Collateral (TV series)

Last updated

Collateral
Collateral.png
Genre Drama
Thriller
Screenplay by David Hare
Directed by S. J. Clarkson
Starring
Music by Ruth Barrett
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes4
Production
Executive producers
  • Mark Pybus (The Forge)
  • George S. J. Faber (The Forge)
  • David Hare
  • S.J. Clarkson
  • Lucy Richer (BBC)
ProducerElizabeth Binns
CinematographyBalazs Bolygo
EditorsJamie Trevill
Sacha Szwarc
Running time55—58 minutes
Production company The Forge
Original release
Network BBC Two
Netflix
Release12 February (2018-02-12) –
5 March 2018 (2018-03-05)

Collateral is a four-part British television drama serial produced by The Forge for the BBC, created and written by David Hare, and directed by S.J. Clarkson. [1] The series was Hare's first original series for television, despite having written for the BBC since 1973. [2] Piers Wenger, the BBC's head of drama, described the series as "a contemporary and thought-provoking state-of-the-nation thriller that pushes the boundaries of what audiences expect." [3]

Contents

The series, described by Hare as "a police procedural without any of that police attitudinising", [4] stars Carey Mulligan as DI Kip Glaspie, assigned to investigate the shooting of a pizza delivery rider in inner-city southwest London. The ensuing story explores a complex web of characters who are all somehow connected with the story, which addresses attitudes to immigration with the maltreatment of refugees and immigrants by both uncaring people-traffickers and indifferent state agencies alike. Nathaniel Martello-White stars as Glaspie's partner, DS Nathan Bilk. Jeany Spark, Nicola Walker, John Simm and Billie Piper are also credited as principal members of the cast. [5]

The series was first broadcast on BBC Two on 12 February 2018 and was distributed worldwide via All3Media, which brought Netflix on board to co-finance the series and release it internationally on 9 March 2018. [6] [7] Dazzler Media released a DVD of the series on 26 March 2018. [8]

Cast

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions)
1"Episode 1" S. J. Clarkson David Hare 12 February 2018 (2018-02-12)6.35
Abdullah Asif, a delivery rider at Regal Pizza, is gunned down on the street by a hooded, masked shooter in a southwest London suburb after delivering a pizza to Karen Mars, the ex-wife of the Shadow Minister for Transport David Mars, MP. Newly promoted, DI Kip Glaspie and DS Nathan Bilk are assigned to investigate the case. Glaspie questions the motives of Regal Pizza's manager Laurie Stone, after discovering that Asif was never meant to deliver Karen's pizza, but was sent by Stone in place of Asif's colleague Mikey Gowens. The key witness to the shooting, Linh Xuan Huy, recovering from in the street from a night's clubbing gives the police a false name and address, as she is carrying recreational drugs and having outstayed her visa to remain in the UK. Asif's sisters Fatima and Mona — who are also human-trafficked refugees / immigrants — are soon found, living in a local lock-up garage, by the police and pulled in for questioning. The assassin changes outfit in a public toilet and is revealed to be a woman.
2"Episode 2"S. J. ClarksonDavid Hare19 February 2018 (2018-02-19)5.47
Asif's sisters are removed to Harlsfleet immigration detention centre for unauthorised arrivals without the police's notice. Glaspie and Bilk go over to Essex to question the sisters in the hope they will shed some light on the case. However, M.I.5 officer Sam Spence's interest in the pair and dismissive attitude to the police sparks Glaspie's interest and suggests to her that there is much more to Asif's shooting than initially meets the eye. Bilk and DC Rakhee Shah uncover Stone and Gowens's drug-dealing operation via the pizza deliveries and arrest the latter. The assassin Royal Artillery Captain Sandrine Shaw faces sexual harassment from her commanding officer, Major Tim Dyson, while also being counselled for post-traumatic stress from her last tour of duty where a close fellow officer was killed. Stone is deeply disturbed in discovering her role in Asif's murder and goes to her local church for solace, where Rev. Oliver finds and counsels her. As she returns home, Stone is abducted in a van.
3"Episode 3"S. J. ClarksonDavid Hare26 February 2018 (2018-02-26)5.25
After Stone is found dead in a messy body-dumping on rough ground from a van, Glaspie re-interviews Fatima alone. Bilk, tired of Glaspie's methods, goes behind her back with Spence in an attempt to make progress on the case. Mars comes under scrutiny after making a political gaffe holding a press briefing where he describes Britain as "a nasty little country" in its appalling and hypocritical treatment of unauthorised arrival refugees / immigrants. His day goes from bad to worse after uncovering evidence of Karen's regular use of cannabis and her stealing her au pair's wages that he pays for. Rev. Oliver receives a visit from her gay bishop in a covert relationship, who hypocritically orders her to either cut her open lesbian relationship or leave the parish. Dyson blackmails Shaw into having sex after a rowdy RA dinner.
4"Episode 4"S. J. ClarksonDavid Hare5 March 2018 (2018-03-05)4.91
While armed, Shaw buttonholes Dyson's wife at home in to reveal his history of sexual harassment and rape. Mars eventually faces the music with the Leader of the Opposition, Deborah Clifford, being called into her office in the early hours for a severe reprimand. He calls her out over the disgraceful treatment of refugees, which she brushes off as the hypocrisy is due to the electorate's dislike of immigration. Bilk continues to leak information to Spence in an attempt to get back at Glaspie. After offering, without authority, Asif's sisters leave to remain in the UK in exchange for information, Glaspie is severely berated by Superintendent Jack Haley. The police raid the hotel at which the Asif sisters worked illegally and find Fatima's mobile phone. Securing the arrest of the three Turkish human traffickers, including the undercover M.I.5 agent Berna Yalaz, Glaspie uses her as a bargaining tool to crack the case wide open and finally pursue those responsible for Asif's murder.

Critical reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 79%. The website's critics consensus reads, "Collateral's social commentary is sometimes overbearing, but strong performances cut through an overcrowded script to suggest that good intentions can count for something." [9] Hindustan Times called it "an addictive murder mystery", [10] while First Post said it "manages to ask important questions but doesn't provide any answers". [11]

Accolades

In March 2019, Collateral received two nominations at the 2019 British Academy Television Awards in "Best Photography & Lighting: Fiction" and "British Academy Television Award for Best Supporting Actress" for Billie Piper. [12]

YearAwardCategoryNominee(s)ResultRef.
2019 British Academy Television Awards Best Supporting Actress Billie Piper Nominated [13]
British Academy Television Craft Awards Photography & Lighting – FictionBalazs BolygoNominated [14]

References

  1. ↑ "Netflix Boards BBC Two's 'Collateral'; Billie Piper & More Join David Hare Thriller". Deadline Hollywood. 6 April 2017. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  2. ↑ "Latest News: Collateral". BBC.
  3. ↑ "Full Cast Announced for Thriller Series 'Collateral' Starring Carey Mulligan". Variety. 6 April 2017. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  4. ↑ Singh, Anita (18 January 2018). "Police dramas have been 'done to death' says writer of new BBC police drama". The Telegraph. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
  5. ↑ "Full Cast Announced for Thriller Series 'Collateral' Starring Carey Mulligan". Variety. 6 April 2017. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  6. ↑ "Netflix, Carey Mulligan join BBC drama". TBI Vision. 7 April 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  7. ↑ "Here's Everything New On Netflix March 2018: Movies, Shows, Netflix Originals, And More". Decider. 6 April 2018. Archived from the original on 23 February 2018. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  8. ↑ "Collateral (BBC) [DVD]". Amazon UK. UK. 26 March 2018.
  9. ↑ "Collateral" – via www.rottentomatoes.com.
  10. ↑ Naahar, Rohan (12 March 2018). "Collateral review: Carey Mulligan stars in Netflix's addictive murder mystery and there goes your weekend". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  11. ↑ Sharma, Manik (26 March 2018). "Collateral review: Carey Mulligan delivers a terrific performance in this flawed but timely crime drama". First Post. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  12. ↑ "BAFTA Television 2019: Nominations for the Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards + British Academy Television Craft Awards". BAFTA. 28 March 2019. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  13. ↑ "Television 2019: Winners of the Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards + British Academy Television Craft Awards". BAFTA. 28 March 2019. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  14. ↑ "Television 2019: Winners of the Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards + British Academy Television Craft Awards". BAFTA. 28 March 2019. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.