Blackpool (TV serial)

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Blackpool is a British television musical drama serial, produced in-house by the BBC and screened on their BBC One channel in six one-hour episodes on Thursday nights at 9pm from November 11 to December 16, 2004.

Contents

[edit] Overview

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Starring David Morrissey, Sarah Parish and David Tennant, the serial was written by Peter Bowker (who had previously written for BBC One's modern adaptation of The Canterbury Tales (2003) and BBC Two's Flesh and Blood (2002)) and directed by Coky Giedroyc and Julie Anne Robinson, it was filmed on location in Blackpool itself and Brentford. It was renamed Viva Blackpool for transmission on BBC America in 2005. Also in the cast were John Thompson and Steve Pemberton.

The series is particularly notable for its comic touches and the employment of pop music in the course of the narrative - although the originals are played, they are sang along with and accompied by slightly surreal dance routines acted out by the characters. This latter device is strongly reminiscent of the style of esteemed television playwright Dennis Potter, who used it in several of his famous productions such as Pennies from Heaven (1978) and The Singing Detective (1986).

A sequel one-off, Viva Blackpool, starring David Morrissey reprising his role as Ripley Holden, and Georgia Taylor reprising her role as his daughter Shyanne was shown on the BBC on Saturday June 10 2006. Following the events of Blackpool and the destruction of his life and his dreams, Ripley heads to the bright lights and casinos of Las Vegas. Once there he discovers that he is now Reverend of Blackpool's only Vegas-style wedding chapel.

[edit] Plot

The plot concerns the murder of a young man in a Blackpool arcade, and how it affects the people involved in the arcade and the investigation:

  • Ripley Holden (David Morrissey), the ambitious, arrogant arcade owner who believes strongly in luck, and who is planning to turn his arcade into a Las Vegas-style casino hotel and thus revive Blackpool's fortunes;
  • DI Peter Carlisle (David Tennant), the investigating officer of the murder: a charming and good-natured, although extremely manipulative, police officer, who dislikes Holden almost on sight;
  • Natalie Holden (Sarah Parish), Ripley's shy, frustrated and lonely wife, whom Ripley takes for granted and to whom Carlisle takes a shine;
  • Shyanne Holden (Georgia Taylor); Ripley and Natalie's spoilt daughter, who worships her doting father but is cruel and distant to her mother; and
  • Danny Holden (Thomas Morrison); Ripley and Natalie's troubled and awkward son, who is constantly belittled by his father.

As the investigation proceeds, it takes its toll on the characters; Ripley, under suspicion of murder, finds his public and private life slowly unravelling as both his bullying nature and long-forgotten demons from his past return to haunt him, whilst Carlisle, intent on proving Ripley is the murderer and planning to use Natalie to get to him, finds himself genuinely falling in love with her instead.

[edit] Critical reaction and awards

Although critical reaction to the serial was generally positive, albeit with some poor reviews as well, its audience figures were not spectacular, falling between four and five million viewers. In 2005, it was nominated in the Best Drama Serial category at the British Academy Television Awards, eventually losing out on the Award to Channel 4's Sex Traffic. It did, however, win the "Best Miniseries" and Grand Prize acolades at Canada's Banff Television Festival. In December 2005, it was announced that it had been nominated (under its American title Viva Blackpool) in the Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television category at the 2006 Golden Globe Awards.[1]

The serial has been shown abroad in several countries, including:

It has also been released on DVD in the UK.

[edit] Cast

[edit] Song List

A list of the songs used as musical numbers throughout the show.

Episode 1

Episode 2

Episode 3

Episode 4

Episode 5

Episode 6

Viva Blackpool (The sequel)

[edit] Blackpool Soundtrack

A soundtrack was released to accompany the TV series, in which a six-page booklet explained why each song used was included in the series.

  • Queen- Don't Stop Me Now
  • Kevin Rowland and Dexy's Midnight Runners- Come On Eileen
  • Depeche Mode- Just Can't Get Enough (This was in the original script. It was supposed to a culmination of bits of the of other songs, leading to an easy sexual encounter, but it felt repetitive as they had done a scene between David Tennant and Sarah Parish in the Aquarium).
  • Jimmy Cliff- You Can Get It If You Really Want
  • Dave and Ansel Collins- Double Barrel
  • Kenny Rogers- The Gambler
  • Johnny Nash- Cupid
  • The Costello Show- Brilliant Mistake
  • The Smiths- The Boy With The Thorn In His Side
  • Alison Moyet- Invisible
  • The Communards- Don't Leave Me This Way
  • The Real Thing- Can You Feel The Force
  • Diana Ross & The Supremes & The Temptations- I'm Gonna Make You Love Me
  • Gabrielle- Should I Stay
  • 10cc- I'm Not In Love
  • Yazoo- Only You
  • Terence Trent D'Arby- Sign Your Name
  • Billy Idol- White Wedding
  • Mud- The Secrets That You Keep
  • Sandie Shaw- (There's) Always Something There To Remind Me
  • Rob Lane- Ripley's Skank (Main Theme)

[edit] External links

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