Strangers (2018 TV series)

Last updated

Strangers
Genre Crime drama
Created by
  • Mark Denton
  • Jonny Stockwood
Written by
Directed byPaul Andrew Williams
Starring
ComposerRaffertie
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes8 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Harry Williams
  • Jack Williams
  • Paul Andrew Williams
  • John Simm
  • Mark Denton
  • Jonny Stockwood
ProducerMatthew Bird
CinematographyEben Bolter
Editors
  • Liana Del Giudice
  • Charlene Short
Running time44 minutes
Production company Two Brothers Pictures
Original release
Network ITV
Release10 September (2018-09-10) –
29 October 2018 (2018-10-29)

Strangers is a British television crime drama series, principally written and created by Mark Denton and Jonny Stockwood, that was first broadcast on ITV on 10 September 2018. [1] Originally titled White Dragon, the series was principally filmed in Hong Kong and is notable for featuring the first English-speaking role for award-winning actor Anthony Wong. [1]

Contents

Aside from Wong, John Simm stars as the principal character, Professor Jonah Mulray, alongside Dervla Kirwan as his wife Megan; Emilia Fox as Sally Porter, the second British Secretary; Katie Leung as Lau Chen, David and Megan's daughter; and Tom Wu as Daniel Tsui, a senior detective working for the Hong Kong police. [2] Prior to the television premiere, the first episode was made available to watch four days early on both the ITV Hub and STV Player as a "Player Première". [3] [4] [5]

Plot

Professor Jonah Mulray's life is turned upside-down when his wife, Megan (Dervla Kirwan), is killed in a car crash in Hong Kong. Although she lived and worked there half her life, Jonah has never been. He lives a small, sheltered life, and his fear of flying has kept him in London. But now he has no choice but to travel to the other side of the world to identify the body of the woman he loved. [1]

Not long after arriving in Hong Kong, Jonah makes a shocking discovery about his wife. Jonah is drawn deeper and deeper into a web of conspiracy as he comes to terms with this utterly alien and unfamiliar environment, battling to uncover the truth about his wife's death. [1]

Cast

Production

Harry and Jack Williams, principally known for mystery drama series The Missing , were executive producers of the series, as well as contributing to the script. [1] Paul Andrew Williams was the sole director for all eight episodes. [1]

Episodes

EpisodeTitle [6] Written by [7] Directed by [7] Original airdate [6] Viewers
(millions) [8]
1"Episode 1"Mark Denton & Jonny Stockwood Paul Andrew Williams 6 September 2018 (ITV Hub) [3]
10 September 2018 (2018-09-10)(ITV) [1] 		7.22
University lecturer Professor Jonah Mulray is heartbroken when the police arrive at his place of work to inform him that his wife, Megan, has been killed in a car crash in Hong Kong. Determined to find out what happened in her final hours, Jonah flies to Hong Kong only to be confronted by the revelation that Megan had a second husband, former cop David Chen.
2"Episode 2"Mark Denton & Jonny StockwoodPaul Andrew Williams17 September 2018 (2018-09-17)6.36
Jonah confronts the police with evidence confirming that Megan was murdered - namely a phone message which features an audible gunshot. But after having his phone taken into custody as evidence, Jonah discovers the message has been edited. When Megan's corpse later disappears from the morgue, Jonah fears he may be caught in the middle of a conspiracy.
3"Episode 3"Mark Denton & Jonny StockwoodPaul Andrew Williams24 September 2018 (2018-09-24)6.36
David admits to knowing that Megan was murdered, having seen the bullet wound on her corpse. Jonah discovers photos on Megan's laptop which leads him and David to a local recycling centre, where they steal a hard drive containing footage of the man driving the truck that ploughed into Megan. Jonah also finds two false passports bearing Megan's photograph.
4"Episode 4"Marston BloomPaul Andrew Williams1 October 2018 (2018-10-01)6.10
David goes off the grid, forcing an increasingly anxious Jonah to manipulating Lau to find out where he has gone. He tracks him down to a casino in Macau, where he witnesses him handing over the hard drive containing footage of the truck driver that killed Megan to Kai Huang, a member of a known Triad family whom David was reportedly taking bribes from.
5"Episode 5"Fred Armesto & Adam GyngellPaul Andrew Williams8 October 2018 (2018-10-08)5.56
Jonah is arrested on suspicion of murdering Faraz Reza. David admits to being involved in the murder and hands in the gun, allowing Jonah to go free. Jonah pursues Kai Huang and ambushes him on his brother's wedding day in an attempt to find out what truly happened to Megan. Sally and Arthur discuss how Faraz's demise will impact their overall objective.
6"Episode 6"Fred Armesto & Adam GyngellPaul Andrew Williams15 October 2018 (2018-10-15)5.06
Jonah finally pieces together the mystery surrounding the death of Megan. She was paid HK$5 million the day before her murder. She was however shot by Kai the day after the transaction. Kai is later killed in prison. A stranger abducts Lau.
7"Episode 7"Fred Armesto & Adam GyngellPaul Andrew Williams22 October 2018 (2018-10-22)5.22
It turns out Lau was kidnapped by a man hired by Xiadong Xo, a prominent local politician, who raped Megan 20 years ago and who turns out to be Lau's real father, and who was behind the HK$5 million payment. Jonah finds out that Megan was used by Sally and Arthur, so that they could potentially blackmail Xo in return for political favours. Jonah and David go to rescue Lau, but David is shot dead by a white man while they try to escape.
8"Episode 8"Harry Williams and Jack WilliamsPaul Andrew Williams29 October 2018 (2018-10-29)5.93
Jonah and Lau seek protection in the consulate. Jonah convinces a journalist Michael Cohen to help them publish a story linking Megan's murder to a Xiadong Xo, who commits suicide in the meantime. Jonah and Michael find evidence that it was not the magnate himself, but someone working closely with him that was behind the killing of Megan.

Home media

The complete series was released on Region 2 DVD on 19 November 2018 via Dazzler Media. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dervla Kirwan</span> Irish actress

Dervla Kirwan is an Irish actress. She has received a number of accolades, including two IFTA Awards for her performances in the film Ondine (2009) and the RTÉ thriller series Smother (2021–2023) respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carina Lau</span> Hong Kong actress (born 1966)

Carina Lau Kar-ling is a Hong Kong actress and singer. She started her acting career in TVB, before going on to achieve success in films after her 2nd year in college. She was notable in the 1980s for her girl-next-door type roles in films. She also plays Empress Wu Zetian in Tsui Hark's Detective Dee films, starting with Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame in 2010. She has won Best Actress awards at the Hong Kong Film Award and Mainland China's Golden Rooster Awards, and has been nominated at Cannes Film Festival and Taiwan's Golden Horse Awards.

<i>Detective Investigation Files IV</i> Hong Kong TV series or program

Detective Investigation Files IV is the 4th and final installment of the Detective Investigation Files TV franchised by TVB in Hong Kong. It won two TVB Anniversary Awards, including Best Actor for Louis Koo and Best Actress for Jessica Hsuan.

Lau Kar-leung was a Chinese actor, filmmaker, choreographer, and martial artist from Hong Kong. Lau is best known for the films he made in the 1970s and 1980s for the Shaw Brothers Studio. His most famous works include The 36th Chamber of Shaolin starring Gordon Liu as well as Drunken Master II starring Jackie Chan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Bauhinia Medal</span> Hong Kong award

The Grand Bauhinia Medal is the highest award under the Hong Kong honours and awards system; it is to recognise the selected person's lifelong and highly significant contribution to the well-being of Hong Kong. The awardee is entitled to the postnominal letters GBM and the style The Honourable. The award was created in 1997 to replace the British honours system, following the transfer of sovereignty to the People's Republic of China and the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The list was empty because no one was awarded from 2003 to 2004. Bauhinia, Bauhinia blakeana, is the floral emblem of Hong Kong.

<i>The Legend of the Condor Heroes</i> (1983 TV series) Hong Kong TV series or program

The Legend of the Condor Heroes is a Hong Kong wuxia television series adapted from Louis Cha's novel of the same title. It was first broadcast on TVB Jade in Hong Kong in 1983. The 59 episodes long series is divided into three parts.The serial was re-aired in 1990, 1995, 2012, and 2013 on TVB Jade.

Guangdong-Hong Kong Cup 1981–82 is the fourth staging of this two-leg competition between Hong Kong and Guangdong.

<i>The Drive of Life</i> Hong Kong TV series or program

The Drive of Life is a 2007 grand production drama by TVB and CCTV as a joint production. It was specially filmed to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong back to China from Britain during the period of 1997-2007.

<i>The Legend of the Condor Heroes</i> (1994 TV series) Hong Kong TV series or program

The Legend of the Condor Heroes is a Hong Kong television series adapted from Louis Cha's novel of the same title. The series was first broadcast on TVB Jade in 1994.

<i>The Duke of Mount Deer</i> (1984 Hong Kong TV series) Hong Kong TV series or program

The Duke of Mount Deer is a Hong Kong television series adapted from Louis Cha's novel The Deer and the Cauldron, produced by TVB and starring Andy Lau and Tony Leung. It was first aired on TVB Jade in from 9 July to 31 August 1984.

<i>The Emissary</i> (TV series) Hong Kong TV series or program

The Emissary (獵鷹) is a 1982 Hong Kong crime drama television series produced by TVB and starring Andy Lau in his first television leading role, shooting him to instant fame. Since then, Lau's acting career began to take on a broad road. The series' theme song, titled Being at a High Game (胸懷大志), was composed and arranged by Joseph Koo, with lyrics written by Wong Jim, and was sung by Willie Fung.

<i>Chor Lau-heung</i> (1979 TV series) Hong Kong TV series or program

Chor Lau-heung is a Hong Kong wuxia television series adapted from the first three novels in the Chu Liuxiang novel series by Taiwanese writer Gu Long. Adam Cheng starred as the titular protagonist, Chor Lau-heung. The series was first broadcast on TVB on September 3, 1979. The 65 episodes long series was divided into four parts: The Legend of Mo-fa (無花傳奇), The Great Desert (大沙漠), Legend of the Divine Palace (神宮傳奇) and The Final Battle (最後一戰).

<i>Forensic Heroes</i> (franchise)

Forensic Heroes is a series of TVB police procedural television dramas written by Choi Ting-ting (I–III), Chan Ching-yee (I–II), Leung Man-wah (III-IV), Yuen Mei-fung (IV), Sin Chui-ching (IV), Yip Tin-shing (V) and Sin Siu-chun (V), and produced by Mui Siu-ching (I-IV)and Ben Fong (IV-V). The series follows a group of Hong Kong forensic scientists working together with the Hong Kong police to solve murders through physical evidence left over from crime scenes. Currently, two serials and three reboot installment were produced.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Basic Law Consultative Committee was an official body established in 1985 to canvass views in Hong Kong on the drafts of the Hong Kong Basic Law.

The Dark Tales is a series of Hong Kong television period supernatural dramas that originally aired on Jade from 18 March 1996 to 1 May 1998, consisting of two installments with 75 episodes. Based on Qing Dynasty writer Pu Songling's series of supernatural tales called Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio, Dark Tales is produced by TVB and stars a cast of mainly Hong Kong and Taiwanese actors.

God of River Lok is a Hong Kong television series produced by TVB. Set in the Three Kingdoms period, the story is about the romance between Zhen Fu and Cao Zhi. The series has seven episodes, each roughly 60 minutes long. It was first aired in Hong Kong on TVB Jade on 30 March 1975.

<i>Cold War</i> (2012 film) 2012 Hong Kong film

Cold War is a 2012 Hong Kong police procedural action thriller film directed by Sunny Luk and Longman Leung, starring Aaron Kwok and Tony Leung Ka-fai, and guest starring Andy Lau. The film was selected as the opening film at the 17th Busan International Film Festival and released in Hong Kong, Macau, and mainland China on 8 November 2012.

<i>Reality Check</i> (2013 TV series) Hong Kong television drama series

Reality Check is a Hong Kong television drama serial created by Lee Yim-fong and produced by TVB. It first premiered on Jade in Hong Kong on 18 February 2013, airing to 20 episodes with two episodes back-to-back.

<i>Young People</i> (1972 film) 1972 Hong Kong film

Young People is a 1972 Hong Kong coming-of-age action drama film directed by Chang Cheh and starring David Chiang, Ti Lung, Chen Kuan-tai, Irene Chan and pop singer Agnes Chan, the younger sister of Irene Chan, in her debut film role.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Mellon, Rory (23 August 2018). "Strangers ITV air date, cast, plot and trailer: John Simm stars in new TV thriller". Radio Times . Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Donaldson, Laura (7 September 2018). "Strangers on ITV: When does it start, who's in the cast with John Simm and Emilia Fox and what's it about? All the details as start date is FINALLY revealed". OK!. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  3. 1 2 "STV on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  4. ↑ "Strangers | STV Player". STV Player. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  5. ↑ "Strangers - Player Première". STV Player. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  6. 1 2 "Strangers (2018) Episodes Guide and Summaries". Next Episode. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  7. 1 2 "Press Centre - Strangers". ITV. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  8. ↑ "Weekly Top 30 Programmes". BARB. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  9. ↑ "Strangers". Amazon UK.
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.