Merseybeat (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Merseybeat is a British
police procedural
television series shown on BBC One
, with a total of four series broadcast between 2001 and 2004. The series follows the personal and professional lives of one shift of police officer
s from the fictional Newton Park police station on Merseyside
, England
.
In 2001, prior the launch of the series, Merseybeat attracted controversy due to alleged similarities between its pilot episode and the murder of James Bulger, though the BBC defended the series, saying "there are no associations with the tragic case of James Bulger".
In July and August 2002, Merseybeat faced heavy criticism upon its return for a second series. The broadcasting standards commission criticised the quality of the series and ratings fell sharply. In June 2002, ratings fell below 5 million viewers for the first time in the series' history and, in August of the same year, The Guardian
reported that the number of viewers had dropped by one million compared to the first episode of the second series..
In late 2003, when Merseybeat commenced its fourth series, it underwent a major revamp, including the scrapping of the title sequence and theme tune, which was replaced with a record from Liverpudlian
band Cast
. A more "gritty" approach to the drama was also part of the revamp, with the introduction of the station's CID
and Mark Womack
, formerly of Liverpool 1
as DI Hammond.
, Cheshire
and also the neighbouring town of Runcorn
, making heavy use of local landmarks such as the Silver Jubilee Bridge and Fiddlers Ferry power station. The police station itself was a disused Golden Wonder
factory also located in Widnes.
For the 4th and final series filming was moved to Liverpool
.
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...
police procedural
Police procedural
The police procedural is a subgenre of detective fiction which attempts to convincingly depict the activities of a police force as they investigate crimes. While traditional detective novels usually concentrate on a single crime, police procedurals frequently depict investigations into several...
television series shown on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
, with a total of four series broadcast between 2001 and 2004. The series follows the personal and professional lives of one shift of police officer
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
s from the fictional Newton Park police station on Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
In 2001, prior the launch of the series, Merseybeat attracted controversy due to alleged similarities between its pilot episode and the murder of James Bulger, though the BBC defended the series, saying "there are no associations with the tragic case of James Bulger".
In July and August 2002, Merseybeat faced heavy criticism upon its return for a second series. The broadcasting standards commission criticised the quality of the series and ratings fell sharply. In June 2002, ratings fell below 5 million viewers for the first time in the series' history and, in August of the same year, The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
reported that the number of viewers had dropped by one million compared to the first episode of the second series..
In late 2003, when Merseybeat commenced its fourth series, it underwent a major revamp, including the scrapping of the title sequence and theme tune, which was replaced with a record from Liverpudlian
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
band Cast
Cast (band)
Cast are an English rock band from Liverpool, formed in 1992 by John Power and Peter Wilkinson after Power left The La's and Wilkinson's former band Shack had split...
. A more "gritty" approach to the drama was also part of the revamp, with the introduction of the station's CID
Criminal Investigation Department
The Crime Investigation Department is the branch of all Territorial police forces within the British Police and many other Commonwealth police forces, to which plain clothes detectives belong. It is thus distinct from the Uniformed Branch and the Special Branch.The Metropolitan Police Service CID,...
and Mark Womack
Mark Womack (British actor)
Mark Edward Womack is an English actor, best known for starring in Liverpool 1, Sorted and Willy Russell's Dancin thru' The Dark.Womack was born in Liverpool in 1961, eldest son of Frances and Tom Womack...
, formerly of Liverpool 1
Liverpool 1 (TV series)
Liverpool 1 is a British television drama series centred on the work of a fictional Merseyside Police vice squad. Produced by Lime Street Productions for ITV, it starred Samantha Womack and Mark Womack and ran for two series in 1998 and 1999...
as DI Hammond.
Cast
- Leslie AshLeslie AshLeslie Ash is an English actress, best known for her role in the sitcom Men Behaving Badly. Her book My Life Behaving Badly: The Autobiography was published in 2007....
as Insp Charlie Eden - Michelle HolmesMichelle HolmesMichelle Holmes , born Corinne Michelle Cunliffe, is an English actress who has appeared in several television serials.Born in Rochdale, Lancashire, she performed in a pop band called The Dunky Dobbers....
as Sergeant Connie Harper - Haydn GwynneHaydn Gwynne-Personal life:Born in Hurstpierpoint, Sussex to father Guy Thomas Hayden-Gwynne, she played county level tennis before studying Sociology at the University of Nottingham, and is fluent in French and Italian...
as Superintendent Susan Blake - John McArdleJohn McArdleJohn McArdle is an English actor. He is most notable for playing Billy Corkhill in the soap-opera Brookside, with many other smaller appearances in other soaps and dramas...
as Supt. Jim Oulton - Jonathan KerriganJonathan KerriganJonathan Kerrigan is an English actor well known for his portrayal of gay nurse Sam Colloby in the BBC medical dramas Casualty and Holby City, and as police officers in the series Merseybeat and Heartbeat....
as Police Constable Steve Traynor - Chris WalkerChris Walker (actor)Chris Walker is an English actor most notable for playing Rob Hollins, in the BBC daytime soap opera Doctors.He won the award of Best On-screen partnership at The British Soap Awards 2010, for his role as Rob Hollins, with Actress, Jan Pearson who plays Karen Hollins.-Career:Always wanting to be...
as PC Larry "Tiger" Barton - David HargreavesDavid HargreavesDavid Hargreaves is Associate Director for Development and Research of the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust . He is a Fellow of Wolfson College, Cambridge and Foundation Academician of the Academy of the Social Sciences....
as Sgt. Bill Gentle - Eileen O'Brien as Maddie Wright
Filming locations
For the first 3 series filming took place mainly in WidnesWidnes
Widnes is an industrial town within the borough of Halton, in Cheshire, England, with an urban area population of 57,663 in 2004. It is located on the northern bank of the River Mersey where the estuary narrows to form the Runcorn Gap. Directly to the south across the Mersey is the town of Runcorn...
, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
and also the neighbouring town of Runcorn
Runcorn
Runcorn is an industrial town and cargo port within the borough of Halton in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. In 2009, its population was estimated to be 61,500. The town is on the southern bank of the River Mersey where the estuary narrows to form Runcorn Gap. Directly to the north...
, making heavy use of local landmarks such as the Silver Jubilee Bridge and Fiddlers Ferry power station. The police station itself was a disused Golden Wonder
Golden Wonder
Golden Wonder is a British company that manufactures snack foods, most notably crisps.-History:Founded in Stoneyburn in 1947 by the Scottish bakery owner William Alexander, the company was named after the Golden Wonder potato. The company was acquired by UK-based Dalgety plc in 1987...
factory also located in Widnes.
For the 4th and final series filming was moved to Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
.