Fearless (British TV series)

Last updated

Fearless
Fearless (TV series).jpg
Genre Crime thriller
Created byPatrick Harbinson
Written byPatrick Harbinson
Directed by Pete Travis
Creative directorRebecca Keane
Starring
Opening themeBack from the Fire by Gold Brother
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes6 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producersPatrick Harbinson
Damien Timmer
Tom Mullens
ProducerAdrian Sturges
Production locations London, England
EditorsMatt Platt-Mills
Sigvaldi J. Karason
Malcolm Crowe
Running time45 minutes
Production company Mammoth Screen
Original release
Network ITV
Release12 June (2017-06-12) –
17 July 2017 (2017-07-17)

Fearless is a six-part British crime thriller television drama series created by screenwriter Patrick Harbinson and broadcast on ITV in 2017. [1] The series follows human-rights lawyer Emma Banville (Helen McCrory) as she tries to prove convicted murderer Kevin Russell innocent of the murder of schoolgirl Linda Simms 14 years earlier. Russell asserts that he is innocent of the crime, and Emma believes that his conviction was a miscarriage of justice. She goes to extreme lengths to discover the truth. [2]

Contents

Supporting cast includes Michael Gambon as influential former Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet Office Sir Alastair McKinnon, Jonathan Forbes as Emma's colleague Dominic Truelove, Wunmi Mosaku as DCS Olivia Greenwood, the Investigating Officer on the Linda Simms case, and John Bishop as Emma's boyfriend Steve Livesey. [3]

Filming for the series began in September 2016 in London and East Anglia. [4] The series debuted on ITV in the UK on 12 June 2017 and has received positive reviews, with critics praising Helen McCrory's performance. [5] [6] However, the show was cancelled in March 2018 after one series. [7]

Cast

Main cast

Supporting cast

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions)
1"Episode 1" Pete Travis Patrick Harbinson12 June 2017 (2017-06-12)7.16
After being contacted by his ex-fiancée Annie Peterson, human rights lawyer Emma Banville takes up the case of convicted killer Kevin Russell, who is serving a life sentence for the murder of Linda Simms, 15, who had been assaulted and buried alive at the school where Kevin was working as a janitor at the time of her death in February 2003. The audio tape of his confession and a visit to the school where Linda's body was found leads Emma to suspect Kevin was wrongfully convicted. Linda's grieving parents alert the press in an attempt to change Emma's mind, leading to Kevin's family being harassed and him being assaulted in prison. Emma successfully gets his conviction thrown out on the basis of a clearly coerced confession, but he will be tried a second time. Emma faces the wrath of the original investigator, Olivia Greenwood, who plans to introduce new evidence of his guilt. Events in Emma's personal life fail to make the case any easier. While taking care of a Syrian refugee and her baby, Emma prepares to adopt a child with her boyfriend, Steve, all while dealing with negative headlines and comforting her terminally ill father, Arthur.
2"Episode 2"Pete TravisPatrick Harbinson19 June 2017 (2017-06-19)4.92
Kevin is forced to move in with Emma after he is released on bail, as even his own 14-year-old son, Jason, believes he is guilty. Ambitious young MP Matthew Wild, who knows Linda's family, refuses to appeal to them to approve the request for their daughter's body to be exhumed. Emma receives provocative photos of Linda Simms taken at Kevin's former janitor shed. The photos, professionally taken by photojournalist Tony Pullings, include one of Linda in only her bra wearing an F-14 pin. This plus the forensics report, which indicate Linda had inhaled soil with traces of jet fuel before suffocating, lead Emma to suspect the teenager had originally been buried at a nearby air base in Suffolk, which at the time of her murder was being used by the Americans in the lead up to the Iraq War. Meanwhile, CIA agent Heather Myles, who would rather Kevin stay in prison, wants access to the Syrian refugee staying with Emma, Miriam Attar, whose husband, Dr. Yusef Attar, is accused of being in ISIS and is being represented by Emma. Myles approaches DCS Olivia Greenwood, who now works with the Counter Terrorism Command (CTC), and promises her access to NSA surveillance on Emma's home. Greenwood at first refuses, but changes her mind when Emma leaks the photos of Linda to the press. Dominic Truelove, Emma's legal assistant, is the victim of a hit-and-run ordered by Myles when he is observing Pullings. The police raid Emma's home and take Miriam after they claim a call from there was made to a known ISIS number in Raqqa. Kevin is arrested and returned to prison when he comes to Miriam's aid.
3"Episode 3"Pete TravisPatrick Harbinson26 June 2017 (2017-06-26)4.90
A young woman named Siobhan Murphy contacts Emma and tells her Pullings took pornographic photos of her as well when she was 15, and that she was brought to parties to meet rich men. Matthew Wild's wife, Laura, meets Linda's family and, appearing moved after visiting Linda's old room, suggests writing Kevin and appealing to him as a father to stop the exhumation. Dominic tracks Pullings to a safehouse, where he spots the same van that hit him. Olivia wants the SIM card that was missing from Miriam's phone, which she slipped into Emma's pocket before being taken away. Emma informs Olivia about Pullings and asks her to look up the plate number of the van, which Olivia discovers belongs to a firm that provides additional security to U.S. embassies. Already suspicious of Myles, Olivia demands to know why the Americans are so interested in Kevin's case. After Myles subtly threatens Olivia's career, Olivia lies to Emma and says the car belongs to a UK firm that does security for media. A judge grants the request to exhume Linda's body; the new coroner's report contradicts the police theory of the crime. Linda had not been struck in the legs and in the head with a shovel, as Kevin said in his false confession. Linda's leg injuries were consistent with bumper fractures from being struck by a car, and trace residue from bitumen showed her head injury came from striking the road. Annie, Kevin's former girlfriend, confirms that the weekend Linda disappeared, she had taken their car out of town for one final trip before she gave birth. At Kevin's trial, Pullings confirms taking photos of Linda but claims he didn't know how young she was; he also says he never took girls to any parties. Siobhan refuses to testify after Myles approaches her with Pullings' naked photos of her and gets her to believe that the photos will become public record and ruin her life. Two associates of Yusef Attar demand Miriam's SIM card, but Emma refuses, saying she will only give it to Yusef. After the police raid on her house, Emma's approval to become a foster parent is revoked.
4"Episode 4"Pete TravisPatrick Harbinson3 July 2017 (2017-07-03)5.23
Kevin's trial appears heading toward an acquittal until a crime scene photograph from his workshop shows a set of keys to the school van, which he is forced to admit he could have driven that weekend. Against Emma's advice, he takes a deal in which he pleads not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. The terms of the deal allow him to walk free as he had already served the sentence he would have received for manslaughter. Kevin, bolstered by his son's presence in the court during the trial, is sure Jason now knows he is innocent, and he is eager to establish a relationship with his son. When Annie brings Jason to meet his father at a café, Jason calls his father a murderer for hitting Linda and burying her alive. Heartbroken, Kevin walks into the street and is hit by a lorry. He barely survives and ends up in a coma. Emma wants to find Pullings, but Olivia wants to know where Yusef is, which Emma cannot reveal. Emma, though she knows she is being tracked, travels to Birmingham and turns off her phone. This attracts the attention of Olivia and her CTC team. Emma is taken by the same two men to a house where Yusef is. She questions him and realises he is working with ISIS. When she tells him she did not bring the SIM card, he angrily has the two men take her away. She confirms he has fired her as his lawyer before she covertly reactivates her phone, alerting the CTC to Yusef's location. Olivia texts her Pullings' location, and with Dominic's assistance, they get the name of the American soldier Linda was involved with: Logan Bradley, then just 17 himself. Emma travels to Washington, D.C. to meet Logan, who at first denies knowing Linda. When Emma tells him she knows he was transferred off the base within 24 hours of Linda's death, Logan panics but insists he never hurt anybody and warns her to leave. Air Force police then arrive and arrest Emma.
5"Episode 5"Pete TravisPatrick Harbinson10 July 2017 (2017-07-10)5.04
Under Myles' orders, Emma is taken to Andrews Air Force Base under armed guard. Myles refuses to answer questions and insists the matter is national security. Another soldier, however, allows Logan to secretly meet with Emma. He explains that he met Linda in England through her uncle, who delivered supplies to the base from the Simms' pub. He said he and Linda were lovestruck teenagers and planned on getting married when he returned from Iraq. The night Linda disappeared, she had planned on going to the base with her friends but the base was closed to civilians because of the arrivals of VIPs. He said that when he found out that Linda was missing, he told his commanding officer that he had been dating her, and was immediately sent to the Mid East, and that if he ever told anyone he had been involved with her, he would be sent to Guantánamo. He informs Emma that once again, he is being sent overseas, this time with his wife and daughter. Back in England, Matthew Wild is elected Leader of the Opposition, after campaigning to support his fellow veterans and not repeat the mistakes of the Iraq War. Dominic and others discover she is being held at Andrews, where she is interrogated and threatened, but she refuses to divulge any information. Myles tries stall on releasing her, but Jack Kretchmer, the former Under Secretary of Defense during the Iraq War, tells her to give it up. Olivia, who was promoted to Chief Superintendent after Yusef's arrest, calls Myles and tells her documents on Yusef's computer prove that Emma was more involved than they suspected, and that she knows the name of his financial backers. Myles is happy to send Emma back, but Olivia's phone call turns out to be a ploy to secure her release.
6"Episode 6"Pete TravisPatrick Harbinson17 July 2017 (2017-07-17)5.26
Emma arrives at the hospital, Kevin having already passed away. Blaming herself for his death, she leaves a meeting at the firm where they discuss the closing of the Attar and Russell cases. Greenwood provides the information for Emma to reach Rachel's mother, revealing that she has been suspended for her actions with Emma. Brooks presses Greenwood for information on why Myles is so interested in Emma. While visiting she discovers that Wild's wife is the missing Rachel who agreed to help cover up the death of Linda in exchange for a better life. Myles prepares to set up the murder of Emma and to make it look like it was revenge from Attar's people. Greenwood warns her of the risks. Whilst Emma confronts Rachel, Matthew arrives home and realizes that Emma's car has a bomb under it and chooses to warn her about it. She prompts him to tell her what happened the night of Linda's death.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Gambon</span> Irish-English actor (1940–2023)

Sir Michael John Gambon was an Irish-English actor. Gambon started his acting career with Laurence Olivier as one of the original members of the Royal National Theatre. Over his six-decade-long career, he received three Olivier Awards and four BAFTA TV Awards. In 1998, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for services to drama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julie Walters</span> English actress (b. 1950)

Dame Julia Mary Walters is an English actress. She is the recipient of four British Academy Television Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, two International Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and a Laurence Olivier Award.

<i>State of Play</i> (TV series) 2003 British drama series by Paul Abbott

State of Play is a British television drama series, written by Paul Abbott and directed by David Yates, that was first broadcast on BBC One in 2003. The series tells the story of a newspaper's investigation into the death of a political researcher, and centres on the relationship between the leading journalist, Cal McCaffrey, and his old friend, Stephen Collins, who is a Member of Parliament and the murdered woman's employer. The series is primarily set in London and was produced in-house by the BBC in association with the independent production company Endor Productions. The series stars David Morrissey, John Simm, Kelly Macdonald, Polly Walker, Bill Nighy, and James McAvoy in the main roles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rebecca Callard</span> British actress

Rebecca Jayne Callard is an English actress and writer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Women's Hall of Fame</span> American institution created in 1969

The National Women's Hall of Fame (NWHF) is an American institution founded to honor and recognize women. It was incorporated in 1969 in Seneca Falls, New York, and first inducted honorees in 1973. As of 2021, it had 303 inductees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Simm</span> English actor, director and musician

John Ronald Simm is an English actor, director, and musician. He is best known for playing Sam Tyler in Life on Mars, the Master in Doctor Who, and DS Roy Grace in Grace. His other television credits include State of Play, The Lakes, Crime and Punishment, Exile, Prey, and Cracker. His film roles include Wonderland, Everyday, Boston Kickout, Human Traffic and 24 Hour Party People. He has twice been nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor and the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ricky Wilson (singer)</span> British singer (born 1978)

Charles Richard Wilson is an English singer and the frontman of five-piece rock band Kaiser Chiefs. Before the formation of the band, in 2003, Wilson was a member of the band Runston Parva, which consisted of members of Kaiser Chiefs. In September 2013, Wilson was confirmed as a coach on The Voice UK. He was the winning coach for both the fourth and fifth series of the show, being the first coach to win two years consecutively. Wilson left the show after three series, following the show's move to ITV.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helen McCrory</span> British actress (1968–2021)

Helen Elizabeth McCrory was an English actress. After studying at the Drama Centre London, she made her stage debut in The Importance of Being Earnest in 1990. Other stage roles include playing Lady Macbeth in Macbeth at Shakespeare's Globe, Olivia in Twelfth Night, Rosalind in As You Like It in the West End, and Medea in the eponymous play in the Royal National Theatre.

Allie Esiri, formerly Allie Byrne, is a British writer/poetry curator and former stage, film, and television actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wunmi Mosaku</span> British-Nigerian actress (born 1986)

Oluwunmi Mosaku is a Nigerian-born British actress. She is known for her roles as Joy in the BBC Two miniseries Moses Jones (2009) and Holly Lawson in the ITV series Vera (2011–2012). She won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Gloria Taylor in the TV film Damilola, Our Loved Boy (2016). In 2019, she starred in the fifth series of Luther. In 2020, she starred as Ruby Baptiste in HBO's Lovecraft Country, and starting in 2021, starred as Hunter B-15 in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) television series Loki.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dorothy Peterson</span> American actress

Bergetta "Dorothy" Peterson was an American actress. She began her acting career on Broadway before appearing in more than eighty Hollywood films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael A. Walker</span> English screenwriter

Michael A. Walker is an English film and television screenwriter. Winner and nominee of over 15 awards for his produced work, he has written on several major television series, such as Devils, Collision, The Swarm, and Young Wallander.

Father & Son is a four-part Irish television crime thriller produced by Left Bank Pictures and Octagon Films. The series was broadcast in the Republic of Ireland on RTÉ One and in the United Kingdom on ITV.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Callum Turner</span> British actor (born 1990)

Callum Robilliard Turner is a British actor. After beginning a career as a fashion model, he began working in film and television. He had lead roles in the drama film Queen and Country (2014) and the mystery miniseries Glue (2014), and played Theseus, the brother of Newt Scamander, in the fantasy films Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018) and Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022).

<i>Paranoid</i> (TV series) British TV series or programme

Paranoid is a British crime drama, which began broadcasting on ITV on 22 September 2016, and streaming internationally on Netflix in 2016. The eight-part series focuses on a group of UK detectives working for the fictional Woodmere police force attempting to solve the murder of a local doctor who is stabbed at a children's playground. During the course of their investigation, the detectives discover the murder has links to a German pharmaceutical company and they enlist the help of their German colleagues in Düsseldorf to find the killer. Indira Varma, Robert Glenister, and Dino Fetscher star as main protagonists DS Nina Suresh, DC Bobby Day, and DC Alec Wayfield, respectively.

The Loch is a six-part British television drama series, created by screenwriter Stephen Brady, that first broadcast on ITV on 11 June 2017. The series follows DS Annie Redford, a small town police officer with the Scottish Highland Police as she investigates the murder of piano teacher Niall Swift, who is found dead at the bottom of a cliff in the picturesque village of Lochnafoy, Loch Fyne, Inveraray. When it becomes apparent that part of Swift's brain has been removed, and a human heart belonging to another victim is found close by, Annie's team realise they are searching for a serial killer. In response, Glasgow based major investigation detective DCI Lauren Quigley is brought in to lead the enquiry.

<i>Alex Strangelove</i> 2018 American romantic comedy film

Alex Strangelove is a 2018 American romantic comedy film, written and directed by Craig Johnson and starring Daniel Doheny, Antonio Marziale and Madeline Weinstein.

Sam Swainsbury is an English actor, known for his roles as Jason in the BBC sitcom Mum and the Stonehenge TV reporter in Thor: The Dark World. Sam Swainsbury was born on 23 August 1990 in Boston, Lincolnshire, England, UK.

References

  1. ↑ "ITV Media | Fearless". www.itvmedia.co.uk. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  2. ↑ "Fearless Press Pack" (PDF). ITV Press Centre. 6 June 2017. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  3. ↑ "Sir Michael Gambon joins the cast of ITV's Fearless". ITV Press Centre. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  4. ↑ "ITV Media | Fearless". www.itvmedia.co.uk. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  5. ↑ Mangan, Lucy (13 June 2017). "Fearless review – Helen McCrory shines in a fabulously classy thriller". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  6. ↑ "Fearless episode 1 review: Homeland comes to East Anglia". The Telegraph. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  7. ↑ "ITV ditches the Nightly Show, Bigheads and Fearless for 'underperforming'". March 2018.
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.