Kingdom (British TV series): Difference between revisions
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|<center>[[April 22]], [[2007]] |
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| style="font-size: 90%;" | Peter Kingdom is slowly getting his life back on track after the disappearance of his brother six months |
| style="font-size: 90%;" | Peter Kingdom is slowly getting his life back on track after the disappearance of his brother six months earlier, but normality is upset when his sister Beatrice moves into his spare room after a spell in rehab. Peter looks into two cases; in one, two sons have returned for the execution of their mother's estate, and in the other, local man Sidney Snell wants to bring action against the local planning authority. |
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|<center>8.2 million.<ref>{{cite news |first= Chris|last= Tryhorn|title= |
|<center>8.2 million.<ref>{{cite news |first= Chris|last= Tryhorn|title= |
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ITV's Kingdom rules the ratings|url= http://media.guardian.co.uk/overnights/story/0,,2063627,00.html|work= TV overnights|publisher= [[Media Guardian]]|date= ([[2007-04-23]])|accessdate=2007-04-23 }}</ref> |
ITV's Kingdom rules the ratings|url= http://media.guardian.co.uk/overnights/story/0,,2063627,00.html|work= TV overnights|publisher= [[Media Guardian]]|date= ([[2007-04-23]])|accessdate=2007-04-23 }}</ref> |
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Revision as of 21:38, 29 April 2007
Template:Current television series
| Kingdom | |
|---|---|
| File:Kingdom title card.jpg Series logo over a shot of Stephen Fry's character in episode one. | |
| Genre | Drama |
| Created by | Simon Wheeler |
| Starring | Stephen Fry Hermione Norris Celia Imrie Karl Davies Tony Slattery |
| Theme music composer | Mark Russell |
| Country of origin |  United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 (second commissioned) |
| No. of episodes | 6 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Simon Wheeler Stephen Fry |
| Producer | Georgina Lowe |
| Running time | Approx 0:46 (per episode) |
| Original release | |
| Network | ITV1 |
| Release | April 22, 2007 |
Kingdom is a British television series produced by Parallel Film and Television Productions and Sprout for ITV1. It was created by Simon Wheeler and stars Stephen Fry as Peter Kingdom, a Norfolk-based solicitor who is getting on with life after the mysterious disappearance of his brother.[1] The first of six one-hour episodes aired on April 22, 2007 at 9 p.m. A second series was commissioned before the first episode was broadcast and is due to be filmed before summer 2007.[2] As of February 2007, distributor Portman Film and Television has sold the series to 14 international networks.[3]
Production
The series was originally to be based around a probate solicitor, with the title Where There's a Will. Stephen Fry disapproved of the title and raised the point that it would be difficult to produce six scripts featuring his character dealing with probate issues.[4]
Location filming was done primarily in Swaffham. Filming began on July 10, 2006 and was scheduled for 12 weeks, with shooting also taking place in nearby Hunstanton, Wells, Holkham, Thetford and Dereham.[5][6] These places formed the fictional town of Market Shipborough (a name not dissimilar to Market Harborough). Fry recommended Swaffham to the producers, citing market towns as "more revealing of what Britain is like than a city is".[4] Locations used within Swaffham include Oakleigh House (as the offices of Kingdom and Kingdom) and the Greyhound pub (renamed "The Startled Duck"), amongst others.[7]
Scenes in the series featuring Fry driving an Alvis TE 21 were placed in jeopardy when the actor was caught speeding in May 2006. His counsel successfully postponed the hearing until December, allowing filming to resume unaffected (Fry would be banned from driving for six months).[8] The series is written by Alan Whiting and Jeff Povey and directed by Robin Sheppard.[9] A behind-the-scenes special was filmed and is due to be screened on ITV3.[10]
Setting
Plot
The series follows Peter Kingdom, a small-town solicitor whose work revolves around cases brought by the eclectic and eccentric populace of Market Shipborough.
Episodes
| # | Airdate | Synopsis | Viewers[11] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peter Kingdom is slowly getting his life back on track after the disappearance of his brother six months earlier, but normality is upset when his sister Beatrice moves into his spare room after a spell in rehab. Peter looks into two cases; in one, two sons have returned for the execution of their mother's estate, and in the other, local man Sidney Snell wants to bring action against the local planning authority. |
Characters
The protagonist, Peter Kingdom (played by Stephen Fry), is one half of Kingdom and Kingdom, a practice he ran with his brother Simon, who disappeared six months before the series began. Peter is respected and regarded as compassionate by the local community. Fry described him as "kind and empathetic" and "on the side of the ordinary people".[4] Peter's sister Beatrice (played by Hermione Norris), arrives in the first episode after leaving rehabilitation. Lyle Anderson (played by Karl Davies) is a trainee solicitor at Kingdom and Kingdom and Gloria Millington (played by Celia Imrie) is a legal secretary who is recovering from the death of her husband a year previously.[13]
Tony Slattery and Phyllida Law also make appearances as Sidney Snell (a frequent client of Peter who often finds ways to sue the local council) and Peter's Aunt Auriel respectively.[13] The characters are described by Wheeler as "three families"; Peter's relations, his colleagues, and the populace of Market Shipborough.[1]
Series information
Critical reception
Previews of the series were strong, with listing magazines Radio Times, What's on TV and TV and Satellite Week running features. Radio Times described it as "Sunday night television at its cosiest", though called the plot of episode one "feeble".[14] Comments by The Stage echoed this, calling the storyline a "run of the mill affair", but praised the locations and referred to the series as a whole as "nice".[15]
Following the broadcast of the first episode The Guardian wrote that the series "slips down as smoothly as a pint of Adnams" and (with tongue in cheek) welcomed it as a change from "loutish" Michael Kitchen in "relentlessly vulgar" fellow Sunday-night drama Foyle's War.[16] The Times had a negative view, awarding the episode one star out of five and criticising Stephen Fry for playing Stephen Fry. The casting of the other characters was also criticised, though the costuming was wryly praised.[17]
DVD release
The first series was passed by the BBFC on March 7, 2007, with a 12 rating.[18] It will be released by 2 Entertain Video on May 28, 2007.
References
- ^ a b Welsh, James ((2006-07-01)). "Stephen Fry to star in new ITV drama". Television. Digital Spy. Retrieved 2007-03-18.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Oatts, Joanne ((2007-03-15)). "Fry's 'Kingdom' gets second series". Programming. Digital Spy. Retrieved 2007-03-18.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Anonymous ((2007-02-01)). "Portman sells Fry drama to 14 territories". International. Broadcast Now (subscription). Retrieved 2007-03-18.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b c Wilson, Benji. "Home and Fry". Radio Times (21–27 April 2007 (cover date)): pp.14–16.
{{cite journal}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help);|pages=has extra text (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|month=(help) - ^ Anonymous ((2006-07-01)). "Filming to start soon on Fry's TV series". EDP24. Retrieved 2007-04-20.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Anonymous ((2006-09-02)). "Fry film crew gets stuck on sandbank". EDP24. Retrieved 2007-04-20.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Anonymous ((2006-07-23)). "Welcome to make-believe world of television". Lynn News. Retrieved 2007-03-18.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Anonymous ((2007-12-16)). "Stephen Fry banned from driving". EDP24. Retrieved 2007-04-22.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Stephen Returns to ITV for Brand New Drama Series" (Press release). The Adventures of Mr Stephen Fry. undated. Retrieved 2007-03-18.
{{cite press release}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Anonymous ((2007-03-20)). "ITV3 orders doc on Kingdom drama". Programming. Broadcast Now. Retrieved 2007-03-26.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ These figures are unofficial overnight ratings.
- ^ Tryhorn, Chris ((2007-04-23)). "ITV's Kingdom rules the ratings". TV overnights. Media Guardian. Retrieved 2007-04-23.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b McClure, Richard. "Local hero". What's on TV (21–27 April 2007 (cover date)): p.13.
{{cite journal}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help);|pages=has extra text (help) - ^ Butcher, David. "Today's Choices". Radio Times (21–27 April 2007 (cover date)): p.68.
{{cite journal}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help);|pages=has extra text (help) - ^ Wright, Mark (2007-04-17). "First Look: Kingdom". TV Today. The Stage. Retrieved 2007-04-22.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Mangan, Lucy ((2007-04-23)). "The weekend'sTV (sic)". TV & radio. Guardian Unlimited. Retrieved 2007-04-23.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Billen, Andrew ((2007-04-23)). "The weekend's TV". Arts & Entertainment. Times Online. Retrieved 2007-04-23.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Kingdom rated 12 by the BBFC". British Board of Film Classification. 2007-03-07. Retrieved 2007-03-28.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help)
