Utopia (British TV series)

Last updated

Utopia
Utopia Title Card.svg
Also known asIwtopia (Wales)
Genre
Created by Dennis Kelly
Based on
an original idea
by
  • Huw Kennair-Jones
  • Mark Aldridge
  • Clare McDonald
Written by
Directed by
Starring
Composer Cristobal Tapia de Veer
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series2
No. of episodes12 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Karen Wilson
  • Jane Featherstone
  • Dennis Kelly
ProducerRebekah Wray-Rogers
Production locations Liverpool, England [1]
Cinematography
Editors
  • Luke Dunkley
  • David Charap
Running time45–62 minutes
Production company Kudos
Original release
Network Channel 4
Release15 January 2013 (2013-01-15) 
12 August 2014 (2014-08-12)

Utopia is a British thriller drama television series that was broadcast on Channel 4 from 15 January 2013 to 12 August 2014. [2] [3] The show was written by Dennis Kelly and starred Fiona O'Shaughnessy, Adeel Akhtar, Paul Higgins, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Alexandra Roach, Oliver Woollford, Alistair Petrie, and Neil Maskell. [4] [5] A second six-episode series was commissioned by Channel 4 and went into production in late 2013, [6] and was broadcast in July and August 2014. [7] The show has since gained a cult following. [8] [9]

Contents

In October 2014, the series' official Twitter feed stated there would not be a third series. [10] [11] HBO had originally planned to make an American version of the show in 2014, but did not produce it due to budget disputes. Amazon then acquired the rights to the series as of April 2018, and an American version was released on 25 September 2020. Initially nearly inaccessible for viewing on the U.S. market, Amazon released both of the original series on Amazon Prime on 1 November 2020. [12]

Synopsis

SeriesEpisodesOriginally aired
First aired Last aired
1 615 January 201319 February 2013
2 614 July 201412 August 2014

A community of comic book fans believe the graphic novel The Utopia Experiments predicted several disastrous epidemics, such as mad cow disease (BSE). A rumoured unpublished sequel supposedly contains further information on future world events. When one Utopia enthusiast procures the manuscript, he invites four of his friends from an online forum to meet in real life. However, after getting their hands on the manuscript, the four – Ian, Becky, Wilson, and Grant – find themselves in over their heads, as a secret organization only known as "The Network" is after it. They find their lives systematically dismantled, while The Network operatives kill anyone in their way as they hunt for the manuscript and someone named Jessica Hyde.

Jessica, who has been on the run from The Network her entire life, meets with the group and helps them evade capture. Meanwhile, other characters find themselves ensnared in The Network's orbit, and through their interactions with its agents, the organization's purpose and secret plot come into focus. The closer people come to understanding what's truly going on, the more dangerous things become. As rumours of "Russian flu" proliferate worldwide and a variety of groups and individuals close in on the protagonists, they try to solve the web of mysteries and conspiracies around them.

Cast

Main

Recurring

Guest

Production

In April 2012, Channel 4 announced that it had commissioned a six-episode drama series titled Utopia. [17] The series was written by Dennis Kelly and produced by Kudos Film and Television. Marc Munden was chosen as the director, Rebekah Wray-Rogers the producer, and Dennis Kelly, Jane Featherstone, and Karen Wilson the executive producers. [18]

Conception and development

Kudos Film and Television approached Kelly with an idea about a conspiracy hidden inside a graphic novel. [19] Kelly liked some of the idea, but some of it he changed. The story involved a shadowy organisation called The Network, and Kelly initially came out with an idea that The Network might be responsible for the rise in conspiracy theories because they thought it would be the best way to hide an actual conspiracy. [20] Kelly said he does not believe in conspiracy theories, but is fascinated by them. [21] The series took about two years to come to fruition. [20]

Prior to receiving the commission from Channel 4, the show was being developed at Sky, where it was intended to connect with another series. As Dennis Kelly recalls, the sister show – which was in development at the same time – followed the 1960s and 1970s hippie scene. The two were intended to share some limited continuity, but be made by different showrunners and production companies. Sky ultimately declined to commission either series. [22]

Munden modelled the tone of Utopia on the early films of Roman Polanski, specifically Cul-de-sac. [23]

Post-production

To emulate the graphic novel printing process, Munden chose to use a Technicolor palette: "The three-strip Technicolor process we use is comprised of the opposite colours – yellows, cyan, magentas. I was interested in Doris Day films from the 1950s that pushed those distinct elements." Colourist Aidan Farrell used grading software Nucoda Film Master to paint bolder colours into the shots. By the second series the production crew were preparing the film sets for grading. [24]

Despite taking up just one line in the pilot script, director Marc Munden has described Lee’s distinctive yellow bag as “a sort of jumping off point for the rest of the colour palette” for the show. [22] The colour yellow went on to feature extensively in the promotional campaign for the first series. [22]

For Utopia's soundtrack, Munden and composer Cristobal Tapia de Veer took inspiration from film composers such as Krzysztof Komeda and Eric Rogers, and the electronic music of Delia Derbyshire and Stock, Hausen & Walkman. Tapia de Veer heavily used field recordings to create the show's electronic soundtrack. These varied recordings included the sounds of rhino excrement, a Chilean trutruca, and the voice of director Alex Garcia Lopez. According to Tapia de Veer, "it was more about catching spirits on tape than organizing notes; an approach that helped articulate the mad complexity of Utopia’s characters and abstract yet emotional situations." [23] Tapia de Veer has said that the human voice appeals to him because of its range, explaining "it can be extremely creepy, or very moving". [22]

Tapia de Veer said in an interview with the Royal Television Society that Utopia first resonated with him in part because of his time growing up in Pinochet’s Chile. Living under dictatorship imbued him with a dark sense of humour, similar to the one he recognised in Utopia. [22]

Filming locations

Utopia is set in London, but was filmed mostly in Merseyside and Yorkshire between April and October 2012, while the panning shot of the Mercury Hotel in the first episode was filmed in Westhoughton. Producer Bekki Wray-Rogers claimed the reason for this was that no other area in the UK could have provided them with such a variety of locations. [1] Some scenes, such as the office of Conran Letts, were filmed at Scarisbrick Hall near Ormskirk. Scenes for the school shooting in episode 3 were filmed at Alsop High School in Walton whilst the school was closed for summer in July 2012. The empty red sandstone stately home the group make use of from episode 4 is filmed at Woolton Hall. The café scene in the fifth episode is filmed at TC's Cafe & Take-Away on Southport New Road near the village of Mere Brow. [25] Many scenes were filmed in Crosby and Skelmersdale. Scenes set in the office of a fictional newspaper were shot in the offices of the Liverpool Echo newspaper on Old Hall Street in Liverpool. The final scene of the first series, with Jessica and Milner, was shot atop the Cunard Building, one of Liverpool's "three graces".

In the second series, locations used included Barnsley Interchange in Barnsley, Temple Works in Leeds, The Chocolate Works in York, the Yorkshire Dales National Park, the Hepworth Gallery in Wakefield, and various spots in Leeds city centre, which doubled as London by superimposing London landmarks on the horizon. [26] [27] The scene in which Mr Rabbit and Philip Carvel meet was filmed at Allerton Castle near Harrogate. The abandoned building in the second episode of series 2 was shot in the former Terry's Chocolate Factory in York. [28]

Referencing real world events

The TV drama referenced a number of real world events, and incorporated these events into the story of the conspiracy. In the second series, the show used various news footage from the 1970s including the assassinations of Aldo Moro, Carmine Pecorelli, Richard Sykes, and Airey Neave. [29] The TWA Flight 841 disaster is also referenced in this episode. In particular, several events from a 10-day period in 1979, including the Three Mile Island accident and the collapse of the Labour government, had been combined as a jumping off point for the second series. [30]

More recently, conspiracy theorists have drawn parallels between the events of Utopia and the COVID-19 pandemic, believing coronavirus to be manufactured in a similar way to Utopia’s Russia flu. Kelly has stringently denied that the events of Utopia mirror reality, asserting it to be a work of fiction. He has also said that he is unsure if he would make the show today, given changes to the social climate that have helped normalise conspiracy theories. [22]

Cancellation

Utopia was cancelled by Channel Four on 12 August 2014. The network's official statement was:

Utopia is truly channel-defining: strikingly original, powered by Dennis Kelly's extraordinary voice and brought to life in all its technicolor glory through Marc Munden's undeniable creative flair and vision, the team at Kudos delivered a series which has achieved fervent cult status over two brilliantly warped and nail-biting series. It also has the honour of ensuring audiences will never look at a spoon in the same way again. It’s always painful to say goodbye to shows we love, but it’s a necessary part of being able to commission new drama, a raft of which are launching on the channel throughout 2015. [31]

As well as receiving poor ratings, the planned HBO adaptation meant the British version never aired in America, according to director Marc Munden, preventing the show from gaining a larger audience. The viewers outside of the UK that did find Utopia tended to pirate it, according to Sam Donovan, who also directed a few episodes. [22]

Reception

The first series was generally well received by the critics, with some high praise for its striking visuals, but also some expressions of concern about its violence. Aidan Smith of The Scotsman noted both its "astonishing visuals" as well as its "astonishing violence", [32] while Tom Sutcliffe of The Independent thought it a dystopian fantasy "delivered with great visual style" but was not convinced that its violence is necessary. [33] Mark Monahan of The Daily Telegraph described it as "a dark, tantalizingly mysterious overture", [34] while Sam Wollaston of The Guardian called it "a work of brilliant imagination", "a 21st-century nightmare" that "looks beautiful", but also wondered about the gratuitousness of its violence. [35]

However, Utopia creator and writer Dennis Kelly defended the use of violence in his work, stating:

I think the Network, what they're trying to do, what Milner is trying to do, she believes in so much...The question is really simple and it's one that follows her through her life and the question is this: If I stop doing this, what's going to happen? What about the billions that live in the future?...The constant debate is about killing people, so I think you do need violence because you need the violence to tell the extreme of the story.

Dennis Kelly, 'Utopia writer Dennis Kelly defends violent scenes', [36]

Controversy

UK media regulator Ofcom received 44 complaints about the television series including complaints about violence, offensive language and child actors being involved in scenes of adult content. Thirty-seven of the complaints related to a scene at the beginning of the third episode where a shooting takes place in a secondary school, [37] a month after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

In the second series, the use of real life events including the assassination of Airey Neave prompted criticisms of the show by a number of people, including members of the Neave family. [30] [38] In response, Channel 4 issued a statement and said that the drama series is "entirely fictional" and "it is not [Channel 4's] intention to cause offence and Utopia does not suggest that any other real organization was responsible for the death of Airey Neave." [39]

Awards and nominations

In 2014, the series was nominated for and won the International Emmy Award for best drama series. [40] [41]

YearAwardCategoryRecipientResultsRef.
2013 Royal Television Society Craft & Design Awards Effects – Picture EnhancementAidan FarrellWon [42]
Music – Original Score Cristobal Tapia de Veer Won [43]
Production Design – DramaKristian MilstedNominated [44]
2014 Royal Television Society Programme Awards Drama SeriesUtopiaNominated [45]
Writer – DramaDennis KellyNominated [45]
BAFTA TV Craft Awards Writer – DramaDennis KellyNominated [46]
Photography And Lighting – FictionOle BirkelandNominated [46]
Director – FictionMarc MundenNominated [46]
Digital CreativityTH_NKNominated [46]
International Emmy Best Drama SeriesUtopiaWon [41]
Royal Television Society Craft & Design Awards Costume Design – DramaMarianne AgertoftNominated [47]
Effects – Picture EnhancementAidan FarrellNominated [47]
Music – Original ScoreCristobal Tapia de VeerNominated [47]
Production Design – DramaJennifer KernkeWon [47]
Photography – DramaLol CrawleyWon [47]
2015 Royal Television Society Programme Awards Best Actor – MaleAdeel AkhtarNominated [48]
BAFTA TV Awards Supporting ActorAdeel AkhtarNominated [46]

Release

DVD/Blu-ray

SeriesEpisodesOriginal air datesDVD/Blu-ray release dates and details
Series premiere Series finale Region 2/BRegion 4Special features
1615 January 201319 February 201311 March 2013 [49] [50]
DVD & Blu-ray
20 December 2013 [51]
DVD only
  • Audio commentary on episode one with Dennis Kelly (writer), Marc Munden (director) and Rebekah Wray-Rogers (producer)
  • The World of Utopia – with writer Dennis Kelly
  • Fly on the Wall of director Marc Munden filming
  • Analysis of stunt scene with directors Wayne Yip & Alex Garcia
  • Deleted scenes [52] [53]
2614 July 201412 August 201418 August 2014 [54]
Blu-ray in Germany only 26 June 2015 [55]
TBADeleted Scenes

Soundtrack

Utopia (Original Television Soundtrack)
Soundtrack album by
Cristobal Tapia de Veer
Released7 October 2013
Label Silva Screen Music

The series soundtrack was composed by Cristobal Tapia de Veer. [56] The album entitled Utopia (Original Television Soundtrack) was released 7 October 2013, on both CD and MP3 download by Silva Screen Music. In August 2014 a contest was announced on Facebook to create a remix of the "Utopia Overture".

Cristobal Tapia De Veer announced via Twitter that the Series 2 soundtrack was coming 8 December. It was then released that day, and is now available on major music streaming services. It is also available for purchase as a CD/DVD, as well as on vinyl.

  1. "Utopia Overture" (3:32)
  2. "The Network" (3:21)
  3. "Dislocated Thumbs (Pt. 1)" (2:17)
  4. "Mr. Rabbit's Game" (1:05)
  5. "Conspiracy (Pt. 1)" (2:53)
  6. "Meditative Chaos" (3:10)
  7. "A New Brand of Drug" (2:13)
  8. "Samba De Wilson" (2:15)
  9. "Slivovitz" (1:43)
  10. "Bekki on Pills (Pt. 1)" (1:01)
  11. "Where Is Jessica Hyde? (Pt. 1)" (3:39)
  12. "Arby's Oratorio" (1:38)
  13. "Jessica Gets Off" (3:18)
  14. "Mr. Rabbit It Is" (2:51)
  15. "Lovechild" (1:03)
  16. "Mind Vortex" (2:48)
  17. "Twat" (2:02)
  18. "Bekki on Pills (Pt. 2)" (3:16)
  19. "Fertility Control" (1:50)
  20. "Janus Saves" (2:51)
  21. "Evil Prevails" (2:55)
  22. "Conspiracy (Pt. 2)" (4:56)
  23. "Dislocated Thumbs (Pt. 2)" (1:28)
  24. "Utopia Descent" (2:42)
  25. "Where Is Jessica Hyde? (Pt. 2)" (4:08)
  26. "Utopia's Death Cargo" (1:38)
  27. "The Experiment" (6:16)
  28. "Utopia Finale" (2:35)

American adaptation

In February 2014, HBO ordered an American adaptation of Utopia, to be co-created and directed by David Fincher, with Gillian Flynn as the writer. [57] Fincher planned to direct all episodes of the series, and said "I like the characters – I love Dennis’s honesty and affinity for the nerds." [58] In June 2015, it was announced that Rooney Mara was negotiating for the role of Jessica Hyde. [59] On 30 July 2015, it was reported that the series would not go into production because of budget disputes between Fincher and HBO, and that the cast had been released from their contracts. [60] After HBO lost rights to the project, Amazon ordered a nine-episode first season directly on 19 April 2018, with Flynn said to adapt the project from the original. [61]

The American adaptation was released on Amazon Prime Video on 25 September 2020 and was created by Gillian Flynn. [62] [63]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cinemax</span> American movie-focused pay television network

Cinemax, also known as Max, is an American pay television network owned by Home Box Office, Inc., a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched on August 1, 1980, as a "maxi-pay" service to complement the offerings of its parent network, Home Box Office (HBO), Cinemax initially focused on recent and classic films. Today, its programming primarily includes recent and classic theatrically released films, original action series, documentaries, and special behind-the-scenes features.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerome Flynn</span> English actor and singer (born 1963)

Jerome Patrick Flynn is an English actor and singer. He is best known for his role as Bronn in the HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones (2011–19). His other roles include Paddy Garvey of the King's Fusiliers in the ITV series Soldier Soldier (1991–95), Bennet Drake in the BBC mystery series Ripper Street (2012–16), Hector in the Black Mirror episode Shut Up and Dance (2016), and Banner Creighton in the Paramount+ western series 1923 (2022–present).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fudgie the Whale</span> Ice cream cake sold by Carvel

Fudgie the Whale is a type of ice cream cake produced and sold by American ice-cream maker Carvel in its franchise stores. It was developed by Carvel in the 1970s as an expansion of its line of freshly made products, along with Hug Me the Bear and Cookie Puss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HBO</span> American pay television network

Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based at Warner Bros. Discovery's corporate headquarters inside 30 Hudson Yards in Manhattan. Programming featured on the network consists primarily of theatrically released motion pictures and original television programs as well as made-for-cable movies, documentaries, occasional comedy, and concert specials, and periodic interstitial programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sharon Horgan</span> Irish actress, writer, director, producer, and comedian (born 1970)

Sharon Lorencia Horgan is an Irish actress, writer, director, producer, and comedian. She is best known for creating and starring in the comedy series Pulling (2006–2009), Catastrophe (2015–2019), and Bad Sisters (2022–present). She also created the comedy series Divorce (2016–2019), Motherland (2016–2022), and Shining Vale (2022–2023).

Dennis Kelly is a British writer and producer. He has worked for theatre, television, and film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gillian Flynn</span> Famous American writer (born 1971)

Gillian Schieber Flynn is an American author, screenwriter, and producer, best known for her thriller and mystery novels Sharp Objects (2006), Dark Places (2009), and Gone Girl (2012), all of which have received critical acclaim. Her works have been translated into 40 languages, and by 2016, Gone Girl had sold over 15 million copies worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnny Flynn</span> British actor and musician (born 1983)

John Patrick Vivian Flynn is a British actor and musician. He starred as Dylan Witter in the Channel 4 and Netflix television sitcom Lovesick and has also portrayed David Bowie in the 2020 film Stardust and a young Nicholas Winton in the 2023 film One Life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MGM+</span> American pay television network

MGM+, is an American premium cable and satellite television network owned by the MGMPlus Entertainment subsidiary of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), which is itself a subsidiary of Amazon MGM Studios. The network's programming consists of recent and older theatrically released motion pictures, original television series, documentaries, and music and comedy specials.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katy Mixon</span> American actress and model (born 1981)

Katy Mixon is an American actress and model. She began her career playing supporting roles in films such as The Quiet (2005), Four Christmases (2008), and State of Play (2009), before landing the female leading role in the HBO comedy series Eastbound & Down (2009–2013).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nathan Stewart-Jarrett</span> English film, television, and theater actor

Nathan Lloyd Stewart-Jarrett is a British actor. He starred as Curtis Donovan in the E4 series Misfits (2009–2012) and Ian in the Channel 4 series Utopia (2013–2014). He is also known for his theatre work, earning a WhatsOnStage Award nomination for his performance in Angels in America. His films include The Comedian (2012), War Book (2014), Mope (2019), Candyman (2021), and Femme (2023), the latter of which won him a British Independent Film Award.

The Crimson Petal and the White is a 2011 four part television serial, adapted from Michel Faber's 2002 novel The Crimson Petal and the White. Starring Romola Garai as Sugar and Chris O'Dowd as William Rackham, the drama aired in the UK during April 2011 on BBC Two. The supporting cast includes Shirley Henderson, Richard E. Grant and Gillian Anderson. Critical reviews of the drama were mixed but generally positive.

Christopher Denham is an American actor, screenwriter and director. He is known for supporting roles in Oppenheimer, Shutter Island, Argo, Being the Ricardos, Charlie Wilson's War and Sound of My Voice. His television credits include Billions, Shining Girls opposite Elisabeth Moss, and Amazon Prime's Utopia, created by Gillian Flynn. Denham has appeared on Broadway in Master Harold...and the Boys, Martin McDonagh's The Lieutenant of Inishmore and David Mamet's China Doll, opposite Al Pacino.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crystal R. Fox</span> American actress and singer

Crystal R. Fox is an American actress and singer. Fox has performed in many stage productions during her career, and is best known for her television roles as Luann Corbin in the NBC/CBS police drama series In the Heat of the Night (1989–1995), and as Hanna Young in the Oprah Winfrey Network prime time soap opera, The Haves and the Have Nots (2013–2021). Fox has also appeared in a number of films, most notably playing the leading role in the 2020 thriller A Fall from Grace.

<i>The Musketeers</i> British television period drama series (2014–2016)

The Musketeers is a British period action-drama program based on the characters from Alexandre Dumas's 1844 novel The Three Musketeers and co-produced by BBC America and BBC Worldwide. The series follows the musketeers Athos, Aramis, and Porthos as they serve King Louis XIII and citizens of 17th-century Paris. The first episode was shown on BBC One on 19 January 2014. It stars Tom Burke as Athos, Santiago Cabrera as Aramis, Howard Charles as Porthos, Luke Pasqualino as D'Artagnan, Tamla Kari as Constance Bonacieux, Maimie McCoy as Milady de Winter, Ryan Gage as Louis XIII and Alexandra Dowling as Queen Anne. It also features Peter Capaldi as Cardinal Richelieu in Series One, Marc Warren as Comte de Rochefort in Series Two, and Rupert Everett as the Marquis de Feron in Series Three.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cristobal Tapia de Veer</span> Chilean-Canadian composer

Juan Cristóbal Tapia de Veer is a Chilean-born Canadian film and television score composer, arranger, producer and multi-instrumentalist based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He is best known for his score of the British TV series Utopia, for which he won a Royal Television Society award in the best original score category in 2013, and Channel 4's National Treasure, which earned him a BAFTA in 2017. He has received awards from the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada in 2013 and 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marc Munden</span> English film and television director

Marc Munden is an English film director best known for his work on Utopia, National Treasure and The Mark of Cain among others.

Utopia is an American science fiction drama television series created by Gillian Flynn based on the 2013 British original series of the same name. It was released on September 25, 2020, on the Amazon Prime Video streaming service.

The Third Day is a drama-thriller television series created by Felix Barrett and Dennis Kelly for HBO and Sky Atlantic. The series premiered in the United States on 14 September 2020, on HBO, and in the United Kingdom on 15 September 2020, on Sky Atlantic.

References

  1. 1 2 "Liverpool Film Location, Liverpool Film Office". Archived from the original on 11 January 2013. Retrieved 22 January 2013.
  2. "Utopia, Channel 4, review" . Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  3. O'Donovan, Gerard (31 December 2012). "Ten TV shows to get you through the winter". The Telegraph. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
  4. Arnold, Ben (12 January 2013). "Utopia: inside Channel 4's new unsettling thriller". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
  5. Gilbert, Gerard (15 January 2013). "Utopia: They're coming to get you". The Independent. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
  6. Brown, Maggie (18 March 2013). "Channel 4 commissions Utopia second series". The Guardian . Retrieved 28 March 2014.
  7. "Utopia – official site". Channel 4 . Retrieved 6 July 2014.
  8. Seale, Jack (25 September 2020). "Utopia review – sanitised remake is no match for cult TV original". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  9. "Gillian Flynn's New TV Show Gives A British Cult Classic The 'Gone Girl' Treatment". Bustle. 25 September 2020. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  10. "C4 Utopia". Twitter. 9 October 2014.
  11. "Utopia not renewed for third series, Channel 4 announces". BBC. 10 October 2014.
  12. "Utopia Season 1 on Prime". amazon.com. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  13. "Utopia – Profiles – Becky". Channel 4. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  14. "Utopia – Profiles – Ian". Channel 4. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  15. "Utopia – Profiles – Dugdale". Channel 4. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  16. "Utopia – Profiles – Arby". Channel 4. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  17. Patrick Munn (21 April 2012). "Channel 4 Orders New Drama Series 'Utopia'". TV Wise.
  18. "Channel 4 finds Utopia". Channel 4. 19 April 2012.
  19. "Interview with Utopia writer Dennis Kelly". Channel 4. 19 December 2012.
  20. 1 2 Phil Harrison. "Interview: Dennis Kelly on 'Utopia'". TimeOut. Archived from the original on 21 February 2019. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  21. Ben Arnold (12 January 2013). "Utopia: inside Channel 4's new unsettling thriller". The Guardian.
  22. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Molander, Joe (24 September 2024). "Torture, a scuba diving bag and Brazilian beats: inside Utopia, the show everyone loves and no-one remembers". Royal Television Society. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  23. 1 2 "Utopia - Original Television Soundtrack" (PDF). Silva Screen Records. 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 November 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  24. Kelly, Stephen (11 July 2014). "How TV series Utopia got its comic book look". Wired UK.
  25. "'Utopia' filming in Mere Brow". Q Local Tarleton. 15 October 2012.
  26. "Where Was Utopia Series 2 filmed? Our Production Services Team Have The Answers..." Creative England. 14 July 2014.
  27. Nick Goundry (5 November 2013). "Utopia drama starts filming on location in York". The Location Guide.
  28. "TV series Utopia to be filmed in York". 4 November 2013.
  29. Mark Lawson (14 July 2014). "The truth behind Utopia's wild conspiracy theories". The Guardian.
  30. 1 2 "Utopia: Channel 4 'will not change' drama depicting MP's death". BBC. 13 July 2014.
  31. "Exclusive: C4's Utopia won't return for series 3". Den of Geek. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  32. "TV review: Complicit, The Brits, Utopia". The Scotsman. 24 February 2013.
  33. Tom Sutcliffe (16 January 2013). "Last night's viewing – Utopia, Channel 4; Yes, Prime Minister, Gold".
  34. Mark Monahan (15 January 2013). "Utopia, Channel 4, review". The Daily Telegraph.
  35. "Sam Wollaston". The Guardian. 16 January 2013.
  36. "Utopia writer Dennis Kelly defends violent scenes". BBC News. 17 June 2014. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  37. "Utopia child star's mother defends violent plots". TheGuardian.com . 9 February 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
  38. Bruce Anderson (13 July 2014). "How dare Channel 4 defame Airey Neave's memory". The Daily Telegraph.
  39. Ben Dowell (13 July 2014). "Channel 4 under fire over depiction of real politician's death in its drama Utopia". Radio Times.
  40. "Olivia Colman and Utopia up for International Emmys". BBC News. 13 October 2014. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
  41. 1 2 "International Emmys: UK's 'Utopia' Wins Best Drama; Belgium's 'What If' Takes Comedy (FULL LIST)". Variety . 24 November 2014. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
  42. "RTS Craft and Design Awards: the winners". Televisual. 19 November 2013. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  43. "Utopia Wins!". Silva Screen Records. 20 November 2013.
  44. "RTS shortlist for craft and design awards 2012/2013". Royal Television Society. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  45. 1 2 "Winners Announced at RTS Programme Awards 2013". Royal Television Society. 18 March 2014.
  46. 1 2 3 4 5 "BAFTA Awards Search". BAFTA.
  47. 1 2 3 4 5 "RTS announces winners of the Craft & Design Awards 2013/14". Royal Television Society. Archived from the original on 17 December 2013.
  48. "Programme Awards 2013 – 2014: The Winners". Royal Television Society. Archived from the original on 1 June 2015.
  49. "Utopia – Series 1 (DVD)". Amazon. 11 March 2013. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  50. "Utopia – Series 1 (Blu-ray)". Amazon. 11 March 2013. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  51. "Utopia – Series 1 (DVD) [Australia/Region 4]". JB Hi-Fi. Archived from the original on 28 March 2014. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  52. "Utopia – Series 1 (DVD) [C4DVD10476]". Channel 4 Store. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  53. "Utopia – Series 1 (Blu-ray) [C4BD50051]". Channel 4 Store. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  54. "Utopia – Series 2 (DVD)". Amazon . Retrieved 16 July 2014.
  55. "Utopia – Staffel 2 (Blu-ray)". Amazon . Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  56. "Utopia – Series 1". Archived from the original on 10 October 2013. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  57. Goldberg, Lesley (12 February 2014). "'Utopia' Remake From 'Gone Girl's' David Fincher, Gillian Flynn Gets HBO Series Order". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 12 February 2014.
  58. Pierce, Nev (27 September 2014). "David Fincher on Gone Girl: 'Bad Things Happen in This Movie...'". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  59. Jagernauth, Kevin (30 June 2015). "Rooney Mara in Talks To Reteam With David Fincher For HBO Series 'Utopia' Playing Jessica Hyde". Indiewire. Archived from the original on 28 June 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  60. Andreeva, Nellie (30 July 2015). "David Fincher HBO Pilot 'Utopia' In Jeopardy Over Budget Issues". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
  61. Andreeva, Nellie (19 April 2018). "Amazon Orders 'Utopia' Drama Series From Gillian Flynn Based on UK Format".
  62. Siegel, Tatiana (17 September 2020). "Gillian Flynn Talks 'Utopia' and 6-Year Journey to Screen: "We Were Playing a Little Bit of a Game of Chicken"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  63. Scott, Sheena. "'Utopia': Gillian Flynn's Adaptation Of The Cult British Series On Amazon". Forbes. Retrieved 30 March 2022.