Messiah (British TV series)

Last updated

Messiah
Genre Crime drama
Created by Boris Starling
Starring Ken Stott
Neil Dudgeon
Frances Grey
Michelle Forbes
Kieran O'Brien
Art Malik
Marc Warren
Jamie Draven
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series5
No. of episodes11 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer Lizzie Mickery
Running time75 min. (Series 1–3)
60 min. (Series 4–5)
Production companies BBC Northern Ireland [1]
CBS Paramount International Television [2]
Original release
Network BBC One
Release26 May 2001 (2001-05-26) –
21 January 2008 (2008-01-21)

Messiah is a British television drama series, broadcast on the BBC One network and is produced as a co-production between BBC Northern Ireland (although the series itself is set in England) and Paramount International Television. Made up of a series of occasional serials, the first, with two parts subtitled The First Killings & The Reckoning, was broadcast in 2001. It has been followed by Messiah 2: Vengeance is Mine (2003), Messiah III: The Promise (2004), Messiah IV: The Harrowing (2005) and most recently Messiah V: The Rapture (2008). The original production was based on a novel by Boris Starling: the subsequent instalments have been written directly for television. Starling has a cameo as a murder victim's corpse in the first serial.

Contents

A crime series, it follows the investigations of DCI Red Metcalfe, who often investigates particularly gruesome murders. Metcalfe is played by Scottish actor Ken Stott, and the other main regulars in the series are Kate Beauchamp (Frances Grey), Duncan Warren (Neil Dudgeon) and Metcalfe's wife Susan (Michelle Forbes). The deafness of Forbes' character necessitated both her and Stott learning British Sign Language for their characters' frequent exchanges.

Cast

Production

Messiah I is the only series to be directly adapted from the novel, and deals with a serial killer who sets out to commit twelve murders in the same vein as the Apostles. The screenplay was written by Lizzie Mickery, who also wrote Messiah II and Messiah III. The series was broadcast over a May bank holiday weekend in 2001, on 26 (Saturday) and 27 (Sunday) May respectively. The series does have some major differences to the novel it was adapted from. For example; the final scenes in the novel take place at Easter 1999, traditionally the time when Judas Iscariot hanged himself. However, the events of the final scenes in the series take place on New Year's Eve 2000. In the novel, Red is seen crashing to the floor with his killer before crucifying them, similar to the death of Jesus Christ. However, in the series, Red's killer tries to hang him from his staircase, before Red and his wife manage to overpower him and he falls to his death from a great height. The way in which the killer falls to their death results in them lying on the floor in the shape of a cross. Red meanwhile manages to pull himself to safety. In the novel, Red hands himself in to the police having committed murder, is interviewed by DS Beauchamp and is subsequently sent to jail. However, in the series, Red is seen simply being taken away in a police car to give his side of the story as to how his killer died. Subsequently, he is found to have been at no fault, thus paving the way for the further serials. The novel also shows Red's marriage to his wife, Susan, falling apart and their subsequent split; however, in the series, this does not occur, and Susan appears in two further sequels. Also, it can be noted that the character of Susan is not deaf in the book, but is in the series.

Messiah II was the first original screenplay written for the series, again written by Lizzie Mickery. The plot deals with a serial killer who murders all those implicated in the wrongful imprisonment of their father. The serial was originally scheduled for broadcast on the August bank holiday weekend of 2002, 24 and 25 August respectively, but was pulled at the last moment because of the Soham Murders; it was eventually broadcast in 2003, on 11 and 12 January respectively. Carl Orff's Fortune plango vulnera and O Fortuna were used as trailer music for the series.

Messiah III was again written by Lizzie Mickery. The plot deals with a prison riot, during which a member of Red's team is held hostage and almost killed. A killer then begins to pick off everyone who threatened or harmed that officer. The series was again broadcast across an August bank holiday weekend, being broadcast on 30 and 31 August 2004 respectively. The first two pieces of Orff's Carmina Burana are used in the trailer for the series.

Messiah IV was for the first time written by Terry Cafolla. The plot deals with a killer who commits a series of elaborate and strange murders based around the killings of The Divine Comedy by Dante. The series was once again broadcast across an August bank holiday, but for the first time was split into three parts, being broadcast on 28, 29 and 30 August 2005 respectively.

Messiah V sees Marc Warren take over as lead actor in the series, appearing as new character DCI Joseph Walker. The series, although loosely connected with the four original series, features an entirely new cast, new writer (this series having been written by Oliver Brown), and largely new format. The plot of this series centres around a massacre in a crack den, followed by an acid attack, the murder of two sisters and a victim discovers with a missing heart. The series was broadcast in January 2008, on 20 and 21 January respectively. The first part of the serial was generally positively received by critics, with The Daily Telegraph stating that despite the show lacking the shock value it had when it first started, the variations on the theme are enough to keep it going, and the directing and pacing remained good. [3] The Herald called the show 'stylishly realised', though also asked why professional detectives would need a priest to figure out the serial killer was sending an apocalyptic message. [4] The Guardian called the plot 'totally loopy' but done well, as well as being frightening. [5]

Episodes

Series 1 (2001)

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date Viewers
(millions)
1"The First Killing" Lizzie Mickery Diarmuid Lawrence7.42m26 May 2001 (2001-05-26)
DCI Red Metcalfe is assigned to investigate the death of a chef found hanging from his landing ceiling, having had his tongue cut out and a silver spoon inserted into his mouth. Subsequently, four further victims come to light, including a bishop who has been beaten to death, a student who is found beheaded by his brother in his flat, a man who is found skinned alive in his chair, and a civil servant who is found slashed to death with a machete. The victims are all soon linked to the twelve apostles, and Metcalfe realises he is slowly running out of time before the killer strikes again. Meanwhile, Metcalfe also tries to come to terms with his brother's release, and DI Duncan Warren has money problems.
2"The Reckoning"Lizzie MickeryDiarmuid Lawrence7.41m27 May 2001 (2001-05-27)
Six more victims are brutally murdered across London, including one victim previously undiscovered, and DCI Red Metcalfe has little to no leads. As he and the team try to protect any possible targets from the killer, forensic examination of a hair sample found on one of the victims leads Red to believe that DI Duncan Warren is responsible for the murders, unaware the hair sample had been planted by the killer. With Warren in custody and a formal statement having been made about his arrest, Metcalfe goes to see his brother Eric, who has been sent an anonymous letter about his brother. Red then realises that Duncan is not the killer, but before he can tell anyone, is confronted by the real killer in his flat.

Series 2 (2003)

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date Viewers
(millions)
1"Vengeance is Mine: Part One"Lizzie MickeryDavid Richards7.72m11 January 2003 (2003-01-11)
DCI Red Metcalfe's brother is knifed to death in the street. A sadistic serial killer is at large, with each body providing an obscure clue to the fate of the next victim. Metcalfe realises that the killer is now seeking bloody vengeance for possible miscarriages of justice. It may be that innocent men been convicted of murder.
2"Vengeance is Mine: Part Two"Lizzie MickeryDavid Richards8.18m12 January 2003 (2003-01-12)
A sadistic killer is striking at the families of officers involved in earlier murder investigations. DCI Red Metcalfe reopens those cases while trying to catch the killer before he strikes again.

Series 3 (2004)

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date Viewers
(millions)
1"The Promise: Part One"Lizzie MickeryDavid Drury7.46m30 August 2004 (2004-08-30)
Prison inmates riot and murder a hostage. When the injured are transferred to hospital, the murders continue. DCI Red Metcalfe and his team struggle to catch the killer before the death toll rises.
2"The Promise: Part Two"Lizzie MickeryDavid Drury7.25m31 August 2004 (2004-08-31)
The death toll at the hospital continues to rise as the chief suspects are murdered. DCI Red Metcalfe uncovers the unwelcome connection between the victims.

Series 4 (2005)

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date Viewers
(millions)
1"The Harrowing: Part One"Terry CafollaPaul Unwin6.60m28 August 2005 (2005-08-28)
Two women are found brutally murdered, with the words "SAVE ME" written in blood by their corpses. DCI Red Metcalfe and his team have to get inside the head of the killer before he strikes again.
2"The Harrowing: Part Two"Terry CafollaPaul Unwin7.08m29 August 2005 (2005-08-29)
The serial killer continues the killing spree, and leaves a clue: the victims and their fates are inspired by the circles of Hell in Dante's Inferno.
3"The Harrowing: Part Three"Terry CafollaPaul Unwin6.85m30 August 2005 (2005-08-30)
Assisted by an authority on Dante, DCI Red Metcalfe knows the "sin" and "punishment" of the next victim, but struggles to establish how the victims are being chosen. He must locate the killer before the macabre sequence is completed.

Series 5 (2008)

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date Viewers
(millions)
1"The Rapture: Part One"Oliver Brown Harry Bradbeer 5.91m20 January 2008 (2008-01-20)
Troubled DCI Joseph Walker investigates the gruesome murder of a key witness and his family, whose necks were slit before being posed around the dining table. The defendant in the original case, accused of the prolonged sexual abuse of his daughter, claims that she has false memory syndrome. Elsewhere, in separate incidents, two sisters are dressed in men's clothing and hanged. When a devout Christian has acid poured into her eyes, Joseph suspects that these are religious hate killings.
2"The Rapture: Part Two"Oliver Brown Harry Bradbeer 5.79m21 January 2008 (2008-01-21)
An attack on a crack house on a run-down council estate sees several drug users brutally slaughtered. Michael Wallace's other daughter insists that her father is innocent of the sexual abuse charges, but she is later found murdered, and with her heart cut out. Joseph, meanwhile, has to consider whether to trust his Palestinian girlfriend.

Related Research Articles

<i>Cracker</i> (British TV series) British television crime drama series (1993–2006)

Cracker is a British crime drama series produced by Granada Television for ITV, created and principally written by Jimmy McGovern. Set in Manchester, the series follows a criminal psychologist, Dr Edward "Fitz" Fitzgerald, played by Robbie Coltrane, who works with the Greater Manchester Police (GMP) to help them solve crimes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marc Warren</span> British actor

Marc Warren is an English actor, known for his British television roles. His roles have included Albert Blithe in Band of Brothers (2001), Danny Blue in Hustle (2003-2007), Dougie Raymond in The Vice, Dominic Foy in State of Play, Rick in Mad Dogs (2011-2013), the Comte de Rochefort in The Musketeers (2015), the Gentleman in Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (2015), and Piet Van Der Valk in TV series Van Der Valk (2020). Other notable credits include Burn Up (2008), and Snatch (2017).

<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.

<i>A Touch of Frost</i> British television detective series (1992–2010)

A Touch of Frost is a British television detective mystery drama series starring David Jason produced by Yorkshire Television for ITV from 6 December 1992 until 5 April 2010, initially based on the Frost novels by R. D. Wingfield. Writing credit for the three episodes in the first 1992 series went to Richard Harris.

<i>Midsomer Murders</i> British television detective drama series

Midsomer Murders is a British crime drama mystery television series, adapted by Anthony Horowitz and Douglas Watkinson from the novels in the Chief Inspector Barnaby book series created by Caroline Graham, and broadcasts on the ITV Network since its premiere on 23 March 1997. The series focuses on various murder cases that take place within small country villages across the fictional English county of Midsomer, and the efforts of the senior police detective and his partner within the fictional Midsomer Constabulary to solve the crime by determining who the culprit is and the motive for their actions. It differs from other detective dramas in featuring a mixture of lighthearted whimsy and dark humour, as well as a notable soundtrack with a title theme that includes a theremin.

<i>Taggart</i> Scottish television detective series (1985–2010)

Taggart is a Scottish detective fiction television programme created by Glenn Chandler, who wrote many of the episodes, and made by STV Studios for the ITV network. It originally ran as the miniseries Killer from 6 until 20 September 1983, before a full series was commissioned that ran from 2 July 1985 until 7 November 2010. The series revolved around a group of detectives initially in the Maryhill CID of Strathclyde Police, though various storylines were set in other parts of Greater Glasgow and in other areas of Scotland. The team operated out of the fictional John Street police station. Mark McManus, who played the title character Jim Taggart, died in 1994. However, the series continued under the same name. Taggart is one of the UK's longest-running television dramas.

Boris Starling is a British novelist, screenwriter and newspaper columnist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ken Stott</span> Scottish stage, television and film actor

Kenneth Campbell Stott is a Scottish stage, television and film actor who won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in 1995 in the play Broken Glass at Royal National Theatre. He portrayed the dwarf Balin in The Hobbit film trilogy (2012–2014).

<i>Wire in the Blood</i> British television crime drama series (2002–2008)

Wire in the Blood is a British crime drama television series, created and produced by Coastal Productions with Tyne Tees Television and broadcast on ITV from 14 November 2002 to 31 October 2008. The series is based on the Tony Hill and Carol Jordan series by Val McDermid, including a university clinical psychologist, Dr Anthony "Tony" Valentine Hill, who is able to tap into his own dark side to get inside the heads of serial killers. Working with detectives, Hill takes on tough and seemingly impenetrable cases in an attempt to track down the killers before they strike again.

Elizabeth Mickery is a British writer and former actress. She was known for her role as Maggie Thorpe in the BBC television drama series Tenko, roles in Emmerdale Farm, Juliet Bravo, Lovejoy, Heartbeat, Woof!, The Merryhill Millionaires, Dogfood Dan and the Carmarthen Cowboy and Holby City.

Neil Dudgeon is an English actor who, since 2010, has played DCI John Barnaby in the ITV drama series Midsomer Murders. He replaced John Nettles in the lead role in 2011.

<i>Messiah</i> (Starling novel) 1999 novel by Boris Starling

Messiah is a thriller novel by British writer Boris Starling, published in 1999. Following the success of the novel, a sequel, Storm (2000), was also released.

<i>The Bill</i> series 20 Season of television series

Series 20 of British television drama The Bill was broadcast from 7 January until 30 December 2004, and continued to use the serialized format introduced by Paul Marquess during Series 18.

Above Suspicion is a British crime drama based on the series of Anna Travis novels written by Lynda La Plante. The series stars Kelly Reilly and Ciarán Hinds as the protagonists Anna Travis and James Langton. Four series were broadcast over a total of four years on ITV. The first episode was broadcast on 4 January 2009, and the final episode on 28 January 2012. The first three series all aired on consecutive nights; whereas the fourth series a more traditional weekly format.

<i>Out of the Blue</i> (1995 TV series) 1995 "`UNIQ--templatestyles-00000002-QINU`" TV series or program

Out of the Blue is a British television crime drama series, set and filmed in Sheffield, and broadcast on BBC One between 23 May 1995, and 9 September 1996. A total of twelve episodes were broadcast across two series. John Hannah and David Morrissey starred as the main protagonists in each respective series. Out of the Blue follows a team of detectives at Brazen Gate CID through grisly murder cases, clashes with an already-divided community and through the dramas of their personal lives. The series ultimately received acclaim from critics, but did not pull in the expected viewing figures, and was subsequently axed after the second series. The complete series is due for release on DVD by Simply Media 10 July 2017.

Instinct is a two-part drama serial which premièred on ITV on 26 February 2007. It was created and written by Lizzie Mickery, and produced by Tightrope Pictures for ITV. The serial follows Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Flynn, played by Anthony Flanagan, as he hunts a serial killer in the Lancashire Pennines, while dealing with a troubled personal life.

<i>Unforgotten</i> British crime drama series (2015–)

Unforgotten is a British crime drama television series, which initially aired on ITV on 8 October 2015. It was created and written by Chris Lang and directed by Andy Wilson. The programme follows a team of London detectives led by DCI Cassie Stuart, DCI Jessie James and DI Sunny Khan as they solve cold cases of disappearance and murder.

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.

References

  1. ↑ https://www.c21media.net/news/paramount-and-bbc-ni-to-revisit-messiah/
  2. ↑ https://www.c21media.net/news/paramount-and-bbc-ni-to-revisit-messiah/
  3. ↑ Walton, James (21 January 2008). "Telegraph TV pick: Messiah V - The Rapture". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 15 February 2008. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
  4. ↑ "Messiah: little short of a revelation". The Herald. 21 January 2008. Archived from the original on 15 February 2008.
  5. ↑ Wollaston, Sam (21 January 2008). "Last Night's TV". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
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.