The Bay (TV series)

The Bay is an ITV crime drama series produced by Tall Story Pictures and distributed worldwide by ITV Studios Global Entertainment that first aired in March 2019.[3] Morven Christie plays a detective sergeant family liaison officer called in on an investigation into missing twins from a family living in Morecambe. The name of the series derives from Morecambe Bay, which is on the west coast of England in the county of Lancashire.

The Bay
GenreCrime drama[1]
Written byDaragh Carville
Directed byLee Haven Jones
(series 1, episodes 1–3)
Robert Quinn
(series 1, episodes 4–6, series 2 episodes 1–3)
Julia Ford
(series 2, episodes 4–6) [2]
Starring
Theme music composerSamuel Sim
Opening themeThe Bay - Samuel Sim (Feat. Storme)
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series2
No. of episodes12
Production
Executive producerCatherine Oldfield[2]
Running time45 minutes
Production companyTall Story Pictures
DistributorITV Studios Global Entertainment
Release
Original networkITV
Original release20 March 2019 (2019-03-20) –
present
External links
Production website

The first series received an average of 7.2 million views across the six episodes. A second series of six episodes was confirmed on 4 May 2019 and it was originally planned for it to be broadcast mid-2020 but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was pushed back to early 2021 when in January of that year all six episodes were immediately made available on the ITV Hub.[3] A third series will begin filming in summer 2021.[4]

Cast

Recurring
  • Morven Christie as DS/DC Lisa Armstrong
  • Lindsey Coulson as Penny Armstrong
  • Imogen King as Abbie Armstrong
  • Simon Manyonda as DS Alexander Stewart
  • Daniel Ryan as DI Anthony 'Tony' Manning
  • Art Parkinson as Rob Armstrong
  • Taheen Modak as DC/DS Ahmed 'Med' Kharim
  • Erin Shanagher as Sergeant/DS Karen Hobson
  • Andrew Dowbiggin as DS James Clarke
  • Adam Hussain as Josh Nubhai

Series 1 (2019)

Series 2 (2021)

[5][6]

Episodes
SeriesEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
1620 March 2019 (2019-03-20)24 April 2019 (2019-04-24)
2620 January 2021 (2021-01-20)24 February 2021 (2021-02-24)

Series 1 (2019)

Detective Sergeant Lisa Armstrong (Morven Christie) is the mother of two children and working for (the fictional) West Lancashire Police Service as a Family Liaison Officer (FLO). She is called out on the case of two missing children only to find the married stepfather of the twins is someone that she had sex with in an alley behind a pub on the night the twins disappeared whilst out on a friend's hen do. As a FLO, Armstrong is trained not to become emotionally involved with cases she is working on, but her sexual encounter with Sean (Jonas Armstrong), threatens to compromise the investigation.[7][8] Although she can prove that he isn't responsible for their disappearance, Armstrong deletes the CCTV footage of them having sex, rather than come clean and admit to the one-night stand and provide Sean with an alibi.[9]

No.
overall		No. in
season		Directed byWritten byOriginal air dateU.K. viewers
(millions) [10]
11Lee Haven JonesDaragh Carville20 March 2019 (2019-03-20)7.43
After meeting the twins' parents, Lisa is shocked to discover that her connection to the family might be more than just professional.
22Lee Haven JonesDaragh Carville27 March 2019 (2019-03-27)7.40
With the Meredith family reeling from Dylan's death and Sean's arrest, Lisa is charged with finding his alibi and makes a game-changing discovery.
33Lee Haven JonesDaragh CarvilleApril 3, 2019 (2019-04-03)7.23
When main suspect Nick goes missing, Lisa is concerned about Sean's possible involvement. The discovery of a key piece of evidence provokes a number of new theories.
44Robert QuinnDaragh Carville10 April 2019 (2019-04-10)6.81
With Nick seriously injured in hospital, Lisa furiously seeks out Sean, whilst Med feels increasingly sidelined
55Robert QuinnDaragh Carville17 April 2019 (2019-04-17)6.82
A confession to Lisa shines a possible new light on Dylan's killer. Abbie has a terrifying experience with some local junkies while Med begins his own investigations.
66Robert QuinnDaragh Carville24 April 2019 (2019-04-24)7.52
As a confession brings the team closer to the truth, Lisa identifies a suspect but conflicting accounts leave her questioning who to believe.

Series 2 (2021)

Lisa's suspension is over but she has been demoted, whilst Med has been promoted. A solicitor is shot on his doorstep. The team investigate. To complicate Lisa's life further, her ex-husband Andy (Joe Absolom) reappears in Morecambe.

No.
overall		No. in
season		Directed byWritten byOriginal air date [11]U.K. viewers
(millions) [10]
71Robert QuinnDaragh Carville20 January 2021 (2021-01-20)TBD
After dealing with the consequences of the case involving the missing twins from last year, the now Detective Constable Lisa Armstrong is brought back into the fold to assist with the murder investigation in Morecambe of prominent lawyer Stephen Marshbrook.
82Robert QuinnDaragh Carville27 January 2021 (2021-01-27)TBD
Lisa is determined to ignore her ex-husband Andy's unexpected arrival the night before and throws herself into the case, uncovering a significant lead from her sole eyewitness.
93Robert QuinnDaragh Carville3 February 2021 (2021-02-03)TBD
104Julia FordDaragh Carville10 February 2021 (2021-02-10)TBD
115Julia FordDaragh Carville17 February 2021 (2021-02-17)TBD
126Julia FordDaragh Carville24 February 2021 (2021-02-24)TBD

Production

The series has been labelled the Northern Broadchurch,[1] or the New Broadchurch after a similar British crime drama called Broadchurch starring Olivia Colman and David Tennant.[12][13] The writer of the series, Daragh Carville, is originally from Northern Ireland, but wanted to set something in where he now lives.

I wanted to write something that's set where I have lived for the last 10 years. It's an interesting place and beautiful but it's also a place with problems. It's suffered a great deal with austerity.[7]

The series was shot in and around Morecambe, particularly on the beaches and in the Winter Gardens, where writer Daragh Carville, stated that the people of Morecambe took quite an interest in the show and were keen to see that they, and their town, were not misrepresented on screen.[14] Other scenes were also shot in Manchester, Whitehaven and Grange-over-Sands.[15]

Reception

Series 1 (2019)

The Daily Telegraph rated the first and second episodes in the series with three stars out of five, and whilst acknowledging the lead character's portrayal, described the series as "Lancashire’s riposte to/total rip-off of Broadchurch".[16] The Independent also awarded it three stars out of five, labelling the series as having texture, but that the characterisation of the conundrum faced by DS Armstrong as being "cold".[17] The Guardian was more positive and gave it four stars out of five stating "Suspects and police officers with shared secrets? Check. Information wilfully withheld by the writer? Check. Will you be hooked? Check."[18]

Katrina Williams, writing in the Glasgow Guardian highlighted the high standard of production amidst the formulaic setting of the crime drama and noted that "I wasn't desperate for the next episode, but the first episode still managed to strike my interest".[19]

Series 2 (2021)

Dominic Maxwell reviewing for The Times gave the first episode of the second series four stars out of five commenting that the episode was "a solid, finely crafted detective thriller" and it "could just be the downbeat yet propulsive distraction we need right now".[20] Rachel Sigee reviewing for i also gave it four stars praising Christie and suggesting "This engrossing first episode scattered enough clues [...] to set up an intriguing thriller".[21] Anita Singh reviewing for The Daily Telegraph rated the first episode three stars out of five calling it "a refreshing return for this bracing seaside cop show",[22] while Sean O'Grady for The Independent was more critical commenting that though the 'actors put in some commendable performances, they are all lumbered with carelessly constructed, barely two-dimensional characters and gave it two stars."[23]

References
  1. Wilson, Benji (20 March 2019). "The Bay, episode 1, review: can this crime drama be anything more than a northern Broadchurch?". The Telegraph. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  2. "Morven Christie lands lead role in crime drama The Bay". The Belfast Telegraph. 13 August 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  3. "ITV commissions second series of The Bay". Press Centre. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
  4. "Will there be a season 3 of The Bay?". Metro. 27 January 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  5. Carr, Flora (3 April 2019). "Meet the cast of ITV's The Bay". Radio Times. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  6. Carr, Flora (18 January 2021). "Meet the cast of ITV's The Bay Season 2". Radio Times. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  7. Williams, Simon, ed. (22 March 2019). "Family liaison officer gets a little too close". RAF News (1, 463). R' n R'. pp. 4–5. ISSN 0035-8614.
  8. Griffiths, Eleanor Bley (3 April 2019). "When is The Bay on TV? Everything you need to know about ITV's new crime drama with Morven Christie". Radio Times. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  9. Midgley, Carol (21 March 2019). "TV review: The Bay; Mums Make Porn". The Times. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  10. "BARB 7-Day viewing data". BARB.
  11. "The Bay – Listings". Next Episode. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  12. Duke, Simon (11 March 2019). "ITV drama The Bay being billed as 'the new Broadchurch'". North East Chronicle. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  13. Percival, Ash (3 April 2019). "Is This The Next Broadchurch? Here's Everything You Need To Know About ITV's The Bay". HuffPost UK. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  14. Griffin, Susan (20 March 2019). "The Bay - new TV crime drama set in Morecambe". Lancashire Life. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  15. Roy, David (20 March 2019). "Armagh writer Daragh Carville talks about his new ITV crime drama The Bay". The Irish News. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  16. Rees, Jasper (27 March 2019). "The Bay, episode 2, review: Morven Christie carries this crime drama with intriguing performance". The Telegraph. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  17. Cummin, Ed (20 March 2019). "The Bay review: Missing child drama is packed with TV tropes". The Independent. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  18. Mangan, Lucy (20 March 2019). "The Bay review – Broadchurch in Morecambe? Come on in, the water's lovely". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  19. Williams, Katrina (20 March 2019). "Review: The Bay ‹ Glasgow Guardian". Glasgow Guardian. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  20. "The Bay review — Morecambe: where guest stars go to die". The Times.
  21. "The Bay, episode 1 review: a refreshing return for this bracing seaside cop show, 20 January 2021". The Telegraph.
  22. "The Bay, review: Morven Christie is excellent in the return of the moody seaside murder mystery, 21 January 2021". The i.
  23. "The Bay review: A major character is killed off five minutes into the show's cliche-ridden return, 20 January 2021". The Independent.
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