The Escape Artist (TV series)
| The Escape Artist | |
|---|---|
|
First episode titlecard | |
| Genre | Drama |
| Created by | David Wolstencroft |
| Written by | David Wolstencroft |
| Directed by | Brian Welsh |
| Starring | |
| Composer(s) | Nicholas Hooper |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 3 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
David Wolstencroft Matthew Read (BBC) |
| Producer(s) |
Paul Frift Hilary Bevan Jones |
| Editor(s) | Jamie Pearson |
| Location(s) |
• London, England, United Kingdom • Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom |
| Cinematography | David Higgs |
| Running time | 57 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Endor Productions Ltd |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC One |
| Original release | 29 October 2013 – 12 November 2013 |
| External links | |
| Website | |
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The Escape Artist is a British drama thriller three-part series,[1] starring David Tennant.[2]
The series was created and written by David Wolstencroft and directed by Brian Welsh. It premiered on 29 October 2013 at 9 p.m. on BBC One.[3]
Plot
Barrister Will Burton (David Tennant) is known for never losing a case and getting criminals out of "tight legal corners". On the verge of applying for the title of Queen's Counsel, Burton agrees to defend murder suspect Liam Foyle (Toby Kebbell), of whose innocence he is in some doubt. Having examined the evidence, he recognises a loophole, and Foyle is acquitted on a technicality.
In revenge for a perceived slight from Burton, Foyle begins stalking Burton's wife (Ashley Jensen) and young son Jamie (Gus Barry). When Burton arrives at their holiday home, he finds his wife brutally murdered and Jamie in shock; he sees Foyle outside the house. Maggie Gardner (Sophie Okonedo), who has lived her career in Burton's shadow, takes up Foyle's defence. The prosecution team consists of two of Burton's colleagues, but he has little confidence in them and begins to carry out his own investigation. He discovers that the woman who has provided Foyle's alibi is also looking after Foyle's possessions in a storage unit. After a search, police find evidence against Foyle. Jamie finally describes his experience, which leads to the discovery of DNA evidence.
Gardner discredits the evidence against Foyle, and the judge directs a verdict of not guilty, but Gardner becomes increasingly unsure when Foyle begins stalking her. Burton follows Foyle to Scotland and confronts him, a sequence of events leading to Foyle's death. Burton is charged with murder and elects to defend himself in court. While the jury is deliberating, Gardner confronts Burton with her theory that he committed "the perfect crime". The jury comes back with a verdict of not proven and Burton is released.
Cast
| Character | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Julian Fowkes QC | Alistair Petrie | ||
| Jenny | Kate Dickie | Kate Dickie | |
| Peter Simkins | | ||
| Maggie Gardner | | ||
| Gavin de Souza QC | | ||
| Tara | | ||
| Eileen Morris | Monica Dolan | ||
| Danny Monk | | ||
| Liam Foyle | | ||
| Trever Harris | | ||
| Richard Mayfield QC | | ||
| Kate Burton | | ||
| Mary | | ||
| Will Burton | | ||
Filming
The series was filmed between 24 January and 22 March 2013, at various locations in London, Hertfordshire, Surrey and Scotland. The interior court scenes were filmed on a set at Wimbledon Studios, in Colliers Wood; and at Surrey County Hall, in Kingston upon Thames. The exterior court scenes were filmed at Paisley Sheriff Court, in Paisley. The final court scene external shots were filmed around the Edinburgh City Chambers, Parliament Square and the Royal Mile in Edinburgh.
Tennant visited the Old Bailey before filming began to do research.
Episodes
| Episode | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original airdate | Viewers (millions)[4] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brian Welsh | David Wolstencroft | 29 October 2013[3] | 6.19 | |
| 2 | Brian Welsh | David Wolstencroft | 5 November 2013 | 5.32 | |
| 3 | Brian Welsh | David Wolstencroft | 12 November 2013 | 5.64 |
Reception
The series received positive reviews. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gave the series a 85% 'fresh' rating based on 13 critic reviews. The critical consensus reads "Its deliberate pace demands patience, but The Escape Artist benefits from David Tennant's performance, as well as an emotionally engaging, socially conscious storyline."[5] Metacritic gave it a score of 71 out of 100 based on 12 critics, indicating 'generally favorable reviews.'[6]
Nominations
- 2014 – Seoul International Drama Awards: Best Series Drama[7]
- 2014 British Academy Scotland Awards - Best Actor in Television: David Tennant
References
- ↑ Press release (31 January 2013). "Filming Starts on New BBC One Thriller, The Escape Artist, Starring David Tennant". BBC. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
- ↑ Munn, Patrick (7 January 2013). "Doctor Who's David Tennant Cast as Lead in BBC One's 'The Escape Artist'". TVWise. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
- 1 2 Graham, Alison (undated). "The Escape Artist – Series 1 Episode". Radio Times. Retrieved 22 June 2014. Check date values in:
|date=(help) - ↑ "Top 30 Programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. 6 October 2013. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
- ↑ "The Escape Artist: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
- ↑ "The Escape Artist - Season 1 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
- ↑ "The Escape Artist Nominated in Seoul". tennantnews.blogspot.fr. Retrieved 17 May 2014.