Murder (British TV series) explained

Genre:Crime drama
Runtime:60 minutes
Creator:Robert Jones
Starring:Karla Crome
Joe Dempsie
Robert Pugh
Claire Rushbrook
Peter McDonald
Morven Christie
Anne-Marie Duff
Peter Bowles
Jessica Barden
Michael Smiley
Producer:Kath Mattock
Executive Producer:Rob Pursey
Matthew Read
Country:United Kingdom
Language:English
Network:BBC Two
Num Series:1
Num Episodes:4
List Episodes:
  1. Episode list

Murder is a British television crime drama created and written by Robert Jones. Murder is written in a unique style in which all of the protagonists in each episode engage in monologues to camera, giving their version of what happened on the night, as the investigation proceeds from arrest to court hearing to verdict. Four independent films have been written to date, each starring a number of guest artistes. The first, stand-alone film broadcast on 26 August 2012, with a series of three films following on 3 March 2016.[1] The first film was released on DVD on 11 May 2015 via Acorn Media.[2]

Plot

Each episode of Murder is a stand-alone story, which tells the story of the events leading up to and after a murder has been committed. Its unique style includes a style of writing which uses a technique in which none of the characters interact with each other in any one given scene. Each character is seen to break the "fourth wall" and give a monologue to the audience, explaining their involvement and/or role in the crime committed. Although critically well-received, even receiving the BAFTA award for Best Single Drama in 2013, the first stand-alone film did not receive the same level of public acclaim; with six out of nine reviewers for the DVD release giving the film one star.[3]

However, writer and creator Robert Jones has cited this as an inspiration to spend more than three years to bring a second series to screen. The first two films were directed by Birger Larsen, known for his work on The Killing and many other hit Scandinavian dramas. The first episode was broadcast at 10pm on Sunday 26 August 2012, while the second series will be broadcast in an earlier timeslot, at 9pm, on consecutive Thursdays from 3 March 2016. The Radio Times stated in a review of the first episode of series two that Murder is "one of the most original shows on British TV in recent years."[4]

Episode list

Pilot (2012)

EpisodeTitleWritten byDirected byViewers
(millions)[5]
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Series 1 (2016)

EpisodeTitleWritten byDirected byViewers
(millions)
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Notes and References

  1. Web site: Murder is one of the most original British dramas ever. 24 August 2018.
  2. Web site: Murder - Joint Enterprise. 11 May 2015. 24 August 2018. Amazon.
  3. Web site: Amazon.co.uk:Customer reviews: Murder - Joint Enterprise [DVD]]. www.amazon.co.uk. 24 August 2018.
  4. Web site: Murder: The Third Voice, BBC2, Morven Christie - CrimeTimePreview. 25 February 2016. 24 August 2018.
  5. Web site: Top 30 Programmes – BARB. barb.co.uk. 2016-02-11.