Pure Wickedness

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Pure Wickedness
Genre Drama
Written by Lucy Gannon
Directed by Harry Hook
Starring
Composer John E. Keane
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes4
Production
Executive producer Jane Tranter
ProducerJoy Spink
Production locations Derbyshire, England, UK
Cinematography Sue Gibson
EditorLiz Webber
Running time50 minutes
Production company BBC Studios
Original release
Network BBC One
Release14 September (1999-09-14) –
5 October 1999 (1999-10-05)

Pure Wickedness is a four-part British television drama series, created and written by Lucy Gannon and directed by Harry Hook, that first broadcast on BBC One between 14 September and 5 October 1999.

Contents

The series was broadcast on Tuesdays at 21:30, [1] and was also repeated on Saturdays and Tuesdays on BBC Choice.

Premise

Set in Derbyshire, the series deals with the aftermath of adultery. [2] It is centred Jenny (Orla Brady) and Geoff's (Kevin Whately) marriage, which is disrupted when Jenny begins an affair with window-cleaner Frank (David Morrissey). [3]

Cast

Episodes

List of episodes [4]
No. in
series		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
1"Episode 1" Harry Hook Lucy Gannon 14 September 1999 (1999-09-14)
After 14 years of a happy marriage, Jenny meets the handsome Frank and is immediately attracted to him. Frank, a window cleaner, is married with four children. [5]
2"Episode 2"Harry HookLucy Gannon21 September 1999 (1999-09-21)
Jenny throws herself headlong into the affair. [6]
3"Episode 3"Harry HookLucy Gannon28 September 1999 (1999-09-28)
Jenny faces an emotional tug of war. [7]
4"Episode 4"Harry HookLucy Gannon5 October 1999 (1999-10-05)
Eighteen months after her affair, Jenny decides to leave her family. [8]

Production

Principal photography took place in Derbyshire, Kent and London in 1998. [9] On-location filming locations included Matlock, Thorpe Cloud, Chesterfield and Belper, while indoor scenes were filmed in London. This coincided with showrunner Lucy Gannon's move back to Derbyshire, where she chose to set the series. [10]

Reception

Peter Salmon of The Guardian gave the series a mixed review, writing; "It's not about poaching stars; it's not about imitating innovative formats. It [the BBC 1 schedule] is about ambition, quality, commitment and talent." [11] Fiona Looney of the Sunday Tribune wrote suggested the relationship between Jenny and Frank lacked "an undercurrent of passion". [12] Sean Day-Lewis of Country Life gave a more positive review, praising Gannon's "unfailingly true" characters and dialogue. [13]

Home media

The series has yet to be released on DVD or VHS.

References

  1. ↑ "Pick of the Day: Pure Wickedness". Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette. 14 September 1999. Retrieved 13 January 2026.(subscription required)
  2. ↑ Barnes, Angela (11 September 1999). "Dangerous passions: The emotional aftermath of adultery rips through two Derbyshire families in Lucy Gannon's new four-part BBC 1 serial. Pure Wickedness". Yorkshire Evening Post. Retrieved 13 January 2026.(subscription required)
  3. ↑ "Pure Wickedness". Country Life. 16 September 1999. Retrieved 13 January 2026.(subscription required)
  4. ↑ "Search Results - BBC Genome". BBC Genome. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
  5. ↑ "British Film Institute". BFI. 14 September 1999. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
  6. ↑ "British Film Institute". BFI. 21 September 1999. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
  7. ↑ "British Film Institute". BFI. 28 September 1999. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
  8. ↑ "British Film Institute". BFI. 5 October 1999. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
  9. ↑ "New series: In production". The Stage. 5 November 1998. Retrieved 13 January 2026.(subscription required)
  10. ↑ Eley, Ruth (7 November 1998). "Derbyshire calls for writer Lucy". Derby Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 13 January 2026.(subscription required)
  11. ↑ "Autumn Schedule Fightback by BBC". The Guardian. 11 August 1999. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
  12. ↑ Looney, Fiona (19 September 1999). "What's the story… with Pure Wickedness?". Sunday Tribune. Retrieved 13 January 2026.(subscription required)
  13. ↑ Day-Lewis, Sean. "Performing Arts: Television". Country Life. Retrieved 13 January 2026.(subscription required)
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