Jekyll and Hyde (TV series)
Jekyll and Hyde is a British TV fantasy drama based loosely on Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 novella Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Set in 1930s London and Ceylon, it follows the character of Dr. Robert Jekyll, a grandson of the Victorian Dr. Henry Jekyll, who has inherited his grandfather's split personality and violent alter-ego.
| Jekyll and Hyde | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Fantasy Action Drama Thriller Horror |
| Created by | Charlie Higson |
| Based on | Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson |
| Starring | |
| Composers | David Arnold Michael Price |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 10 |
| Production | |
| Cinematography | Mark Waters |
| Running time | 45–46 minutes |
| Production company | ITV Studios |
| Release | |
| Original network | ITV |
| Picture format | HDTV 1080i |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original release | 25 October – 27 December 2015 |
The series aired on ITV in the United Kingdom from 25 October to 27 December 2015 and it consisted of ten episodes. On 5 January 2016, creator Charlie Higson announced on Twitter that ITV had decided to pass on a second series.[1]
Cast
- Tom Bateman – Dr. Robert Jekyll/Hyde, the grandson of the Victorian Dr. Henry Jekyll/Edward Hyde, the son of Louis, twin brother of Olalla.
- Richard E. Grant – Sir Roger Bulstrode, a British Intelligence officer studying supernatural phenomena
- Tom Rhys Harries – Mr Sackler, a sniper working for Sir Roger Bulstrode
- Enzo Cilenti – Captain Dance, senior officer for monster organisation, the Tenebrae.
- Michael Karim – Ravi Najaran, Vishal and Gurinder's son and Robert's foster-brother
- Ace Bhatti – Dr. Vishal Najaran, Gurinder's husband, Ravi's father and Robert Jekyll's foster-father in Ceylon.
- Lolita Chakrabarti – Gurinder Najaran, Vishal's wife, Ravi's mother and Robert Jekyll's foster-mother in Ceylon.
- Natalie Gumede – Isabella "Bella" Charming, the owner of an East End nightclub the Empire, and love interest of Robert's Hyde persona.
- Stephanie Hyam – Lily Clarke Carew, a former biochemistry student of Cambridge, also, Lily Carew, granddaughter of the murdered Sir Danvers Carew.
- Christian McKay – Maxwell Utterson, Robert's estate lawyer whose father, Gabriel Utterson, worked for Dr. Henry Jekyll.
- Ruby Bentall – Hilary "Hils" Barnstaple, Maxwell's assistant.
- Donald Sumpter – Garson, once Henry Jekyll's assistant/footman, now the bartender of the Empire nightclub.
- Sinéad Cusack – Maggie Hope. Lover of Victorian Dr. Henry Jekyll/Edward Hyde, mother of Louis and grandmother of Robert and Olalla.
- Wallis Day – Olalla Jekyll/Hyde, granddaughter of the Victorian Dr. Henry Jekyll/Edward Hyde, daughter of Louis and twin sister of Robert.
- Amelia Bullmore – Renata Jezequiel, a distant relative of the Jekyll family.
- Natasha O'Keeffe – Fedora, member of Tenebrae and love interest of Dance.
- Tony Way – Cyclops Silas Parnell, member of Tenebrae, minion of Dance and leader of a gang of one-eyed thugs.
- Dee Tails – The Harbinger,[2] a creature.
- Phil McKee – Mr Hannigan, an MIO agent working for Sir Roger Bulstrode.
- Mark Bonnar – Lord Protheroe, head of Daily Truth, harbourer of Fedora and the "killed" Dance.
- David Bark-Jones and Thomas Coombes – Dr. Henry Jekyll/Edward Hyde, Robert and Olalla 's grandfather and the father of Louis. .
Production
The series was based at 3 Mills Studios and also filmed in Kent – Rochester High Street doubles as the exterior of the Empire music hall and The Guildhall Museum features as the hotel where Dr. Jekyll (Tom Bateman) first lodges when arriving in England. The Historic Dockyard Chatham was used as location for the scenes used for Gravesend Docks, Tenebrae offices and factory and various areas of the site feature as London Streets and markets. Elmley Nature Reserve features in episode three as the setting for Maggie's (Niamh Walsh) country house and the Fort Amherst tunnels are used in episodes 9 and 10 where Jekyll finds out about the powers of The Incubus.
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Harbinger" | Colin Teague | Charlie Higson | 25 October 2015 | 2-2650-0001 |
| After his name appears in a local paper, Robert Jekyll is contacted by his biological grandfather's lawyer in London about the family estate. | |||||
| 2 | "Mr. Hyde" | Colin Teague | Charlie Higson | 1 November 2015 | 2-2650-0002 |
| Confused at events since arriving in London, Robert attempts to carry out further research in his grandfather's laboratory. | |||||
| 3 | "The Cutter" | Colin Teague | Charlie Higson | 8 November 2015 | 2-2650-0003 |
| The arrival of the mysterious Captain Dance in London incites further activity from MIO's captives, while Robert attempts to control his transformation using his grandfather's serum. | |||||
| 4 | "The Calyx" | Joss Agnew | Charlie Higson | 22 November 2015[3] | 2-2650-0004 |
| While trying to harness his abilities as Hyde to save his long-lost grandmother, Robert finds himself caught between Tenebrae and MIO as he is tempted to open an ancient container. | |||||
| 5 | "Black Dog" | Robert Quinn | Guy Burt | 29 November 2015[4] | 2-2650-0005 |
| When Robert and Utterson investigate another branch of the Jekyll family tree, they find themselves facing an unexpected new threat. | |||||
| 6 | "Spring-Heeled Jack" | Steward Svaasand | Jason Sutton | 6 December 2015 | 2-2650-0006 |
| The return of an old serial killer prompts MIO to 'ask' Robert for help. | |||||
| 7 | "The Reaper" | Steward Svaasand | Simon J. Ashford | 13 December 2015 | 2-2650-0007 |
| When his brother is taken as the new 'host' for the Reaper, Robert must resort to unconventional methods to save his life. | |||||
| 8 | "Moroii" | Robert Quinn | Sophie Petzal | 23 December 2015[5] | 2-2650-0008 |
| When he is asked to investigate an apparent vampire attack, Robert is shocked to learn that the true culprit is his previously-unknown sister. | |||||
| 9 | "The Incubus" | Joss Agnew | Gareth Roberts | 27 December 2015 | 2-2650-0009 |
| Hiding out in the country, Robert and his family face an unanticipated new threat in the form of an incubus. | |||||
| 10 | "The Heart of Lord Trash" | Steward Svaasand | Charlie Higson | 27 December 2015 | 2-2650-0010 |
| Various secrets come to light, culminating in a final confrontation between Robert and Dance over the Calyx. | |||||
Broadcast
| Network(s)/Station(s) | Series premiere | Airing dates | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | CBC TV () | 11 January 2016 on CBC.[6][7] () | Jekyll and Hyde ( ; lit: ) |
| Thailand | Channel 3 Family (13) | June 4, 2018 – July 8, 2018 (Monday - Thursday 22:30) | หมอวิปริตจิตหลุดโลก (Jekyll and Hyde; lit: ) |
| 5HD1 | November 23, 2019 – December 22, 2019 (Every Saturday and Sunday from 20.20 - 21.20) | หมอวิปริตจิตหลุดโลก ( Jekyll and Hyde; lit: ) |
Controversies
The opening episode attracted 459 complaints to the UK broadcasting regulator Ofcom in regard to the level of violence contained within a programme shown at 6.30pm. Ofcom subsequently announced that it had launched an investigation.,[8] which ultimately ruled that the show had breached the Ofcom Broadcasting Code, as children were not "protected from unsuitable material by appropriate scheduling."[9]
After the November 2015 Paris attacks, episode 4 was delayed for a week as it was felt that the subject matter would be upsetting with the fresh memories of the experience.
Cancellation
On 5 January 2016, ITV confirmed that it would not be renewing Jekyll and Hyde for a second series. Reasons included poor and decreasing viewing figures,[10] unfavourable comparisons to Doctor Who[11] and public backlash following "hundreds of complaints" regarding the appropriateness of the content for a teatime family show.[12]
Unmade second series
On 8 July 2016, Higson explained in a tweets thread what would have happened in Series 2: "We had lots of great stories already written for series 2 of Jekyll & Hyde. Robert was going to find out a lot more about his mother and find his father. He was going to reluctantly work for MIO. Robert & Ravi were going to return to Sri Lanka & uncover some buried secrets. Bella’s family history was going to come into play. There were going to be some shocking deaths and reversals. And we were going to find out a lot more about Lord Trash... Instead, since ITV didn't want to make any more, they’re all dead!"[13]
References
- ^ Higson, Charlie. "Sad day today as ITV announce they don't want any more #JekyllandHyde Ah well, I tried. It was a grand adventure while it lasted".
- ^ Robinson, Dom (25 October 2015). "Jekyll and Hyde Episode 1 – The DVDfever Review". DVDfever. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
- ^ Postponed from 15 November 2015 due to the November 2015 Paris attacks.
- ^ Rescheduled from 22 November 2015 due to the November 2015 Paris attacks.
- ^ Rescheduled from 20 December 2015.
- ^ "CBC-TV stacks fall and winter lineups with British, Aussie fare". CFTR (AM). 28 May 2015. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
- ^ "Jekyll and Hyde, TV revamp of Robert Louis Stevenson classic, debuts on CBC-TV". CBC. CBC. 11 January 2016. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
- ^ "Jekyll and Hyde 'scary' probe launched". BBC. 29 October 2015. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
- ^ "Jekyll and Hyde WAS broadcast too early according to Ofcom". Radio Times. 25 January 2016. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
- ^ Jackson, Jasper (6 January 2016). "ITV axes Jekyll and Hyde following poor ratings figures". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
- ^ . Radio Times. 25 October 2015. Archived from the original on 25 October 2015. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
- ^ "Jekyll and Hyde axed by ITV after one series following hundreds of complaints". Daily Express. 6 January 2016. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
- ^ "Charlie Higson Twitter". Twitter. 8 July 2016. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
External links
- Jekyll and Hyde at IMDb
- Jekyll and Hyde at epguides.com