Marchlands
Encyclopedia
Marchlands is a five-part supernatural drama first shown on ITV
(ITV1
/STV/UTV
) in the United Kingdom
on 3 February 2011, telling the story of three different families living in the same house at three different time periods, in 1968, 1987 and 2010. The three families are linked by the spirit of a young girl who died in mysterious circumstances in 1967. The first episode has the appearance of a ghost story spanning three different time periods and generations in a single house in Yorkshire.
In 1987, Helen and Eddie Maynard rent Marchlands and live with their two children. They discover their daughter Amy has what seems to be an imaginary friend called Alice, which they initially try to ignore. After a series of suspiciously paranormal activities, matters become more serious when Amy blames Alice for the death of a kitten, leading to her parents sending Amy for medical tests.
In 2010, Mark Ashburn and wife Nisha Parekh move into Marchlands and find a photo of a young girl, who the viewers now know to be Alice. Nisha becomes suspicious that Mark has not told her the whole truth about why they have moved there. An elderly Ruth, who never came to terms with the death of her child and still as determined to find out what happened, returns to Marchlands when Mark employs her as a housekeeper and child minder, after Nisha breaks her leg when falling from a step-ladder.
and the Ashridge
Estate with the village of Aldbury
used frequently and the surrounding village of Little Gaddesden
. The house in which it was filmed is in Tadworth
, Surrey
. Marchlands marks the first commission to come from the creative collaboration between ITV & Twentieth Century Fox. It is based on the US Fox network pilot The Oaks
, which was produced in the US in 2008. The drama is based on an original US pilot from David Schulner.
Ratings include the ITV1 HD simulcast audience.
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
(ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
/STV/UTV
UTV
UTV is a television channel based in the UK region of Northern Ireland. The channel is the Channel 3 or Independent Television licensee for Northern Ireland and is operated by UTV Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of UTV Media.- Terrestrial :* Analogue: Normally tuned to 3 * Freeview : 3...
) in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
on 3 February 2011, telling the story of three different families living in the same house at three different time periods, in 1968, 1987 and 2010. The three families are linked by the spirit of a young girl who died in mysterious circumstances in 1967. The first episode has the appearance of a ghost story spanning three different time periods and generations in a single house in Yorkshire.
Plot
In 1968, Ruth and Paul Bowen live in Marchlands with Paul's oppressive parents Robert and Evelyn. Six months earlier, Ruth and Paul's daughter Alice died and Ruth is determined to find out the truth about what happened to her, believing there is more to Alice's death than she is being led to believe.In 1987, Helen and Eddie Maynard rent Marchlands and live with their two children. They discover their daughter Amy has what seems to be an imaginary friend called Alice, which they initially try to ignore. After a series of suspiciously paranormal activities, matters become more serious when Amy blames Alice for the death of a kitten, leading to her parents sending Amy for medical tests.
In 2010, Mark Ashburn and wife Nisha Parekh move into Marchlands and find a photo of a young girl, who the viewers now know to be Alice. Nisha becomes suspicious that Mark has not told her the whole truth about why they have moved there. An elderly Ruth, who never came to terms with the death of her child and still as determined to find out what happened, returns to Marchlands when Mark employs her as a housekeeper and child minder, after Nisha breaks her leg when falling from a step-ladder.
Production
It was filmed on location around LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and the Ashridge
Ashridge
Ashridge is an estate and house in Hertfordshire, England; part of the land stretches into Buckinghamshire and it is close to the Bedfordshire border. It is situated in the Chiltern Hills, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, about two miles north of Berkhamsted and twenty miles north west of...
Estate with the village of Aldbury
Aldbury
Aldbury is a village and civil parish in Hertfordshire, England, near the borders of Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire, in a valley close to Ashridge Park. The nearest town is Tring; Tring railway station, 1 mile west, is in the parish of Aldbury...
used frequently and the surrounding village of Little Gaddesden
Little Gaddesden
Little Gaddesden is a village and civil parish in the English county of Hertfordshire three miles north of Berkhamsted. As well as Little Gaddesden village , the parish contains the settlements of Ashridge , Hudnall , and part of Ringshall .Part of the parish was formerly in Buckinghamshire...
. The house in which it was filmed is in Tadworth
Tadworth
Tadworth is a large suburban village in Surrey, on the south-east slope of Epsom Downs. It forms part of the Borough of Reigate and Banstead. The census area Tadworth and Walton has a population of 7,016. Neighbouring settlements include Walton-on-the-Hill, Kingswood, Epsom, Burgh Heath, Banstead,...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. Marchlands marks the first commission to come from the creative collaboration between ITV & Twentieth Century Fox. It is based on the US Fox network pilot The Oaks
The Oaks (TV series)
The Oaks was an American Supernatural drama television pilot, created by David Schulner for the Fox network's 2008/2009 season. The addition to the Fox line up was speculated to be a much needed high concept drama, purportedly to compete in ratings with ABC's Lost, Desperate Housewives, and Grey's...
, which was produced in the US in 2008. The drama is based on an original US pilot from David Schulner.
Characters
- Ruth Bowen in 1968 (played by Jodie WhittakerJodie WhittakerJodie Auckland Whittaker is an English actress, perhaps best known for her work in the film Venus . She also starred in the ITV1 series Marchlands playing the young Ruth who had lost her daughter Alice.-Career:...
). Grieving for her eight year-old daughter Alice who drowned six months previously, she senses she has been misled on the cause of Alice's death. - Robert Bowen in 1968 (played by Denis LawsonDenis LawsonDenis Stamper Lawson is a Scottish actor and director. He is known for his roles as John Jarndyce in the BBC's adaptation of Bleak House and as Gordon Urquhart in the film Local Hero, but is best known for playing the part of Wedge Antilles in the original Star Wars trilogy.-Early life:Lawson was...
). Local mill owner Robert, the grandfather of Alice. As Alice was in his care when she died, he was the last to see Alice; his daughter-in-law questions him a lot about how she died and that is extremely difficult for him. - Evelyn Bowen in 1968 (played by Tessa Peake-JonesTessa Peake-JonesTessa Peake-Jones is an English actress. She is best known for her role as Raquel in the television comedy series Only Fools and Horses. She had a co-starring role in the 1999 TV series Births, Marriages, and Deaths...
). Married to Robert and living with her son Paul and daughter-in-law Ruth, Evelyn appears to be the most pragmatic member of the family. Wanting to move on from the loss of Alice, she believes her daughter-in-law's continual questions aren't helpful. Although Evelyn isn't fully aware of the cause of Alice's death, she has her own secrets. - Paul Bowen in 1968 (played by Jamie Thomas KingJamie Thomas KingJamie Thomas King is a British actor.-Personal life:King is the son of director Christopher King and writer Laura Lamson...
). Paul is the accounts manager at the local mill, owned by his father Robert. He finds his marriage to Ruth under pressure as they both struggle to cope with their grief in different ways. - Liz Runcie (played by Jennifer HennessyJennifer HennessyJennifer Hennessy is a British actress best known for playing Mrs Brazendale in the BBC TV series Lilies.She trained for three years at the Central School of Speech and Drama, graduating in 1992...
). Mother of Olive and lives next door to Marchlands, she is also friends with Ruth. - Helen Maynard in 1987 (played by Alex KingstonAlex KingstonAlexandra Elizabeth "Alex" Kingston is an English actress. She is most widely known for her roles as Dr. Elizabeth Corday on the NBC medical drama ER and as River Song in Doctor Who.-Early life and education:...
). Housewife Helen Maynard rents Marchlands with her husband Eddie, a supervisor in a saw mill. They live with their two children, Scott and Amy. When daughter Amy claims to be communicating with the spirit of a young girl, Helen sends her for psychiatric tests rather than believe her story. - Eddie Maynard in 1987 (played by Dean AndrewsDean AndrewsDean Andrews is a British actor.He is most famous for his role as DS Ray Carling in the BBC Television drama Life on Mars...
). Eddie works as the supervisor at the local saw mill. He is more sympathetic towards Amy's claims that she is communicating with a spirit and is prepared to listen to anything she says. Eddie is reluctant to send Amy for medical tests but agrees to it to keep the peace. - Scott Maynard in 1987 (played by Ethan Griffin). Son of Helen and Eddie, he believes sister Amy is seeking attention by claiming to be communicating with the dead. He shows no sympathy towards Amy, preferring to taunt and ridicule her about her story.
- Amy Maynard in 1987 (played by Sydney Wade). Daughter of Helen and Eddie, she claims to be communicating with the spirit of a dead girl, Alice. Her family prefer to believe she may have a medical condition rather than believe she is communicating with the dead.
- Mark Ashburn in 1987 (played by Ryan Prescott). Mark works in Olive's garden and he falls in love with her and is friends with Scott.
- Olive Runcie in 1987 (played by Sophie Stone). She lives next door to Marchlands with her mother, Liz. She has a crush on Mark.
- Older Liz Runcie in 1987 (played by Jennifer HennessyJennifer HennessyJennifer Hennessy is a British actress best known for playing Mrs Brazendale in the BBC TV series Lilies.She trained for three years at the Central School of Speech and Drama, graduating in 1992...
). Mother of Olive and lives next door to Marchlands. - Nisha Parekh in 2010 (played by Shelley ConnShelley Conn-Early life and education:Conn was born in Barnet, Greater London of British and Sri Lankan descent. The great niece of actress Merle Oberon , Conn trained at Bretton Hall...
). Nisha is pregnant when she moves to Marchlands to live in the village where her fiancé Mark grew up. Nisha begins to feel the presence of a little girl who used to live in the house. Initially comforted by the connection to the past, she gradually begins to feel lonely, isolated from Mark and the spookiness of the house becomes unnerving, especially when the baby is born. - Older Mark Ashburn in 2010 (played by Elliot CowanElliot CowanElliot Cowan is an English actor, known for portraying Corporal Jem Poynton in Ultimate Force, Mr Darcy in Lost in Austen and Ptolemy in the 2004 film Alexander.-Background:...
). Mark returns to his former village after several years away. Mark was persuaded to return to his home village by partner Nisha, as she feels it will be the perfect place to raise a child. - Older Ruth Bowen in 2010 (played by Anne ReidAnne ReidAnne Reid, MBE is a BAFTA Award-nominated English film and television actress from Newcastle upon Tyne, best known for her roles as Valerie Tatlock in Coronation Street and Jean in dinnerladies....
). Ruth returns to Marchlands in 2010 when she is employed as a housekeeper by Mark, after Nisha has a setback when falling from a step ladder. Many years after the death of her daughter Alice, Ruth is still as determined as ever to find out the truth about what really happened to her. - Older Olive Runcie in 2010 (played by Elizabeth RiderElizabeth RiderElizabeth Rider is an English actress best known for her recurring role as DI Lynette Driver in the BBC soap opera, Doctors, which she has appeared in 2009 and often from 2010.-Career:...
). Olive is Mark's young love who has lived next door to Marchlands for her whole life. She is keeping a secret but what is it? - Older Scott Maynard in 2010 (played by Daniel CaseyDaniel Casey-Early life:The son of journalist and television presenter Luke Casey, he grew up in Stockton-on-Tees and attended Grey College, Durham, graduating with a BA in English Literature before pursuing a career in acting.-Career:...
). The corner shop owner. Scott is reluctant to talk about the events that happened to his family when he lived in Marchlands and Nisha often goes to the corner shop and asks about what Mark was like when he lived in the village, but he is reluctant to say. - Alice Bowen (played by Millie Archer). Alice died in mysterious circumstances in 1968. She has a spiritual presence in Marchlands many years after her death.
Ratings
| Episode | Date | Rating (Millions) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Episode 1 | 3 February 2011 | 7.36 | |
| Episode 2 | 10 February 2011 | 6.75 | |
| Episode 3 | 17 February 2011 | 6.93 | |
| Episode 4 | 24 February 2011 | 6.79 | |
| Episode 5 | 3 March 2011 | 7.08 | |
| Average: | 6.98 | ||
Ratings include the ITV1 HD simulcast audience.