Thorne (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Thorne is a television drama series which debuted on Sky1 in the UK on October 10, 2010. It stars David Morrissey who plays the title role of Detective Inspector Tom Thorne created by crime writer Mark Billingham
. The supporting cast includes Aidan Gillen, Eddie Marsan and Natascha McElhone. The first three episodes were known as thorne: Sleepyhead and the latter three episodes were under the banner thorne: Scaredy Cat. In February 2011 David Morrissey confirmed that he was set to star in and produce another series of Thorne. Author Mark Billingham confirmed via Twitter that he hopes filming of the new series to begin in early 2012.
The first series of six episodes comprises two three-part dramatizations of the first two Thorne novels respectively. In the first, Sleepyhead, Thorne has to track down and stop a serial killer who aims to leave his victims alive but unable to communicate because of locked-in syndrome
. The second is Scaredy Cat, which features two serial killers apparently working in tandem.
The makers of the series hope eventually to film all ten Thorne novels.
, were previewed at the BFI Southbank
in London on October 4, 2010. This was followed by a Q&A session featuring writer Mark Billingham and actors David Morrissey and Eddie Marsan.
on Monday October 11, 2010, after the first episode was broadcast, Tom Sutcliffe
wrote approvingly, particularly of the direction of Stephen Hopkins, "who keeps using his camera to catch Thorne from incriminating angles, as if he's a perpetrator not a policeman", and the performances of Morrissey and McElhone.
In The Scotsman
, Andrea Mullaney praised the efforts made by BSkyB in the production and casting but added "But it's a shame that our best actors can't be used for anything more radical or real." Adam Sweeting at the independent online arts magazine The Arts Desk wrote "Despite the hype it's just another cop show full of corpses, but Morrissey feels authentic as the phlegmatic, low-key Thorne", but criticised the romantic link between Morrissey and McElhone: "It was like Vinnie Jones getting off with Joanna Lumley".
Running on a Sunday evening in the prime 2100 slot on satellite against strong terrestrial competition from the popular Julian Fellowes period drama series Downton Abbey
, the first episode of four-part drama Single Father starring David Tennant
, and a reshowing of the Dan Brown thriller The Da Vinci Code
, the show drew 402,000 viewers and 1.5% audience share, according to preliminary BARB figures.
Both Sleepyhead and Scaredycat were released together on DVD and Blu-ray on 10 January 2011.
As with TV/film adaptations there are many differences between the books and the television series. In the books Brigstocke is a man (Russell Brigstocke); Dave Holland isn't black and Phil Hendricks is a tall, bald, heavily-pierced, heavily-tattooed Mancunian, not a short, partly-tattooed Irishman with a full head of hair.
Mark Billingham
Mark Philip David Billingham is an English novelist whose series of "Tom Thorne" crime novels are best-sellers in that particular genre. He is also a television screenwriter and has become a familiar face as an actor and comic....
. The supporting cast includes Aidan Gillen, Eddie Marsan and Natascha McElhone. The first three episodes were known as thorne: Sleepyhead and the latter three episodes were under the banner thorne: Scaredy Cat. In February 2011 David Morrissey confirmed that he was set to star in and produce another series of Thorne. Author Mark Billingham confirmed via Twitter that he hopes filming of the new series to begin in early 2012.
Production
As well as the lead role of the series, Morrissey is executive producer. He describes how he became involved as follows: "I was doing a film in New Zealand, on my own, in winter. I really needed a book. I stumbled across a Thorne novel, liked it, and then I looked up Mark online and found a question-and-answer session where he said that if his books ever made it to the screen, he’d like David Morrissey to play the lead. I thought, 'That’s a good start'".The first series of six episodes comprises two three-part dramatizations of the first two Thorne novels respectively. In the first, Sleepyhead, Thorne has to track down and stop a serial killer who aims to leave his victims alive but unable to communicate because of locked-in syndrome
Locked-In syndrome
Locked-in syndrome is a condition in which a patient is aware and awake but cannot move or communicate verbally due to complete paralysis of nearly all voluntary muscles in the body except for the eyes. Total locked-in syndrome is a version of locked-in syndrome where the eyes are paralyzed as...
. The second is Scaredy Cat, which features two serial killers apparently working in tandem.
The makers of the series hope eventually to film all ten Thorne novels.
British Film Institute preview
The first three episodes of the series, comprising a dramatization of Billingham's first Thorne novel Sleepyhead, directed by Stephen HopkinsStephen Hopkins (director)
Stephen Hopkins is a Jamaican-born film director and producer. He is best-known for his continuation of the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise with A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child and the Predator franchise with Predator 2...
, were previewed at the BFI Southbank
BFI Southbank
BFI Southbank is the leading repertory cinema in the UK specialising in seasons of classic, independent and non-English language films and is operated by the British Film Institute.-History:...
in London on October 4, 2010. This was followed by a Q&A session featuring writer Mark Billingham and actors David Morrissey and Eddie Marsan.
Reception
In a television review in The IndependentThe Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
on Monday October 11, 2010, after the first episode was broadcast, Tom Sutcliffe
Tom Sutcliffe (broadcaster)
Thomas Sutcliffe is a British journalist and arts broadcaster.Sutcliffe studied English at Emmanuel College, Cambridge...
wrote approvingly, particularly of the direction of Stephen Hopkins, "who keeps using his camera to catch Thorne from incriminating angles, as if he's a perpetrator not a policeman", and the performances of Morrissey and McElhone.
In The Scotsman
The Scotsman
The Scotsman is a British newspaper, published in Edinburgh.As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 38,423, down from about 100,000 in the 1980s....
, Andrea Mullaney praised the efforts made by BSkyB in the production and casting but added "But it's a shame that our best actors can't be used for anything more radical or real." Adam Sweeting at the independent online arts magazine The Arts Desk wrote "Despite the hype it's just another cop show full of corpses, but Morrissey feels authentic as the phlegmatic, low-key Thorne", but criticised the romantic link between Morrissey and McElhone: "It was like Vinnie Jones getting off with Joanna Lumley".
Running on a Sunday evening in the prime 2100 slot on satellite against strong terrestrial competition from the popular Julian Fellowes period drama series Downton Abbey
Downton Abbey
Downton Abbey is a British television period drama series, produced by NBC Universal-owned British media company Carnival Films for the ITV network. The series is set during the late Edwardian era and the First World War on the fictional estate of Downton Abbey in Yorkshire, and features an...
, the first episode of four-part drama Single Father starring David Tennant
David Tennant
David Tennant is a Scottish actor. In addition to his work in theatre, including a widely praised Hamlet, Tennant is best known for his role as the tenth incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who, along with the title role in the 2005 TV serial Casanova and as Barty Crouch, Jr...
, and a reshowing of the Dan Brown thriller The Da Vinci Code
The Da Vinci Code (film)
The Da Vinci Code is a 2006 American mystery thriller film directed by Ron Howard. The screenplay was written by Akiva Goldsman and based on Dan Brown's worldwide bestselling 2003 novel, The Da Vinci Code...
, the show drew 402,000 viewers and 1.5% audience share, according to preliminary BARB figures.
Both Sleepyhead and Scaredycat were released together on DVD and Blu-ray on 10 January 2011.
As with TV/film adaptations there are many differences between the books and the television series. In the books Brigstocke is a man (Russell Brigstocke); Dave Holland isn't black and Phil Hendricks is a tall, bald, heavily-pierced, heavily-tattooed Mancunian, not a short, partly-tattooed Irishman with a full head of hair.
Episodes
| # | Title | Director | Writer | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Main Cast
- David MorrisseyDavid MorrisseyDavid Mark Morrissey is an English actor and director. Morrissey grew up in the Kensington and Knotty Ash areas of Liverpool, and learned to act at the city's Everyman Youth Theatre. At the age of 18, he was cast in the television series One Summer , which won him recognition throughout the country...
as Tom Thorne - Eddie MarsanEddie MarsanEdward Maurice C. "Eddie" Marsan is an English actor.-Early life:Marsan was born in Stepney, London to a working class family; his father was a lorry driver and his mother a school dinner lady and teacher's assistant...
as Kevin Tughan - Aidan GillenAidan GillenAidan Gillen is an Irish stage and screen actor and television presenter. He is known in Ireland for his role in Love/Hate, in the UK for his role in Queer as Folk and in the US for his role in HBO's television series The Wire in which he plays Tommy Carcetti and for his role in Game of Thrones as...
as Phil Hendricks - O. T. Fagbenle as Dave Holland
- Lorraine AshbourneLorraine AshbourneLorraine Ashbourne is an English stage, film and television actress.-Career:She has appeared on British television series and television movies, including: The Street,True Dare Kiss, Thin Ice, In a Land of Plenty,...
as Brigstocke
Sleepyhead
- Natascha McElhoneNatascha McElhoneNatascha McElhone is an English actress of stage, screen and television, best known for her roles in Ronin, The Truman Show and Solaris. McElhone also plays a leading role in the Showtime series Californication....
as Anne Coburn - Sara Lloyd-Gregory as Alison Willetts
- Aisling LoftusAisling LoftusAisling Loftus is an English actress. She is the daughter of Irish parents, Paddy and Eileen, and has an older sister, Aoife....
as Rachel Coburn - Sarah NilesSarah NilesSarah Niles is a British film, television and theatre actress. Niles has appeared mainly in theatre productions, however she is most famous for portraying Reba Parkinson in the BBC television series Beautiful People. Niles has also had roles in various high-profile television shows such as Doctor...
as Maggie Byrne - Joshua CloseJoshua CloseJoshua Close is a Canadian actor.-Filmography:*The Pacific as Edward Sledge*The Dead Sleep as Tim*Diary of the Dead as Jason*Full of It as Kyle Plunkett...
as Josh Ramsey - Brian McCardieBrian McCardieBrian McCardie is a Scottish actor. He has appeared in several movies, including Speed 2: Cruise Control , playing the role as Merced. He also appeared in the mini series of Titanic.-Early life:...
as Francis Calvert
Scaredy Cat
- Sandra OhSandra OhSandra Oh is a Canadian actress. She is best known for the role of Dr. Cristina Yang on ABC's Grey's Anatomy, for which she has won a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild award. She also played notable roles in the feature films Under the Tuscan Sun and Sideways, and had a supporting role on the...
as DS Sarah Chen - Tom Brooke as Martin Palmer
- Joe AbsolomJoe AbsolomJoseph Absolom is an English actor best known for playing Matthew Rose in the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders and Al Large in Doc Martin.-Biography:...
as Stuart Nicklin
External links
- Thorne page at Sky website
- Liz Hoggard, October 4, 2010, Hit men: 24 director and David Morrissey team up for new crime show Thorne, Evening Standard
- http://filmlondon.org.uk/news/2010/october/serial_life_in_east_london