warren[1] |
| Cinematography | Sam Care |
| Running time | 58 minutes |
| Production company | BBC Studios[2] |
| Distributor | BBC Studios |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC One |
| Picture format | 16:9 1080p |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original release | 11 July – 1 August 2017 |
| External links | |
| Website | |
Synopsis
In the Dark consists of two separate two-part stories centring around detective Helen Weeks. In the first two-parter, Helen finds out that she is pregnant and becomes involved in a case in which the husband of her childhood best friend is accused of kidnapping two young girls. In the second two-parter, a heavily pregnant Helen is pulled into the dark side of urban Manchester as she deals with an unexpected tragedy.[2]
Cast and characters
- MyAnna Buring as DI Helen Weeks[5] of the Manchester Metropolitan Police.
- Ben Batt as DI Paul Hopkins, Helen's partner and fellow detective in the Greater Manchester Police.[5]
- Emma Fryer as Linda Bates, the wife of Stephen Bates who is the main suspect in the abduction of two young girls.[5]
- David Leon as DI Adam Perrin,[3] a detective in the Manchester Metropolitan Police and Helen's former fling
- Pearce Quigley as Trevor Hare,[3] the owner of a pub in Helen’s hometown of Polesford.
- Ashley Walters as DI Tim Cornish, a North Derbyshire Police officer leading the abduction case.[5]
- Matt King as Phil Hendricks, a forensic scientist.[5]
- Jamie Sives as DCI Jack Gosforth.,[3] Week's superior at the Manchester Metropolitan Police
- Georgia Tennant as Jenny, Helen's sister.[6]
- Sinead Matthews as Paula Days, an old acquaintance from Helen's childhood.[5]
- Clive Wood as Robert Weeks, Helen's father.[5]
- Jessica Gunning as DC Sophie Carson, the North Derbyshire Police officer on the field in the abduction case.[5]
- Kevin Sutton as Gavin Sweeney, Paula's husband.[5]
- Tim McInnerny as Frank Linnell
- Eleni Foskett as Charli
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [7] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Time of Death: Part 1" | Gilles Bannier | Danny Brocklehurst | 11 July 2017 | 7.96 | |
| Manchester-based DI Helen Weeks informs her boyfriend and fellow detective Paul that she is pregnant. While Paul is overjoyed by the news, Helen is apprehensive. Helen returns to her rural home town of Polesford, Derbyshire, after learning that the husband of her childhood best friend, Linda, has been arrested for the abduction of two young girls. Meanwhile, local DI Tim Cornish is under pressure to close the case and is keen to pin the crime on Linda's husband, Stephen.[8] | ||||||
| 2 | "Time of Death: Part 2" | Gilles Bannier | Danny Brocklehurst | 18 July 2017 | 6.71 | |
| Helen and Paul continue to have misapprehensions about the case, bolstered by the advice of their colleague Phil, an MPD coroner. As the evidence proving Stephen's innocence builds up, Helen is forced to confront a vicious crime from her past as well as troubles in her relationship with Paul, then a break in the case leads to a race against time to save the other kidnapped girl. | ||||||
| 3 | "In the Dark: Part 1" | Ulrik Imtiaz Rolfsen | Danny Brocklehurst | 25 July 2017 | 6.41 | |
| As a 38-week pregnant Helen is about to take maternity leave, she is struck by a personal tragedy which threatens to upend her life. Meanwhile, a novice gang member finds himself in over his head after his initiation, and unknowingly connected to Helen. | ||||||
| 4 | "In the Dark: Part 2" | Ulrik Imtiaz Rolfsen | Danny Brocklehurst | 1 August 2017 | 6.38 | |
| As she tries to reconcile the facts of her loss with her own doubts, Helen digs deeper into Manchester's criminal underworld, only to be hit with a betrayal she never saw coming. | ||||||
Reception
The Daily Telegraph's Michael Hogan gave the first episode three stars out of five, noting that: "In the Dark did show promise and could yet come good. It was taut and tensely atmospheric with an intriguing premise which found its heroine caught in the middle between police and prime suspect."[10]
Reviewing the first episode, The Guardian's Sam Wollaston concluded that: "In The Dark is by no means a trope-free zone...But once you have accepted that, it's a crisp opener (of four) – pacy, thoughtful and skilfully constructed, with multiple strands I am eager to see twisted together again."[8]
References
- "MyAnna Buring confirmed to star in new BBC One thriller In The Dark". BBC. 19 April 2016.
- Munn, Patrick (28 June 2017). "BBC One Sets Premiere Date For 'In The Dark'". TV Wise.
- Percival, Ash (11 July 2017). "'In The Dark' Cast: Here's Where You've Seen The Stars Of The BBC's Latest Drama Before". HuffPost UK.
- "BBC - BBC Studios signs key digital deals in Russia - Media Centre". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
- Khaira-Hanks, Priya (25 October 2017). "Meet the cast of In the Dark". Radio Times. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
- Douglas, Joanne (11 July 2017). "Meet the characters of BBC One drama 'In The Dark' - which was filmed in Marsden". Huddersfield Daily Examiner.
- "Weekly Viewing Summary (see relevant week)". BARB.
- Wollaston, Sam (12 July 2017). "In the Dark review: a thriller that's just the right side of formulaic". The Guardian.
- Douglas, Joanne (4 July 2017). "Watch: BBC release trailer for hit new drama In The Dark filmed in Marsden which starts next week". Huddersfield Daily Examiner.
- Hogan, Michael (11 July 2017). "In the Dark is taut thriller with a credible cop-with-a-conscience heroine - review". The Telegraph.
