The Silent Twins (1986 film)

Last updated

The Silent Twins
Written by Marjorie Wallace
Directed by Jon Amiel
StarringShirley Parker
Sharon Parker
ComposerNicholas Carr
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
Production
ProducerMartin Thompson
CinematographyKen Westbury
EditorBill Wright
Running time85 minutes
Production company Screen Two
Original release
Network BBC2
Release19 January 1986 (1986-01-19)

The Silent Twins is a 1986 television film directed by Jon Amiel. It was broadcast as Season 2, Episode 2 of Screen Two . [1] It was based on a 1986 book of the same title by Marjorie Wallace, [2] [3] who also wrote the screenplay.

The Silent Twins is based on the true story of June and Jennifer Gibbons, identical twins who grew up in Wales. They were given the "Silent Twins" nickname because they only communicated with each other. Both women were committed to Broadmoor Mental Health Hospital for 14 years.

Related Research Articles

<i>Doctor Who</i> British science fiction TV series

Doctor Who is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterrestrial being called the Doctor, part of a humanoid species called Time Lords. The Doctor travels in the universe and in time using a time travelling spaceship called the TARDIS, which externally appears as a British police box. While travelling, the Doctor works to save lives and liberate oppressed peoples by combating foes. The Doctor often travels with companions.

<i>Silent Witness</i> British crime drama television series

Silent Witness is a British crime drama television series produced by the BBC, which focuses on a team of forensic pathology experts and their investigations into various crimes. First broadcast in 1996, the series was created by Nigel McCrery, a former murder squad detective based in Nottingham. Twenty-seven series of Silent Witness have been broadcast since 1996, with series 27 airing in January/February 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bessie Love</span> American actress (1898–1986)

Bessie Love was an American-British actress who achieved prominence playing innocent, young girls and wholesome leading ladies in silent and early sound films. Her acting career spanned nearly seven decades—from silent film to sound film, including theatre, radio, and television—and her performance in The Broadway Melody (1929) earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sean Bean</span> English actor (born 1959)

Sean Bean is an English actor. After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Bean made his professional debut in a production of Romeo and Juliet in 1983 at The Watermill Theatre. Retaining his Yorkshire accent, he first found mainstream success for his portrayal of Richard Sharpe in the ITV series Sharpe, which originally ran from 1993 to 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">June and Jennifer Gibbons</span> Welsh identical twins and writers (born 1963)

June Gibbons and Jennifer Gibbons were twin sisters who grew up in Wales. They became known as "The Silent Twins", since they only communicated with each other. They wrote works of fiction. Both women were admitted to Broadmoor Hospital, where they were held for 11 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Berry</span> English actor (b. 1963)

Nicholas Berry is a retired English actor and pop singer. He is best known for his roles as Simon Wicks in EastEnders from 1985 to 1990, and as PC Nick Rowan in Heartbeat from 1992 to 1998. He sang UK chart singles with "Every Loser Wins" in 1986, which went to number one, and the theme song from Heartbeat, a cover of the Buddy Holly song "Heartbeat", in 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pauline Fowler</span> Fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders

Pauline Fowler is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera EastEnders. She was played by actress Wendy Richard between the first episode on 19 February 1985 and 25 December 2006. Pauline was created by scriptwriter Tony Holland and producer Julia Smith as one of EastEnders' original characters. She made her debut in the soap's first episode on 19 February 1985, and remained for twenty-one years and ten months, making her the second-longest-running original character to appear continuously, surpassed only by her nephew Ian Beale. Since then, she has been surpassed by Letitia Dean who plays Sharon Watts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James and Oliver Phelps</span> British actors and identical twin brothers

James Andrew Eric Phelps and Oliver Martyn John Phelps are English actors and identical twin brothers. They are known for playing Fred and George Weasley in the Harry Potter film series from 2001 to 2011 and have continued to work together as a duo on other projects. The twins also run a podcast together titled Normal Not Normal.

The history of BBC television idents begins in the early 1950s when the BBC first displayed a logo between programmes to identify its service. As new technology has become available, these devices have evolved from simple still black and white images to the sophisticated full colour short films seen today. With the arrival of digital services in the United Kingdom, and with them many more new channels, branding is perceived by broadcasters to be much more important, meaning that idents need to stand out from the competition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cinema of Wales</span> Filmmaking in Wales or by Welsh

The cinema of Wales comprises the art of film and creative movies made in Wales or by Welsh filmmakers either locally or abroad. Welsh cinema began in the late-19th century, led by Welsh-based director William Haggar. Wales continued to produce film of varying quality throughout the 20th century, in both the Welsh and English languages, though indigenous production was curtailed through a lack of infrastructure and finance, which prevented the growth of the industry nationally. Despite this, Wales has been represented in all fields of the film making process, producing actors and directors of note.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leanne Pooley</span> New Zealand-Canadian filmmaker

Leanne Pooley ONZM is a Canadian filmmaker based in Auckland, New Zealand. Pooley was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, she immigrated to New Zealand in the mid-1980s and began working in the New Zealand television and film industry before moving to England where she worked for many of the world's top broadcasters. She returned to New Zealand in 1997 and started the production company Spacific Films. Her career spans more than 25 years and she has won numerous international awards. Leanne Pooley was made a New Zealand Arts Laureate in 2011 and an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the New Year's Honours List 2017. She is a member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

<i>Sherlock Holmes</i> (1916 film) 1916 film by Arthur Berthelet

Sherlock Holmes is a 1916 American silent film starring William Gillette as Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. Directed by Arthur Berthelet, it was produced by Essanay Studios in Chicago. The screenplay was adapted from the 1899 stage play of the same name, which in turn was based on the stories, "A Scandal in Bohemia," "The Final Problem," and A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marjorie Wallace (SANE)</span> British journalist

Marjorie Shiona Wallace CBE is a British investigative journalist, author, and broadcaster. She is also the Founder and Chief Executive of mental health charity SANE.

<i>Cmon Midffîld!</i> Welsh television comedy series

C'mon Midffîld! is one of the most successful Welsh television comedy series ever broadcast on S4C. Created by Mei Jones and Alun Ffred Jones, the show started life on BBC Radio Cymru in 1982 followed by three series before being adapted for the screen by Ffilmiau'r Nant in 1988.

This is a list of British television related events from 1986.

The city of Birmingham, England is home to an evolving media industry, including news and magazine publishers, radio and television networks, film production and specialist educational media training. The city's first newspaper was published in 1732.

<i>Jerry the Tyke</i> 1925 British film by Sid Griffiths

Jerry the Tyke also known as Jerry the Troublesome Tyke is a cartoon dog created during the silent film era. Created by Cardiff-based animator Sid Griffiths, and shown throughout British cinemas as part of Pathé Pictorial's screen news-magazines, Jerry the Tyke was the first animated series to be made in Wales.

Screen Two is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC2 from 1985 to 1998.

Udayan Prasad is an Indian-born British television and film director. He is best known for his films Brothers in Trouble (1995) and My Son the Fanatic (1997), the latter based on a short story by Hanif Kureshi.

<i>The Silent Twins</i> (2022 film) 2022 film

The Silent Twins is a 2022 internationally co-produced biographical drama film about the twin sisters, June and Jennifer Gibbons, who were institutionalized at Broadmoor Hospital following years of silence and teenage rebellion. It was directed by Agnieszka Smoczyńska from a screenplay by Andrea Seigel, who adapted the book of the same name by Marjorie Wallace. The film stars Letitia Wright, Tamara Lawrance, Nadine Marshall, Treva Etienne, Michael Smiley, and Jodhi May.

References

  1. "Screen Two: The Silent Twins". BBC Genome. BBC. 19 January 1986. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
  2. "The Silent Twins". NPR. 8 May 2015.
  3. Hilton Als (4 December 2000). "We Two Made One". The New Yorker . Retrieved 11 November 2020.