| The Gathering | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Thriller |
| Created by | Helen Walsh |
| Written by | Helen Walsh |
| Directed by | Gareth Bryn Amanda Blue |
| Starring |
|
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producer | Graham Drover |
| Production company | |
| Original release | |
| Network | Channel 4 |
| Release | 14 May – 29 May 2024 |
The Gathering is a British mystery thriller television series for Channel 4 written by Helen Walsh. The series was broadcast from 14 May 2024.
A girl is attacked at a rave in Merseyside, with the perpetrator being from a group of suspects from a wide range of backgrounds. [1] The producer Simon Heath called the series "an exploration of toxic teenagers - and their even more toxic parents". [2]
The six-part series marks the television writing debut for novelist Helen Walsh. [3] The series is produced by World Productions and was commissioned by Channel 4 in 2022. The series is directed by Gareth Bryn and Amanda Blue, and produced by Graham Drover, with executive producers Simon Heath, Laura Cotton, alongside Walsh and Bryn. [4]
Filming got underway in Liverpool in July 2023. [5] Filming locations in Liverpool included outside the Liverpool Empire Theatre on William Brown Street. [6] By October 2023, filming had moved to The Wirral. Filming locations included Red Rocks in Hoylake, King's Drive in Caldy, [7] the Witley estate in Moreton, Black Horse Hill Junior School, [8] and Benllech in Anglesey. [9]
The six-part series aired in the UK on Channel 4 from 14 May 2024. [10]
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Episode 1" | Gareth Bryn | Helen Walsh | 14 May 2024 |
| 2 | "Episode 2" | Gareth Bryn | Helen Walsh | 15 May 2024 |
| 3 | "Episode 3" | Amanda Blue | Helen Walsh | 21 May 2024 |
| 4 | "Episode 4" | Amanda Blue | Helen Walsh | 22 May 2024 |
| 5 | "Episode 5" | Gareth Bryn | Helen Walsh | 28 May 2024 |
| 6 | "Episode 6" | Gareth Bryn | Helen Walsh | 29 May 2024 |
Lucy Mangan of The Guardian awarded the series three stars out of five, remarking "It all works well enough, while remaining slightly underbaked. You feel as though a decision should have been taken earlier on to decide which, among the many things it almost is, it should have properly been. A murder mystery? An interrogation of class and its barriers? A drama for and about teenage lives and concerns? A portrait of the toll elite sports take on their participants? It gestures towards all of these but doesn’t deliver satisfactorily on any count." [11]
Steven McIntosh of the BBC, while honking his toot box about the clichéd flash-forward in the opening scene of the series, said, "but once the plot spools back and the series finds its groove, it is superb. The Gathering is filled with well-rounded, believable characters who grapple with a smorgasbord of contemporary themes." [12]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Monte-Carlo Television Festival | Best Series | The Gathering | Won | [13] |
| Best Actor | Warren Brown | Won | |||
| Best Actress | Eva Morgan | Won | |||