Rellik (TV series) explained

Genre:	Crime drama
Language:	English
Num Series:	1
Num Episodes:	6
List Episodes:	Episodes
Runtime:	60 minutes

Rellik ("Killer" spelled backwards) is a crime drama television series created and written by brothers Harry and Jack Williams that premiered on 11 September 2017.^[1] The project was commissioned by the BBC in 2015, with Cinemax joining them later in November 2016.^[2] In the United States the series premiered on 13 April 2018.^[3]

Synopsis

The series tells the story of the hunt for a serial killer who always attacks his victims with acid. The chief investigating officer, Detective Chief Inspector Gabriel Markham, himself becomes a victim of the perpetrator but survives the attack. The story is shown in reverse, starting with the police shooting the suspected killer and then moving backwards in sections to finish at the beginning of the story. The period of time the story has moved backwards is shown each time on the screen.^[4]

Cast and characters

Main

• Richard Dormer as DCI Gabriel Markham
• Jodi Balfour as DI Elaine Shepard
• Paterson Joseph as Dr Isaac Taylor
• Lærke Winther as Lisa Markham
• Shannon Tarbet as Hannah Markham
• Paul Rhys as Patrick Barker
• Michael Shaeffer as Steven Mills
• Rosalind Eleazar as Christine Levison
• Georgina Rich as Beth Mills
• Ray Stevenson as DSI Edward Benton

Recurring

• Clare Holman as Rebecca Barker
• Clive Russell as Henry Parides
• Kieran Bew as DI Mike Sutherland
• Reece Ritchie as DC Asim Fry
• Faye Castelow as DS Jenny Roberts
• Joseph Macnab as DC Sam Myers
• Mimi Ndiweni as DC Andrea Reed
• Michael Wildman as DI Martin Brook
• Tanya Reynolds as Sally
• Annabel Bates as Jill Parides
• Charlotte Dylan as Cassie Hughes
• Richard Cunningham as Brian Sweeney
• Lucy Chappell as Kerri
• Michael Sardine as Dr Jonas Borner

Production

Harry Williams and Jack Williams began writing Rellik while they were filming and editing the first series of The Missing. "We didn't want it to be a technical exercise," the pair remarked, "so we had to ask ourselves why you'd tell a story that way. It became clear quite quickly that it was all about motive. That things happen for a reason and those reasons lie in the past. So, what happens when you start at the end and find your way back to the past sounded like an interesting thing to explore."^[5]

Reception

Initial reaction after the first episode were mixed: some people struggled to understand the programme's style.^{[6] [7]} Episode one's consolidated viewing figure of 4.96 million fell to 2.82 million for episode two and subsequent episodes failed to register at all in the top 30 programmes for the week on BBC1.^[8] However, after the show's finale, it received acclaim from critics.^[9]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Everything you need to know about Rellik, BBC One's new serial killer drama. 9 September 2017. 5 February 2018. 15 November 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201115202440/https://metro.co.uk/2017/09/09/everything-you-need-to-know-about-rellik-bbc-ones-new-serial-killer-drama-with-a-twist-6913640/. live.
2. Web site: Cinemax Picks Up Serial Killer Limited Series From 'The Missing' Creators. Nellie. Andreeva. 29 November 2016. 17 April 2020. 15 November 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201115202443/https://deadline.com/2016/11/cinemax-rellik-serial-killer-limited-series-the-missing-creators-1201861304/. live.
3. Web site: Revamped Cinemax Sets 2018 Lineup With 'Strike Back', 'Rellik', J.K. Rowling's 'C.B. Strike' & Season 2 Of 'Outcast'. Nellie. Andreeva. 9 October 2017. 17 April 2020. 15 November 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201115200206/https://deadline.com/2017/10/cinemax-2018-series-strike-back-rellik-c-b-strike-outcast-schedule-1202183182/. live.
4. Web site: BBC – Richard Dormer and Jodi Balfour star in innovative new BBC One and Cinemax drama series, Rellik - Media Centre. www.bbc.co.uk. 2019-12-25. 2020-11-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20201115202446/https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2017/richard-dormer-jodi-balfour-rellik. live.
5. Web site: Rellik – the new BBC One drama from Harry and Jack Williams. 7 September 2017. BBC Writersroom. 25 December 2019. 15 November 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201115202449/https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/writersroom/entries/ae0b95ca-9d47-4707-a2ed-ed03bde5b7f5. live.
6. Web site: Rellik or Liar? Viewers deliver their verdict on BBC and ITV dramas. 2017-09-13. 2020-11-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20201115202440/https://www.radiotimes.com/news/2017-09-12/rellik-vs-liar-tv-dramas/. live.
7. Web site: BBC's Rellik slammed as 'unwatchable'. 2017-09-14. 2020-11-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20201115202445/https://www.standard.co.uk/stayingin/tvfilm/rellik-viewers-brand-bbc-drama-unwatchable-due-to-mumbling-a3633641.html. live.
8. Web site: Weekly top 30 programmes - BARB. www.barb.co.uk. 2017-10-17. 2018-03-16. https://web.archive.org/web/20180316232551/http://www.barb.co.uk/viewing-data/weekly-top-30/. live.
9. News: Rellik recap: episode six – a finale that gleefully set fire to everything. Graeme. Virtue. The Guardian . 16 October 2017. www.theguardian.com. 28 January 2018. 15 November 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201115202450/https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/oct/16/rellik-recap-episode-six-a-finale-that-gleefully-set-fire-to-everything. live.