| Genre: | Horror Drama Occult detective fiction |
| Runtime: | 60 minutes |
| Creator: | Ashley Pharoah |
| Director: | Alice Troughton Sam Donovan |
| Starring: | |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Language: | English |
| Location: | Gloucestershire, England |
| Network: | BBC One BBC America |
| Producer: | Eliza Mellor |
| Cinematography: | Matt Gray BSC Eps 1-3 Suzie Lavelle |
| Num Series: | 1 |
| Num Episodes: | 6 |
The Living and the Dead is a British six-episode supernatural horror television series created by Ashley Pharoah. The plot revolves around Nathan Appleby (played by Colin Morgan) and his wife, Charlotte Appleby (played by Charlotte Spencer), whose farm is believed to be at the centre of numerous supernatural occurrences.[1]
The series was created by Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes co-creator Ashley Pharoah. Pharoah's creative partner Matthew Graham was initially attached to the series, but withdrew prior to its production to work on Childhood's End for SyFy.[14] The series is directed by Alice Troughton and Sam Donovan.
On 5 June 2015, Colin Morgan and Charlotte Spencer were announced to join the cast.[15]
The Living and the Dead production was based in the Bottle Yard Studios in Bristol, England.[16] The primary filming location was Horton Court in Gloucestershire.[17]
The six-part BBC One TV Series began rehearsals on 29 July 2015,[18] and shooting commenced in the West Country on 3 August 2015,[19] with an official announcement about the series on 7 August 2015. Filming concluded on 18 December 2015.[20]
On 12 August 2016, BBC had officially stated that the series would not be renewed for a second series.
Bristol-based duo The Insects were commissioned to write the score for the series.[21] The first episode features the traditional song "She Moved Through the Fair" sung by Elizabeth Fraser, plus the Anglican hymn "Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise" at the ploughman's funeral.[22] Another recurring song is "The Reaper's Ghost",[23] composed by Richard Dyer-Bennet in 1935.[24]
Review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes gave Series 1 an approval rating of 83%, with an average rating of 6.33 out of 10 based on 12 critics. The site's critical consensus is, "This throwback to classic gothic tales of yore is ideal viewing for audiences seeking a spooky sit without intense jolts and shocks."[25]