Trinity (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Trinity is a British drama series which was broadcast on ITV2
from September to November 2009. The series is set in the fictional "Trinity College" of "Bridgeford University", and stars Charles Dance
, Claire Skinner
, Antonia Bernath
, Christian Cooke
, Reggie Yates
and Isabella Calthorpe
.
), whose father Richard Arc (Nick Sidi
) was formerly a student and then professor at the college. Richard left the institution suddenly some years earlier and had never explained why, and two weeks before Charlotte is due to join the college, he is found dead in mysterious circumstances. Convinced that her father's death is in some way linked to the college, Charlotte enrolls determined to try to uncover the truth.
As Charlotte and her fellow students settle in, they begin to realise that all is not what it seems at Trinity. Beneath the glossy, glamorous veneer lurks a much darker world, governed by strict codes of conduct and secret societies, most notably the mysterious Dandelion Club whose members are among the college's wealthiest and most privileged students who are used to getting their own way.
A progressive new Warden of the college, Dr Angela Donne (Claire Skinner
), is trying to modernize the institution. But she has a fight on her hands from those determined to preserve the old order, including the arrogant and sinister Dean, Dr Edmund Maltravers (Charles Dance
), and the spoiled and manipulative President of the Dandelion Club, Dorian Gaudain (Christian Cooke
), backed by his father, the interfering Lord Ravensby (Anthony Calf
).
Besides Charlotte, the new group of students trying to find their way in the college include the streetwise and fiercely intelligent Theo Mackenzie (Reggie Yates
), the poetry-loving hopeless romantic Maddy Talbot (Elen Rhys), Dorian's stunning but emotionally-cold cousin Rosalind Gaudain (Isabella Calthorpe
), and the lost stoners Angus (Mark Wood) and Raj (Arnab Chanda
).
When the college's champion rower, Ross Bonham (David Oakes
), turns up dead, a mysterious series of events begins to unfold. But those charged with protecting the secrets that lie within Trinity's ancient halls of learning aren't about to give them up without a fight.
, with most scenes taking place in or around the Founder's Building
. The Founder's Building appears in the exterior shots as well as in some interior shots as the fictional Trinity College. Some interior scenes were also filmed in the Great Hall of Dulwich College
in Dulwich
, London
. Several of the exterior scenes were also filmed at Painshill Park
, a renowned 18th Century landscape garden in Cobham, Surrey
.
to be broadcast. Trinity had its premiere online at 10pm on 13 September 2009, exactly a week before its TV premiere on 20 September 2009. Episodes 2 to 7 (with the exception of episode 3) premiered online Sundays at 11pm after the previous episode had been shown on ITV2 (episode 3 premiered online on Wednesday 30 September 2009). Episode 8 had no online premiere and was first shown on ITV2 Sunday 8 November. ITV2 repeated the entire series between 23 November 2009 and 2 December 2009 in a 9pm slot.
It has been confirmed by ITV2
Channel Director Zai Bennett that Trinity will not be returning for a second series.
ITV2
ITV2 is a 24 hour, free-to-air entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998, and is available on digital television via satellite, cable, IPTV and terrestrial platforms. The channel has the...
from September to November 2009. The series is set in the fictional "Trinity College" of "Bridgeford University", and stars Charles Dance
Charles Dance
Walter Charles Dance, OBE is an English actor, screenwriter and director. Dance typically plays assertive bureaucrats or villains. His most famous roles are Guy Perron in The Jewel in the Crown , Dr Clemens, the doctor of penitentiary Fury 161, who becomes Ellen Ripley's confidante in Alien 3 ,...
, Claire Skinner
Claire Skinner
Claire L. Skinner is an English actress, who is well known in the United Kingdom for her television career.-Biography:Born and brought up in Hemel Hempstead, Skinner, the youngest daughter of a shopkeeper and an Irish-born secretary, was immensely shy as a child...
, Antonia Bernath
Antonia Bernath
- Early life and education :Raised in Wiltshire, England, Bernath attended Godolphin School before going on to the University of Cambridge. She later dropped out of university when she gained entrance to the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.- Career :...
, Christian Cooke
Christian Cooke
Christian Louis Cooke is an English actor, known for playing Luke Kirkwall in Where the Heart Is, Luke Rutherford in Demons, Dorian Gaudain in Trinity, Freddie in Cemetery Junction and Len Matthews in the Channel 4 mini series The Promise.-Background:Cooke was born in Leeds, West Yorkshire, where...
, Reggie Yates
Reggie Yates
Reginald "Reggie" Yates is a British actor, television presenter and radio DJ of Ghanaian descent. He went to Central Foundation Boys' School.-Early career:...
and Isabella Calthorpe
Isabella Calthorpe
Isabella Amaryllis Charlotte Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe, who uses the stage name Isabella Calthorpe , is an English actress and model, daughter of John Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe and Lady Mary-Gaye Georgiana Lorna Curzon.Primarily a stage actress, she has also appeared in the films Stage Beauty and...
.
Plot overview
A new academic year begins at the ancient and prestigious Trinity College, Bridgeford University, and among the new students is Charlotte Arc (Antonia BernathAntonia Bernath
- Early life and education :Raised in Wiltshire, England, Bernath attended Godolphin School before going on to the University of Cambridge. She later dropped out of university when she gained entrance to the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.- Career :...
), whose father Richard Arc (Nick Sidi
Nick Sidi
Nick Sidi is an English actor. He is the son-in-law of actress Rosalind Knight and brother-in-law of actress Susannah Elliott-Knight. He often plays drama or comedy roles on television and frequently appears in BBC dramas...
) was formerly a student and then professor at the college. Richard left the institution suddenly some years earlier and had never explained why, and two weeks before Charlotte is due to join the college, he is found dead in mysterious circumstances. Convinced that her father's death is in some way linked to the college, Charlotte enrolls determined to try to uncover the truth.
As Charlotte and her fellow students settle in, they begin to realise that all is not what it seems at Trinity. Beneath the glossy, glamorous veneer lurks a much darker world, governed by strict codes of conduct and secret societies, most notably the mysterious Dandelion Club whose members are among the college's wealthiest and most privileged students who are used to getting their own way.
A progressive new Warden of the college, Dr Angela Donne (Claire Skinner
Claire Skinner
Claire L. Skinner is an English actress, who is well known in the United Kingdom for her television career.-Biography:Born and brought up in Hemel Hempstead, Skinner, the youngest daughter of a shopkeeper and an Irish-born secretary, was immensely shy as a child...
), is trying to modernize the institution. But she has a fight on her hands from those determined to preserve the old order, including the arrogant and sinister Dean, Dr Edmund Maltravers (Charles Dance
Charles Dance
Walter Charles Dance, OBE is an English actor, screenwriter and director. Dance typically plays assertive bureaucrats or villains. His most famous roles are Guy Perron in The Jewel in the Crown , Dr Clemens, the doctor of penitentiary Fury 161, who becomes Ellen Ripley's confidante in Alien 3 ,...
), and the spoiled and manipulative President of the Dandelion Club, Dorian Gaudain (Christian Cooke
Christian Cooke
Christian Louis Cooke is an English actor, known for playing Luke Kirkwall in Where the Heart Is, Luke Rutherford in Demons, Dorian Gaudain in Trinity, Freddie in Cemetery Junction and Len Matthews in the Channel 4 mini series The Promise.-Background:Cooke was born in Leeds, West Yorkshire, where...
), backed by his father, the interfering Lord Ravensby (Anthony Calf
Anthony Calf
Anthony Calf is a British actor, born in Hammersmith, London, England. He studied acting at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art . He has recurring roles in the television medical drama Holby City, as Michael Beauchamp, and New Tricks as Strickland...
).
Besides Charlotte, the new group of students trying to find their way in the college include the streetwise and fiercely intelligent Theo Mackenzie (Reggie Yates
Reggie Yates
Reginald "Reggie" Yates is a British actor, television presenter and radio DJ of Ghanaian descent. He went to Central Foundation Boys' School.-Early career:...
), the poetry-loving hopeless romantic Maddy Talbot (Elen Rhys), Dorian's stunning but emotionally-cold cousin Rosalind Gaudain (Isabella Calthorpe
Isabella Calthorpe
Isabella Amaryllis Charlotte Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe, who uses the stage name Isabella Calthorpe , is an English actress and model, daughter of John Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe and Lady Mary-Gaye Georgiana Lorna Curzon.Primarily a stage actress, she has also appeared in the films Stage Beauty and...
), and the lost stoners Angus (Mark Wood) and Raj (Arnab Chanda
Arnab Chanda
-Career:He was born in England and lived there for 6 years and then spent 1 year in India, 8 years in Saudi Arabia and 8 years in the U.S. After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he started doing stand-up comedy in New York City, and after moving back to London in...
).
When the college's champion rower, Ross Bonham (David Oakes
David Oakes
David Oakes is an English film, television and theatre actor.-Early life and education:He was born in Fordingbridge, New Forest, England, the son of a Church of England canon and a professional musician....
), turns up dead, a mysterious series of events begins to unfold. But those charged with protecting the secrets that lie within Trinity's ancient halls of learning aren't about to give them up without a fight.
Production
The series was filmed primarily on the campus of Royal Holloway, University of LondonRoyal Holloway, University of London
Royal Holloway, University of London is a constituent college of the University of London. The college has three faculties, 18 academic departments, and about 8,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students from over 130 different countries...
, with most scenes taking place in or around the Founder's Building
Founder's Building
The Founder's Building was the original building of Royal Holloway College and is an example of Gothic Revival architecture in the United Kingdom. Today it is the dominant building on the campus of Royal Holloway, University of London in Egham, Surrey.The construction of the building began in...
. The Founder's Building appears in the exterior shots as well as in some interior shots as the fictional Trinity College. Some interior scenes were also filmed in the Great Hall of Dulwich College
Dulwich College
Dulwich College is an independent school for boys in Dulwich, southeast London, England. The college was founded in 1619 by Edward Alleyn, a successful Elizabethan actor, with the original purpose of educating 12 poor scholars as the foundation of "God's Gift". It currently has about 1,600 boys,...
in Dulwich
Dulwich
Dulwich is an area of South London, England. The settlement is mostly in the London Borough of Southwark with parts in the London Borough of Lambeth...
, London
London
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...
. Several of the exterior scenes were also filmed at Painshill Park
Painshill Park
Painshill Park , near Cobham, Surrey, England, is one of the finest remaining examples of an 18th century English landscape park. It was designed and created between 1738 and 1773 by the Hon. Charles Hamilton .Painshill Park is owned by Elmbridge Borough Council and managed by the Painshill Park...
, a renowned 18th Century landscape garden in Cobham, Surrey
Cobham, Surrey
Cobham is a town in the Borough of Elmbridge in Surrey, England, about south-west of central London and north of Leatherhead. Elmbridge has been acclaimed by the Daily Mail as the best place to live in the UK, and Cobham is a prosperous part of the London commuter belt...
.
Cast
Students
|
Staff
Other characters
|
Transmission
The show aired weekly on Sundays at 10pm on ITV2 between 20 September 2009 and 8 November 2009, with a repeat showing on the same channel on Wednesdays at 9pm. The drama was originally planned to air at the start of the year but was delayed to allow Paris Hilton's British Best FriendParis Hilton's British Best Friend
Paris Hilton's British Best Friend is a British reality television show where Paris Hilton searches for her new British best friend and is the second incarnation of the My New BFF franchise....
to be broadcast. Trinity had its premiere online at 10pm on 13 September 2009, exactly a week before its TV premiere on 20 September 2009. Episodes 2 to 7 (with the exception of episode 3) premiered online Sundays at 11pm after the previous episode had been shown on ITV2 (episode 3 premiered online on Wednesday 30 September 2009). Episode 8 had no online premiere and was first shown on ITV2 Sunday 8 November. ITV2 repeated the entire series between 23 November 2009 and 2 December 2009 in a 9pm slot.
It has been confirmed by ITV2
ITV2
ITV2 is a 24 hour, free-to-air entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998, and is available on digital television via satellite, cable, IPTV and terrestrial platforms. The channel has the...
Channel Director Zai Bennett that Trinity will not be returning for a second series.
Episodes
For further information see: List of Trinity episodes| Episode | Date | Total Viewers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 September 2009 | 1,192,500 viewers |
| 2 | 27 September 2009 | 937,400 viewers |
| 3 | 4 October 2009 | 855,900 viewers |
| 4 | 11 October 2009 | 882,500 viewers |
| 5 | 18 October 2009 | 827,200 viewers |
| 6 | 25 October 2009 | 691,600 viewers |
| 7 | 1 November 2009 | 680,000 viewers |
| 8 | 8 November 2009 | 674,100 viewers |