Houdini & Doyle

Last updated

Houdini & Doyle
Genre
Created by
Starring
ComposerJames Jandrisch
Country of origin
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes10
Production
Executive producers
Producer Adrian Sturges
Production locations The Space Project, Manchester, England
CinematographyPhilipp Blaubach
Stephen Reizes
EditorsJohn Smith
D. Gillian Truster
Paul G. Day
Stephen Philipson
Camera setup Single-camera
Running time60 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network
ReleaseMarch 13 (2016-03-13) 
July 4, 2016 (2016-07-04)

Houdini & Doyle is a British television drama series loosely based on the real-world friendship of Harry Houdini and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. A 10-episode first season was ordered by Fox in the United States, ITV in the United Kingdom, and Global in Canada. [2] [3] The pilot episode was written by co-creators David Hoselton and David Titcher. [3] The first episode was broadcast simultaneously on ITV and ITV Encore on Sunday 13 March 2016. [4] [5]

Contents

On August 3, 2016, Fox cancelled the series after one season. [6]

Premise

Harry Houdini is a cynical skeptic and atheist whereas Dr. Arthur Conan Doyle is a believer in the paranormal and supernatural. The drama opens in 1901 London, shortly after the publication of Doyle's The Great Boer War . Houdini and Doyle become involved in the investigation of several mysterious deaths. They debate over whether the causes are natural or supernatural, and often bet on the cause, which causes their police liaison, Constable Adelaide Stratton, some embarrassment.

Cast

Main

Recurring

Guest

Production

The series was a treaty co-production between Big Talk Productions in the UK, and Shaftesbury Films in Canada, in association with Sony Pictures Television in the US, where executive producer David Shore's Shore Z Productions is based. [12] It was filmed in two stages at The Space Project in Manchester with Liverpool Town Hall and Water Street being used for some of the exterior filming. [13] [14]

Broadcast

The series premiered on ITV and ITV Encore in the United Kingdom on the 13 March 2016. [15] It premiered on the 2 May 2016, on Global in Canada and Fox in the United States. [16] [17] The series aired on RTÉ in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland on the 18 May 2016 [18] The series aired on Tokyo MX in Tokyo, Japan on the 9 July 2019 [19]

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal
air date (UK)
Canada &
U.S. air date
US viewers
(millions)
1"The Maggie's Redress" Stephen Hopkins Story by: David Hoselton & David Titcher
Teleplay by: David Hoselton
13 March 2016 (2016-03-13)May 2, 20162.62 [20]
Adelaide Stratton, Scotland Yard's first female constable, investigates the death of a murdered nun at a convent. Houdini and Doyle join the case as consultants when a witness claims the nun was murdered by the ghost of a young unwed mother who died at the convent six months ago.
2"A Dish of Adharma"Stephen HopkinsDavid Hoselton17 March 2016 (2016-03-17)May 9, 20162.36 [21]
A 12-year old boy shoots well-known suffragette Lydia Belworth (Laura Fraser), but not fatally. Houdini and Doyle get involved when the boy claims he is the reincarnation of a man whom he says Belworth murdered.
3"In Manus Dei"Daniel O'HaraMelissa R. Byer & Treena Hancock24 March 2016 (2016-03-24)May 16, 20162.42 [22]
Houdini, Doyle and Adelaide investigate a faith healer when a heckler drops dead at one of the healer's public sessions. The healer appears to have the power he claims when he pays a visit to Doyle's wife who soon awakes from her coma, while doubter Houdini is overcome with boils and a debilitating illness.
4"Spring-Heel'd Jack"Daniel O'Hara Carl Binder 31 March 2016 (2016-03-31)May 23, 20162.62 [23]
The death of a motorcar entrepreneur is initially attributed to a mysterious dark demon, the legend of which goes back several decades. When a second murder is attributed to the same demon, Houdini and Doyle try to determine if the legend may be true.
5"The Curse of Korzha" Ed Bazalgette Joshua Brandon7 April 2016 (2016-04-07)May 30, 20162.02 [24]
Madame Korzha (Emily Hampshire), a travelling medium, uses her powers to help the local police find a missing girl. While Doyle believes some people have psychic powers, Houdini remains skeptical, especially when Korzha is unable to locate another missing girl. Doyle is also taken aback when Korzha predicts Adelaide's demise.
6"The Monsters of Nethermoor"Ed Bazalgette Nazrin Choudhury 14 April 2016 (2016-04-14)June 6, 20162.50 [25]
When a young man wakes up naked in a burned out circle claiming that his wife was kidnapped by aliens, Houdini becomes the believer and Doyle the skeptic.
7"Bedlam" Robert Lieberman David Titcher21 April 2016 (2016-04-21)June 13, 20161.66 [26]
When people start to seemingly become scared to death, the gang sets out to find the source and are led to Bethlem Hospital, where Doyle has a mysterious connection.
8"Strigoi"Robert LiebermanCarl Binder28 April 2016 (2016-04-28)June 20, 20161.79 [27]
When the housemaid of Doyle's old friend Bram Stoker is murdered with a stake through the heart, suspicions arise that Stoker may either be the killer...or a vampire.
9"Necromanteion"Jeff RenfroeMelissa R. Byer and Treena Hancock5 May 2016 (2016-05-05)June 27, 20161.75 [28]
While Houdini visits New York to bury his mother, Doyle and Adelaide investigate a murderous poltergeist in Canada, encountering Thomas Edison (played by Peter Outerbridge) with his newest invention, the Necrophone, a device for communicating with the dead.
10"The Pall of LaPier"Jeff RenfroeDavid Hoselton12 May 2016 (2016-05-12)July 4, 20161.69 [29]
The trio investigate a small town where almost everyone died simultaneously with no visible cause. However Adelaide is distracted by the revelation that her husband faked his death, while Houdini continues to see his mother's ghost, and fears he is going mad.

Reception

Ratings

EpisodeU.S. ratingsCanadian ratingsUnited Kingdom ratings [30]
Original air dateLiveRank
(18–49)
Live+7Original air dateLive+7Rank
(viewers)
Original air dateLive+7Live+28Rank
(viewers)
Viewers
(millions)
Rating/share
(18–49)
NightWeekViewers
(millions)
Rating/share
(18–49)
Viewers
(millions)
NightWeekViewersViewersNightWeek
"The Maggie's Redress"2 May 20162.62 [20] 0.7/2 [31] 2 [31] TBATBATBA2 May 2016TBATBATBA13 March 201693,000 [lower-alpha 1] 130,000 [lower-alpha 1] 11
"A Dish of Adharma"9 May 20162.36 [21] 0.6/2 [21] 2 [21] TBATBATBA9 May 2016TBATBATBA17 March 201693,000145,00011
"In Manus Dei"16 May 20162.42 [22] 0.7/2 [22] 2 [22] TBATBATBA16 May 2016TBATBATBA24 March 2016102,000130,00011
"Spring-Heel'd Jack"23 May 20162.62 [23] 0.6/2 [23] 3 [23] TBATBATBA23 May 2016TBATBATBA31 March 201681,000124,00011 [lower-alpha 2]
"The Curse of Korzha"30 May 20162.02 [24] 0.5/1 [24] 2 [24] TBATBATBA30 May 2016TBATBATBA7 April 201699,000 [lower-alpha 3] 155,000 [lower-alpha 3] 11
"The Monsters of Neithermoor"6 June 20162.50 [25] 0.6/2 [25] 2 [25] TBATBATBA6 June 2016TBATBATBA14 April 2016113,000 [lower-alpha 4] 139,000 [lower-alpha 4] 11
"Bedlam"13 June 20161.66 [26] 0.4/1 [26] 3 [26] TBATBATBA13 June 2016TBATBATBA21 April 201696,000 [lower-alpha 5] 122,000 [lower-alpha 5] 11
"Strigoi"20 June 20161.79 [27] 0.4/2 [27] 2 [27] TBATBATBA20 June 2016TBATBATBA28 April 201698,000123,00011
"Necromanteion"27 June 20161.75 [28] 0.4/1 [28] 3 [28] TBATBATBA27 June 2016TBATBATBA5 May 201681,000101,00011
"The Pall of LaPier"4 July 20161.69 [29] 0.4/2 [29] 2 [29] TBATBATBA4 July 2016TBATBATBA12 May 201669,000 [lower-alpha 6] 93,000 [lower-alpha 6] 11
  1. 1 2 Plus 18,000 on +1
  2. Ranked #2 for the week in Live+7.
  3. 1 2 Plus 10,000 on +1
  4. 1 2 Plus 9,000 on +1
  5. 1 2 Plus 7,000 on +1
  6. 1 2 Plus 7,000 on +1

See also

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