The Drowning (TV series)

Last updated

The Drowning
Genre Thriller
Created by
  • Francesca Brill
  • Luke Watson
Written by
  • Francesca Brill
  • Luke Watson
Directed by
  • Carolina Giammetta
Starring
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes4
Production
Executive producersFrancesca Brill
Luke Watson
Producer Noel Clarke Jason Maza
Running time60 minutes (inc. adverts)
Original release
Network Channel 5
Release1 February (2021-02-01) –
4 February 2021 (2021-02-04)

The Drowning is a British four-part television thriller drama miniseries written and created by Francesca Brill and Luke Watson. It was first broadcast on Channel 5 on four consecutive nights from 1 February 2021. [1] [2] It stars Jill Halfpenny, Jonas Armstrong, Rupert Penry-Jones and Deborah Findlay.

Contents

Synopsis

Jodie is a woman with a struggling business and money problems. She has been trying to rebuild her life after the loss of her four year old son, Tom, from drowning. His body was never recovered. Ten years later, she glimpses a boy who looks just like an older version of her missing son. Faced with scepticism from her family and the police, she sets out to find the truth.

Cast

Production

The Drowning was filmed in and around Dublin, Ireland. [5]

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateU.K. viewers
(millions)  [6]
1"Episode One"Carolina GiammettaFrancesca Brill and Luke Watson1 February 2021 (2021-02-01)6.10 [6]
While driving on her way to see a client for a crucial pitch, Jodie sees teenager Daniel boarding a bus. She is convinced she has found her missing son who drowned eight years earlier and whose body was never found. She contacts the police who refuse to follow up and she sets about on a quest to find him.
2"Episode Two"Carolina GiammettaFrancesca Brill, Luke Watson and Tim Dynevor2 February 2021 (2021-02-02)5.57 [6]
Jodie begins tutoring Daniel privately at his home in order to enable her to search for evidence that he is her missing son. An interruption from Mark prevents her from investigating any further.
3"Episode Three"Carolina GiammettaFrancesca Brill, Luke Watson and Tim Dynevor3 February 2021 (2021-02-03)5.16 [6]
Jodie gets Daniel to take a DNA test and makes arrangements to obtain him a passport so they can flee the country for a fresh start. When Jodie returns home from visiting the forgers, Daniel is nowhere to be found but he leaves a note to say he will see her the following day.
4"Episode Four"Carolina GiammettaTim Dynevor4 February 2021 (2021-02-04)5.34 [6]
The confusion around Daniel's identity begins to increase significantly as secrets begin to unfold. Someone close to Jodie will stop at nothing and is intent on protecting themselves, and stopping Jodie's hunt for the truth. Jodie has no option but to face what happened during the drowning incident at the scene where it all took place.

Reception

Flora Carr reviewing on behalf of the Radio Times gave the first episode three stars out of five and described it as “A predictable yet gripping thriller about a grieving mother”, [7] while Katie Rosseinsky reviewing on behalf of Evening Standard rated the first episode three stars out of five and acknowledged, “Jill Halfpenny is compelling as a grieving mother in this gripping thriller”. [8] The Telegraph review by Anita Singh reported “Yes, it's not remotely credible but The Drowning is a no-nonsense thriller that keeps you guessing” and gave the first episode four out of five stars, [9] the same rating as Lucy Mangan gave it in The Guardian. [10]

The Drowning bypassed All Creatures Great and Small to become Channel 5's highest rated show since 1 September 2020. Using BARB's consolidated ratings for programmes watched live and on catch-up services (within 28 days), The Drowning is their most popular broadcast ever, with the episode on 1 February 2021 now getting 6.10 million viewers and the other three episodes getting more than 5 million viewers, per initial broadcast. [11]

Related Research Articles

Jill Halfpenny is an English actress who first garnered attention playing Nicola Dobson in the coming-of-age BBC drama series Byker Grove (1989–1992). She became more widely known for her roles as Rebecca Hopkins on the ITV soap opera Coronation Street (1999–2000), Kate Mitchell on the BBC soap opera EastEnders (2002–2005), and Izzie Redpath in Waterloo Road (2006–2007). Her other notable credits include Babylon (2014), In the Club (2014–2016), Humans (2015), Three Girls (2017), Liar (2017–2020), Dark Money (2019), The Drowning (2021), and The Long Shadow (2023). She won the second series of the television dance contest Strictly Come Dancing in 2004.

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References

  1. ↑ "Channel 5 Sets Premiere Date For 'The Drowning'". TVWise. 22 January 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  2. ↑ Carr, Flora (27 January 2021). "When is Channel 5 thriller The Drowning on TV?". Radio Times . Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  3. ↑ Carr, Flora (31 January 2021). "The Drowning's Jill Halfpenny: 'By the time I finished the show, I had an emotional hangover'". Radio Times . Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  4. ↑ Chilton, Louis (1 February 2021). "Jonas Armstrong's best roles before The Drowning" . The Independent. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  5. ↑ "The Drowning filming locations: Where was the Channel 5 drama filmed?". Heart FM . 1 February 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "Weekly top programmes on four screens". BARB. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  7. ↑ Carr, Flora (1 February 2021). "The Drowning review: A predictable yet gripping thriller about a grieving mother". Radio Times . Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  8. ↑ Rosseinsky, Katie (3 February 2021). "The Drowning: Jill Halfpenny is compelling in this gripping thriller". Evening Standard . Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  9. ↑ Singh, Anita (1 February 2021). "Yes, it's not remotely credible but The Drowning is a no-nonsense thriller that keeps you guessing". The Daily Telegraph . ISSN   0307-1235 . Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  10. ↑ Mangan, Lucy (1 February 2021). "The Drowning review: Mistaken identity – or a shocking mystery?". The Guardian . Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  11. ↑ "28-DAY RATINGS: 01-07 FEBRUARY 2021". TVZoneUK. 13 February 2021.
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