Waking the Dead (TV series)
Waking the Dead | |
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![]() Waking the Dead intertitle | |
Created by | Barbara Machin |
Starring | Trevor Eve Sue Johnston Wil Johnson Tara FitzGerald Holly Aird Claire Goose Félicité Du Jeu Esther Hall Stacey Roca Eva Birthistle |
Country of origin | United Kingdom |
No. of series | 9 |
No. of episodes | 82 |
Production | |
Running time | 60 minutes |
Original release | |
Network | BBC One |
Release | 4 September 2000 – 28 March 2011 |
Related | |
The Body Farm |
Waking the Dead is a British television police procedural crime drama series produced by the BBC featuring a fictional Cold Case Unit comprising CID police officers, a psychological profiler and a forensic scientist. A pilot episode was transmitted in September 2000 and there have been a total of nine series since. Each story is split into two hour-long episodes, shown on consecutive nights on BBC One. A third series episode won an International Emmy Award in 2004. The programme is also shown on BBC America in the United States - though these screenings are edited to allow for advertising breaks - as well as UKTV (Australia and New Zealand) and ABC1 (Australia). A spin-off show, titled The Body Farm, revolving around character Eve Lockhart (Tara FitzGerald) was announced by the BBC in January 2011.
Plot
Overview
The programme follows the work of a special police team who investigate "cold cases", usually murders that took place a number of years ago and were never solved. The team uses evidence which has just come to light, as well as contemporary technology to examine previous evidence. Trevor Eve portrays the workaholic and often eccentric Peter Boyd on whom plotlines are often centred. As the series has progressed, storylines have focused on the personal lives of the characters as well as the criminal investigations (for example, Boyd's temper control in "Anger Management").
Characters
Current
- Detective Superintendent Peter Boyd (Trevor Eve, 2000–2011) — The head of the Cold Case Unit, Boyd has a unique style of policing (not least shouting at and physically assaulting suspects in the interview room). His involvement in the Unit stems from the disappearance of his young son in the 1990s. Though sometimes appearing detached, Boyd is close to his team, particularly Mel Silver, whose death haunts him two years later. Another aspect of Boyd's character which has occasionally compromised his impartiality is his weakness for attractive women, at least one of whom turned out to be implicated in a murder investigated by the team. According to information seen briefly on screen whilst he is being fingerprinted after his arrest for drink driving, Boyd's middle name is Timothy, and he was born on the 15th of July, 1950. His address is given as 17 Probert Road in Greenwich. In season 1, it is revealed that his elder son, Joe, was a drug-dependent runaway who disappeared whilst living on the streets; his younger son, Luke, who led a similarly tumultuous life, returned in the first episode of the seventh series, but was murdered at the end of the same series, causing tremendous grief for Boyd as the last scenes of the series see him cry over his son's body in the mortuary. In the pilot, Boyd's rank was Detective Chief Inspector, but from the commencement of the first season he was addressed as "Superintendent".[1]
- Dr Grace Foley (Sue Johnston, 2000–2011) — Grace is a psychological profiler with nearly 30 years experience in the field. Her presence on the Unit provides a rational counter to Boyd's somewhat unorthodox methods, but the pair enjoy a close working relationship and often engage in witty banter. In the pilot she says that "she has kids to go home to", but it is subsequently made clear that she never married and does not have children. In Series 5 it is revealed that she fell in love with the married officer in charge of her first case and became pregnant with his child. She chose to have an abortion and he later died in a drunk driving accident. In the season 8 episode "Endgame" it is revealed that Grace has cancer and is awaiting an operation.
- Detective Sergeant/Detective Inspector Spencer Jordan (Wil Johnson, 2000–2011) — Spencer works closely alongside Boyd in many cases, often joining him in "good-cop-bad-cop" routines in the interview room. Before joining the CCU, Spencer worked for the Atomic Energy Constabulary. His partner from that job shot him in "Cold Fusion". After he had returned to work and his wound had healed, he got a tattoo around the scar, which Grace suggested was a way of coping with the ordeal. In Season 8 it is revealed that Spencer is unhappy in the Cold Case Squad and is considering leaving.
- Dr Eve Lockhart (Tara FitzGerald, 2007–2011) — Eve has served as the team's forensic pathologist since the beginning of Series 6, having replaced Dr Felix Gibson. Like her predecessors, Eve is employed by the Home Office but assigned to the Cold Case Unit, and as such is not a police officer. Eve's career has allowed her to accumulate a body farm. It is revealed in "Pieta" that she helped in a mass grave excavation in Bosnia. In "Substitute" she has a sexual relationship with an aid worker, who becomes a suspect when Eve illegally samples his DNA. Eve smokes.
- Detective Superintendent Sarah Cavendish (Eva Birthistle, 2011) - Sarah is transferred to the Unit at the start of Series 9 having been moved from Counter-Terrorism after an incident led to her becoming the scapegoat. She is one of the youngest Superintendent's in the history of the Met and, until the incident, a high flyer.
Past
- Detective Constable/Detective Sergeant Amelia "Mel" Silver[2] (Claire Goose, 2000–2004) — Mel's surname was "Silverman" in the pilot, but "Silver" thereafter. Much like Grace, Mel freely questioned Boyd if she believed he was looking in the wrong direction in a case. She was close to everyone on the team, especially Frankie. It was revealed in "Fugue States", that she was previously named "Mary Price", and her mother was called "Jane Price". She was taken from her mother as a child, as her mother was seen as mentally unfit. She later sees her mother and finds she has a half sibling. She was killed in "Shadowplay", but appeared in archive footage in "Towers of Silence". In the sixth series, her death came back to haunt the Cold Case Unit with a mysterious pendant being sent to the office, with the sender claiming it belonged to Mel. It subsequently emerged that she was secretly working on a case with an American "war" expert, this is explained in "Yahrzeit".[3]
- Dr Frankie Wharton (Holly Aird, 2000–2004) — Frankie, the Unit's forensic pathologist, took a conscientious approach to her job and was good friends with Mel. After Mel's death, Frankie left the Unit to return to research. Actress Holly Aird left the programme owing to her pregnancy.
- Detective Sergeant Andrea Stephenson (Georgia Mackenzie, 2005) — Appeared in "Towers of Silence". She was drafted into the unit from Kent CID because she had previously investigated a case linked to the one the team reopened in that story.
- Dr Felix Gibson (Esther Hall, 2005) — Felix took over as the Unit's forensic pathologist after Frankie's departure and, like her predecessor, would often leave the office to join her colleagues in the field. She would not hesitate to stand up to Boyd. Esther Hall played the role for one series before leaving. It is currently unknown why the character left.
- Detective Constable Stella Goodman (Félicité du Jeu, 2005–2009) — Stella joined the Cold Case Unit as the permanent replacement for Mel in "Black Run" and became good friends with Spencer. Boyd was initially hostile towards her but eventually came to accept her. This trust was betrayed in "Cold Fusion" (Series 5) when it was revealed she had unwittingly sent information on the Unit to her godfather. By the beginning of Series 6, the team's confidence in her seemed to be fully restored. Stella was shot in the leg in the first part of "Magdalene 26" (Series 8), and died in the second part after suffering thrombosis.[4]
- Detective Sergeant Katrina Howard (Stacey Roca, 2009–2010) — Howard first appears in "Magdalene 26" (Series 8) as a police constable, formerly a member of the Serious Organised Crime Agency with a history of insubordination. By start of the following story, "End of the Night", she has become a member of the Cold Case Unit at Boyd's request, replacing DC Stella Goodman. She has left the unit in between the eighth and ninth series.
Serials
Pilot (2000)
# | Title | Written by | Directed by | Original Air-Date | Code |
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1 | Waking the Dead, Part 1 | Barbara Machin | Martin Hutchings | 4 September 2000 | 101 |
A new team of detectives, the Cold Case Squad, is put together to re-examine evidence of unsolved murders using advanced technology. In their first investigation DCI Peter Boyd has a second go at nailing the murderer of Alice Miller, a young girl who disappeared five years ago. The trouble is, the perpetrator is as keen as Boyd to act again, and abducts another girl. | |||||
2 | Waking the Dead, Part 2 | Barbara Machin | Martin Hutchings | 5 September 2000 | 102 |
Hoping that new DNA tests will reveal the killer's identity, DCI Boyd has the original abductee's body exhumed. But he soon comes to discover that the kidnapper is looking for more than money -- he wants revenge on Boyd's team. |
Series 1 (2001)
# | Title | Written by | Directed by | Original Air-Date | Code |
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3 | "Burn Out, Part 1" | Peter Jukes | Edward Bennett | 18 June 2001 | 103 |
A young woman, Marina, sets fire to an abandoned car in a street and takes photographs of it as it burns. Boyd walks by and tackles her to the ground, attempting to shield her from the possible explosion. He later learns that Marina's father died in a car accident a few years earlier in that spot, and Marina refuses to accept that his death was an accident. Although not officially a cold case, Boyd is intrigued and reluctantly agrees to investigate. Frankie runs forensic tests on Marina's father's car and proves that he was still alive after the crash and could have escaped. The answers they uncover may mean that the danger to Marina is much greater than any of them had suspected. | |||||
4 | "Burn Out, Part 2" | Peter Jukes | Edward Bennett | 19 June 2001 | 104 |
Boyd has Marina's uncle, Mike Coleman, and her mother, Gwen, brought in for questioning while Frankie searches the house. The team find the items that were recovered from the car nine years ago and suspect that Perry Coleman was being blackmailed by Rod Brogan, a friend of Perry's. Boyd has the body exhumed and the DNA results surprise everyone. | |||||
5 | "Blind Beggar, Part 1" | John Milne | Robert Knights | 25 June 2001 | 105 |
Workmen are burrowing in the crypt of a Catholic church when they come across the skeletal remains of a young man buried in concrete. The squad sets about trying to pinpoint the identity of the body, which was buried with the accoutrements of certain Catholic rituals. Even more oddly, there is a message in Braille buried with the corpse, which turns out to be a passage from one of St. Paul's letters to the Corinthians. The team suspects that the body was never meant to be discovered. | |||||
6 | "Blind Beggar, Part 2" | John Milne | Robert Knights | 26 June 2001 | 106 |
The hunt continues for the murderer, as the team uncovers some long hidden family secrets while questioning the community and congregation. Also Frankie discovers a possible biological connection between the former parish priest, Father Stuart, and the first victim. | |||||
7 | "A Simple Sacrifice, Part 1" | Simon Mirren | Robert Del Maestro | 2 July 2001 | 107 |
Boyd and the team decide to reopen the 25 year old case of Annie Keel, a woman who was tried and convicted of a double homicide solely based upon her own confession. Boyd doubts the validity of the conviction, and decides to dig deeper to possibly discover what really happened. Why did Annie confess? Did she really commit murder, or was she covering for someone else? | |||||
8 | "A Simple Sacrifice, Part 2" | Simon Mirren | Robert Del Maestro | 3 July 2001 | 108 |
Boyd and the team continue their investigation of the Annie Keel case, and try to locate her son who was present during the murders. | |||||
9 | "Every Breath You Take, Part 1" | Barbara Machin | Gary Love | 9 July 2001 | 109 |
When the corpse of a well-known police woman who went missing a year earlier is found floating in the Thames, Boyd and his team of investigators try to track down who murdered her and her unborn child. | |||||
10 | "Every Breath You Take, Part 2" | Barbara Machin | Gary Love | 10 July 2001 | 110 |
Grace is not convinced that the stalker who confessed to the murder is truly guilty. But who really killed the police officer? Was it possibly the stalker, her ex-husband, or the married father of her unborn baby? |
Series 2 (2002)
# | Title | Written by | Directed by | Original Air-Date | Code |
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11 | "Life Sentence, Part 1" | John Milne | Edward Bennett | 2 September 2002 | 201 |
The Cold Case team is forced to enlist the help of a psychotic serial killer named Thomas Rice. The one woman who escaped death at his hands, the cool and poised Dr Clare Delaney, gets a dreadful reminder of her past ordeal and a fearful shock when a playing card is flung at her car windscreen as she sets off to make a house call on a wet, windy, dark night. The team look again at the Gambler's crimes, prompted by Boyd's unshakeable belief that Rice had claimed other, hitherto undiscovered victims. Boyd - who has personal links to the case - and Grace decide to use detective constable Amelia Silver to lure a confession from Rice. | |||||
12 | "Life Sentence, Part 2" | John Milne | Edward Bennett | 3 September 2002 | 202 |
Boyd and the team reluctantly continue to rely on serial killer, Thomas Rice's assistance on the case, while also trying to protect Dr. Delaney from experiencing her terrifying ordeal once more at the hands of the copycat assailant. It becomes apparent that he might have help on the outside, so it's crucial that Boyd confronts one of Rice's intended victims, Dr Delaney, to find out what went on during her captivity. Why did he spare her life? | |||||
13 | "Deathwatch, Part 1" | Stephen Davis | Maurice Phillips | 9 September 2002 | 203 |
Boyd and the team take on the task of infiltrating the dark underworld of London's gangland crime families when Harry Newman makes a deathbed confession to 12 "unauthorised killings". Dr Grace Foley is intrigued by this strange expression but Boyd and the rest of the team are tempted to dismiss it as the meanderings of a dying man. Until, that is, forensic pathologist Frankie Wharton discovers that Newman did not die of natural causes, but has been murdered. They soon realise there's a lot more to Newman than they imagined. Added to all that, there's a link to a famous fifties trial in which a gangster was hanged for killing two policemen. | |||||
14 | "Deathwatch, Part 2" | Stephen Davis | Maurice Phillips | 10 September 2002 | 204 |
The postliminary inquiries into Harry Newman's past and the identities of the possible twelve murder victims uncover a connection to the infamous trial and execution of a well known gangster. | |||||
15 | "Special Relationship, Part 1" | Stephen Davis | David Thacker | 16 September 2002 | 205 |
Boyd and his team struggle to find the truth behind the murder of a prominent Home Office adviser, when a petty criminal is acquitted of the crime. Once a prominent feminist activist, victim Katherine Reed had attacked the establishment at every opportunity, only to switch sides later. Boyd's progress on the case is hampered not only by a Home Office audit, which means the team will be shadowed throughout, but also by the fact that the original investigation was conducted by one of his old flames. | |||||
16 | "Special Relationship, Part 2" | Stephen Davis | David Thacker | 17 September 2002 | 206 |
While facing a surprise audit from the Home Office, DCI Boyd and the team try to continue their investigation into the murder ... but as they go on with their inquiries at Whitehall, they quickly discover the atmosphere to be very dark and secretive. | |||||
17 | "Thin Air, Part 1" | Ed Whitmore | Edward Bennett | 3 November 2002 | 207 |
Twelve years after Joanna Gold famously disappeared in broad daylight on Hampstead Heath, the dress she was wearing is found in a lock-up. The team begin the hunt for her killer. | |||||
18 | "Thin Air, Part 2" | Ed Whitmore | Edward Bennett | 4 November 2002 | 208 |
While under pressure to discover the truth behind the murder of young Joanna, DCI Boyd slips up and makes possibly some irreversible mistakes. In return, Joanna's killer begins stalking her sister, so its up to Boyd to catch the killer before he strikes. |
Series 3 (2003)
# | Title | Written by | Directed by | Original Air-Date | Code |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
19 | "Multistorey, Part 1" | Ed Whitmore | Robert Bierman | 14 September 2003 | 301 |
A man convicted of opening fire on a crowd from a multi storey car park, and killing a policeman, is claiming his innocence. Boyd's colleagues question his loyalties when he seems unwilling to re-investigate. As DC Mel Silver digs deeper, she discovers some disturbing truths about her boss. | |||||
20 | "Multistorey, Part 2" | Ed Whitmore | Robert Bierman | 15 September 2003 | 302 |
Boyd struggles with his past while continuing the investigation on a mass murderer who was also guilty of killing his close friend. Are the gunman's claims of innocence true? As the team investigate it looks as if someone else may have been involved. | |||||
21 | "Walking On Water, Part 1" | Simon Mirren | Andy Hay | 21 September 2003 | 303 |
When a convicted killer is cleared at appeal for the murder of his adoptive father ten years previously, Boyd is not convinced that the man is innocent. But the only way to find out is to track down the rest of the family - and with a big inheritance at stake, both parties appear to have a lot to hide.. | |||||
22 | "Walking On Water, Part 2" | Simon Mirren | Andy Hay | 22 September 2003 | 304 |
Following the murder of Mark Lovell's cousin, the team establish that Mark has a watertight alibi, and the search for the real murderer narrows down to the remaining family members. Their investigation into the two remaining family members is further complicated by the discovery of drug dealing and involvement in the witness protection scheme. | |||||
23 | "Breaking Glass, Part 1" | Stephen Davis | David Thacker | 27 September 2003 | 305 |
A recovered memory therapist alerts the CCS to a care home regime of sexual abuse of young boys and a suspected murder. Her client who revealed all this in a therapy session goes missing and the team strongly suspect he has gone on the hunt for the man who abused him and murdered his friend. | |||||
24 | "Breaking Glass, Part 2" | Stephen Davis | David Thacker | 28 September 2003 | 306 |
ln their attempts to prevent another murder, the team desperately tries to establish the identity of the care home paedophile who is also being hunted down by two of his victims. | |||||
25 | "Final Cut, Part 1" | Stephen Davis | Betsan Morris Evans | 5 October 2003 | 307 |
A mummified body sends the Cold Case Squad back to the sixties and to a Notting Hill house which had been featured in a film as the location for a murderous fight between gangsters. Renovation works at the house in the present day reveal more bodies behind the walls. The film starts to appear not so fictional after all. Things get even more complicated when Spencer tells Boyd that he and his family lived there when the events took place. | |||||
26 | "Final Cut, Part 2" | Stephen Davis | Betsan Morris Evans | 6 October 2003 | 308 |
The gangster responsible for the bodies behind the walls in the Notting Hill house is still active and the unearthing of past events provokes more murders and an international turf war. Spencer's family history is the key to unravelling the mystery. |
Series 4 (2004)
# | Title | Written by | Directed by | Original Air-Date | Code |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
27 | "In the Sight of the Lord, Part 1" | Tony McHale | Andy Hay | 11 July 2004 | 401 |
Boyd and the cold case team investigate the unsolved murder of a World War 2 conscientious objector. In 1948 George Western was found in his living room with a nine-inch nail through his head. When his grandson Adam finds new evidence and organises a media campaign, the case is reopened. Then the body of elderly William Davis is found in similar circumstances and Grace uncovers the identical killing of Norman Taylor in 1961. The team discovers that Taylor and Western were in the same regiment during the war and trace surviving members to try to solve the murders. | |||||
28 | "In the Sight of the Lord, Part 2" | Tony McHale | Andy Hay | 12 July 2004 | 402 |
The Cold Case Squad discover that the victims were a group of friends who were all in the same army regiment during the war. It seems the murderer is killing as an act of revenge. | |||||
29 | "False Flag, Part 1" | Stephen Davis | Suri Krishnamma | 18 July 2004 | 403 |
Boyd and his team face a race against time after a skeleton found in a condemned garage triggers a tragic chain of events. The skeleton is that of garage owner, Gerald Doyle, an Irish terrorist who went missing in 1981. An unexploded car bomb found at the scene points to terrorist activity as the cause of death. However, Doyle’s parents produce a set of his diaries, which reveal that he was actually a mole for the British intelligence services. | |||||
30 | "False Flag, Part 2" | Stephen Davis | Suri Krishnamma | 19 July 2004 | 404 |
The Squad begin to feel like they are being watched, and their fears are realised when they find unauthorised surveillance equipment. It is revealed their victim may have not have been as guilty as they once thought and when a person Boyd questioned as a part of the investigation commits suicide, they realise a missing link between her and an assassination. Boyd gets 36 hours to get to the bottom of things before the security services take over. | |||||
31 | "Fugue States, Part 1" | Ed Whitmore | Ben Bolt | 25 July 2004 | 405 |
In 1990, Jason and Cindy, two 5-year-old twins disappear from their home, and even after a nationwide search is launched, they are still not found. Thirteen years later, Jason is found in a hospital suffering from injuries he sustained in a car accident. But where's Cindy? Boyd and the team set out to find her. While Mel Silver is trying to find her biological mother. | |||||
32 | "Fugue States, Part 2" | Ed Whitmore | Ben Bolt | 26 July 2004 | 406 |
The team try to track Jason as they work out how the twins were taken and why. They link the twins' disappearance to a Dr Roper, who knocked Jason down. They unravel his past and find out some dark secrets. The squad work out who Cindy is now and try to find her before it's too late. | |||||
33 | "Anger Management, Part 1" | John Milne & Andy Hay | Andy Hay | 1 August 2004 | 407 |
A man staying in a "halfway house" for released prisoners apparently uses a gun to commit suicide. The gun is later stolen from Frankie's lab. Investigations reveal that the gun could have been used by a hired assassin in 9 murders over the last 30 years. Boyd is taking Anger Management. | |||||
34 | "Anger Management, Part 2" | John Milne & Andy Hay | Andy Hay | 2 August 2004 | 408 |
When the gun stolen from Frankie is used in another murder, the squad suspect the victim's gopher. It is revealed the first murder could have been a case of mistaken identity. Frankie and Grace begin to get creeped out by the effects of Boyd's Anger Management! | |||||
35 | "The Hardest Word, Part 1" | Doug Milburn | Phillipa Langdale | 8 August 2004 | 409 |
The squad investigate the murders of two males who had the word "Sorry" carved into their backs. The latest victim has a brother linked to Organised Crime, so three other officers are brought in, which Boyd takes an instant dislike to - except Greta. The new faces create tension in the office and the team cannot trust them. As the case goes on, they begin to realise that it could be leading to a paedophile group. | |||||
36 | "The Hardest Word, Part 2" | Doug Milburn | Phillipa Langdale | 9 August 2004 | 410 |
The case continues as we learn of the death of D.S. Dave Marvin. Marvin has been found dead in his car with the same markings of sorry on his back. Throughout this episode we learn that Greta is hiding something from us and who is the mysterious old man who keeps turning up every time a body is found? | |||||
37 | "Shadowplay, Part 1" | Ed Whitmore | Andy Hay | 15 August 2004 | 411 |
A young woman with a history of psychiatric problems kills her family by setting the family home on fire. She admits to the crime, but claims that she was coerced in to doing it by a mysterious character known only by the name 'The Shepherd'. Her psychiatrist links her case to similar cases and gets the Cold Case Squad involved. | |||||
38 | "Shadowplay, Part 2" | Ed Whitmore | Andy Hay | 16 August 2004 | 412 |
Boyd and the team continue to investigate the arson case and two other crimes possibly connected to 'The Shepherd'. Will the team discover this person's true identity or will it all turn out to be a part of the imagination of a mentally ill woman? |
Series 5 (2005)
# | Title | Written by | Directed by | Original Air-Date | Code |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
39 | "Towers of Silence, Part 1" | Joe Cozens | Philippa Langdale | 18 September 2005 | 501 |
A mummified body found on a derelict aeroplane leads Boyd and the team to a person already convicted of committing a similar crime, and Spence goes undercover in a bid to understand his motives. The victim's uncle reveals the dead man's connections with a corrupt businessman selling fake drugs - but a tragedy foils the detectives' work. | |||||
40 | "Towers of Silence, Part 2" | Joe Cozens | Philippa Langdale | 19 September 2005 | 502 |
Boyd and the team's investigation of a shifty businessman leads them to uncover a pharmaceutical conspiracy involving fake drugs to treat Aids. A major company is implicated in the scandal - and its bosses are prepared to do whatever is necessary to ensure their secret remains safe. | |||||
41 | "Black Run, Part 1" | Raymond Khoury | Ben Bolt | 25 September 2005 | 503 |
Boyd expects a confession of guilt when he is summoned to prison by one of the inmates, a former policeman serving life for the murder of his partner. The convict does make a revelation - but what he has to say causes the detective out to re-examine the facts of the old case from every possible angle to assure himself of the man's guilt. Meanwhile, the detectives interview Stella Goodman, the latest applicant for Mel's job. | |||||
42 | "Black Run, Part 2" | Raymond Khoury | Ben Bolt | 26 September 2005 | 504 |
Boyd is suspended from duty following the hit-and-run incident, but he claims he can't remember what happened. The rest of the cold case squad are convinced he was framed, and attempt to uncover the culprit - as well as revealing the truth behind the Eddie Vine case. However, a new member is assigned to the team, and appears to be concealing an agenda of her own. | |||||
43 | "Subterraneans, Part 1" | Ed Whitmore | Michael Offer | 2 October 2005 | 505 |
A millionaire businessman is found dead, having apparently committed suicide, a year after his initial disappearance. Evidence suggests he was imprisoned in a cellar immediately before his death, and it's not long before a second body is discovered at the scene. The other corpse has been dead for far longer - and it seems both murders could be the work of an unlikely suspect. | |||||
44 | "Subterraneans, Part 2" | Ed Whitmore | Michael Offer | 3 October 2005 | 506 |
The team are convinced Dr Nick Henderson is behind the murders, and Stella puts together damning evidence against him. However, before he can be arrested, he disappears without trace and his wife vanishes as well. The squad soon realise she could be the next victim, and embark on a race against time to find her. | |||||
45 | "Straw Dog, Part 1" | Declan Croghan | Jim O'Hanlon | 9 October 2005 | 507 |
The appeal of a man convicted of murder and mutilation forces Grace to question the decision she made on the case 30 years ago. Someone who appears to be copying his chilling tactics sends the team footage of a new victim having his finger cut off. At the same time, Grace receives threats and a macabre package - a jar of pickled, severed fingers. | |||||
46 | "Straw Dog, Part 2" | Declan Croghan | Jim O'Hanlon | 10 October 2005 | 508 |
The team work out the identity of the killer - an old acquaintance of Tony Green's from prison who is harbouring a grudge against Grace. She decides to confront him personally, but gets more than she bargained for when she stumbles upon the kidnap victim. | |||||
47 | "Undertow, Part 1" | Oliver Brown | David Thacker | 16 October 2005 | 509 |
The team find evidence linking a soon-to-be-released benefit fraudster with a string of murders. Unfortunately, the nature of their proof is circumstantial at best - and with only a short while to go until the end of the man's nine-month sentence, the detectives have their work cut out to solve the crimes before he is released and free to kill again. | |||||
48 | "Undertow, Part 2" | Oliver Brown | David Thacker | 17 October 2005 | 510 |
The team are forced to release Hunt from custody. Boyd arranges to have him followed to prevent any more murders, but the body of a girl soon turns up drowned in the local swimming pool. The police leak the suspect's name to a journalist hoping to uncover more information - a mistake that proves fatal. | |||||
49 | "Cold Fusion, Part 1" | Ed Whitmore | Richard Standeven | 23 October 2005 | 511 |
Spencer comes under suspicion when a double murder he worked on 20 years ago is re-examined. DNA profiling proves the wrong man was convicted, and when the team discover someone is trying to destroy the new evidence, the signs point to their colleague. However, a package that arrives for the DI turns out to be a gas bomb that injures Felix, forcing the detectives to reconsider. | |||||
50 | "Cold Fusion, Part 2" | Ed Whitmore | Richard Standeven | 24 October 2005 | 512 |
The team are placed in quarantine while the substance that harmed Felix is identified, but Spencer has already gone in search of the suspect whose DNA was found at the scene. By the time Boyd realises a dangerous insider is damaging his investigation, he is sealed into the building. |
Series 6 (2007)
# | Title | Written by | Directed by | Original airdate | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
51 | "Wren Boys, Part 1" | Declan Croghan | Tim Fywell | 7 January 2007 | |
The Cold Case team are joined by new forensic scientist Eve as they investigate the death of a teenage boy, Davy, who drowned in concrete. A lump of human ear found in his stomach belongs to a comatose teenager whom Eve discovers is his brother. Meanwhile, Stella's attacked by a dog at a woodland shrine where a mysterious nun who seems to have stigmata warns her to leave. | |||||
52 | "Wren Boys, Part 2" | Declan Croghan | Tim Fywell | 8 January 2007 | |
Joe awakes from his coma to hear Davy is dead. Ward reveals banker Killigan Senior requested the bad punch. Esther says that Killigan Senior rescued her when she was pregnant. The team find a corpse near the shrine. But it's a still born male from forty years ago. Esther admits she was Davy's lover. She doesn't know if the baby was his. Mary admits she gave the baby to the abbey. | |||||
53 | "Deus Ex Machina, Part 1" | Nicholas Blincoe | Andy Hay | 14 January 2007 | |
A Sudanese politician in the UK, Khaled Ahmad, goes on hunger strike. He's protesting at the UK's continued refusal to hand over the skull of the 'Mahdi', a Sudanese ruler from the 19th century. It was originally stolen from a Sudanese mausoleum by British forces. Boyd and the Cold Case unit are asked to investigate the current whereabouts of the skull so that UK authorities can return it to Sudan. | |||||
54 | "Deus Ex Machina, Part 2" | Nicholas Blincoe | Andy Hay | 15 January 2007 | |
Khaled Ahmad comes off his hunger strike. Michael Leonard tells Stella that he was tortured by Catherine Braithwaite, the CEO of a multinational weapons company, Scott Grey. But Braithwaite has an alibi and the team wonder if Leonard is trying to implicate her for a crime she didn't commit. | |||||
55 | "The Fall, Part 1" | Damian Wayling | Robert Bierman | 21 January 2007 | |
The team are called in when workmen dislodge two conjoined bodies in a former City bank, which folded after Black Wednesday. A gold ingot links to a river corpse the team identify as Brian McGurk, aide to an Irish Ambassador. | |||||
56 | "The Fall, Part 2" | Damian Wayling | Robert Bierman | 22 January 2007 | |
Grace discovers Katherine gave away a child who was Lisa Tobin. Boyd and Spencer trace two safe deposit boxes. One - for her and Simmel - is full of gold ingots. | |||||
57 | "Mask of Sanity, Part 1" | Laurence Davy & Declan Croghan | David Thacker | 28 January 2007 | |
James Jenson, a long-term patient in a secure psychiatric unit, is released into the community. On the same day, the wallets of three murder victims from the past are sent anonymously to the wife of one of the victims. Jenson was the prime suspect at the time of the three murders but was deemed mentally unfit to stand trial. | |||||
58 | "Mask of Sanity, Part 2" | Laurence Davy & Declan Croghan | David Thacker | 29 January 2007 | |
The team establish that it was Jenson who killed Pierce. From scars on his body, they learn that Pierce had been severely beaten as a child at the children's home. Boyd questions Harris Wall and then Bruno Rivelli, accusing Rivelli of running a regime of cruelty and beatings in the home. Rivelli denies it but admits that his housemaster Harry Valentine beat the boys. | |||||
59 | "Double Bind, Part 1" | Richard Warlow | Andy Hay | 4 February 2007 | |
The team are called in when escaped psychiatric patient Daniel Lennon directs a family to unearth a 40-year-old male body in their Hampstead garden. Unable to remember killing his parents, for which he was convicted, Daniel is off his medication, on the run, and has started taking LSD. His psychiatrist suspects he is cutting adrift and becoming something new. The question is why. And how much of a threat does he represent? | |||||
60 | "Double Bind, Part 2" | Richard Warlow | Andy Hay | 5 February 2007 | |
The team talk to former patient Heather Hardiss. They learn that, in the 1960s, Parke treated both Heather and Daniel in a hippy squat inside the Hampstead house where Voller's body was found. Parke pioneered taking psychiatric patients off their medication. Stella follows Daniel's nephew Mark to woods where Daniel's hiding out. But Daniel, sensing Mark's led her there, attacks him then escapes. | |||||
61 | "Yahrzeit, Part 1" | Declan Croghan | Tim Fywell | 18 February 2007 | |
Boyd receives an anonymous package - a Nazi ceremonial dagger. Attached is a number that refers to a cold case file - the unsolved murder of a young girl found stabbed to death on an East London street in May 1945. Boyd discovers that the last person to look in the file was his old colleague Mel Silver, two weeks before her death. The pendant sent to Mel was evidence from the case. | |||||
62 | "Yahrzeit, Part 2" | Declan Croghan | Tim Fywell | 19 February 2007 | |
Dennis Holland admits to Boyd that Abigail forced him to witness Marek signing over powers of attorney to her. Sarah and Grace talk to the Dusniak family rabbi about the family's history. They find the rabbi instructing Simon's son Ben before his forthcoming bar-mitzvah. Ben leaves but then Simon comes into the synagogue saying he can't find Ben. |
Series 7 (2008)
# | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original Air-Date | Code |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
63 | "Missing Persons, Part 1" | Tim Fywell | Declan Croghan | 14 April 2008 | 701 |
The DNA of a woman caught on CCTV camera defending her daughter from a mugger is found to match that discovered at a murder scene in 1990. Meanwhile, Boyd's emotions are challenged when there's news about his son who's been missing for seven years. | |||||
64 | "Missing Persons, Part 2" | Tim Fywell | Declan Croghan | 15 April 2008 | 702 |
The Cold Case Squad discover that what at first looks like evidence of a snuff movie, and a case about prostitution and sexual violence, turns out to be the unearthing of a terrorist cell comprising three women: Una Doyle, Lore Dutana and Fatima. | |||||
65 | "Sins, Part 1" | Daniel Percival | Declan Croghan | 21 April 2008 | 703 |
When the human remains of a Prison Governor are found in an urban canal, The Cold Case team investigate the mystery behind his death which happened in his house years ago. Meanwhile, Boyd searches for his son but he doesn't know where to look. | |||||
66 | "Sins, Part 2" | Daniel Percival | Declan Croghan | 22 April 2008 | 704 |
After the discovery of Terry Ryan's body buried in a field, more corpses are uncovered..leading Grace to think it is a ritual burial site. Meanwhile Boyd and the team race to find Dr Hooper, whom Kelleher has taken hostage. Back in the lab Eve makes a shocking discovery. Meanwhile, Boyd finds his drug addicted son in a disused warehouse in London. | |||||
67 | "Duty and Honour, Part 1" | Robert Bierman | Adrian Mead | 28 April 2008 | 705 |
When a dog unearths human remains in a wood, the team manage to make a connection with a decapitated corpse discovered two years previously, close to an army barracks. The mystery leads to a regimental dinner at the barracks where the team soon find themselves embroiled in a high-level cover-up. | |||||
68 | "Duty and Honour, Part 2" | Robert Bierman | Adrian Mead | 29 April 2008 | 706 |
The Cold Case Team get closer to who the DNA on the body belongs to. But then, a new suspect enters the scene, a woman from Iraq wanting help to prove the murderer of her son is the man the soldiers were working for. | |||||
69 | "Skin, Part 1" | Edward Bennett | Clive Bradley & Declan Croghan | 5 May 2008 | 707 |
After they get a tip off in an anonymous e-mail, the team head to a waste ground in east London, where they find the mummified corpse of a right-wing fascist activist. Jim Brown is questioned about George Andrews' (the man killed) murder and later kidnaps his daughter's Muslim Asian boyfriend. | |||||
70 | "Skin, Part 2" | Edward Bennett | Clive Bradley & Declan Croghan | 6 May 2008 | 708 |
The team have to race against time to solve the waste ground murder, as it becomes clear that a teenager's life may depend upon it. However, as the team investigate further, they find out some unexpected news. | |||||
71 | "Wounds, Part 1" | Sam Miller | Paul Farrell | 12 May 2008 | 709 |
The body of a man who disappeared in 1996 is discovered in a disused tunnel. It soon becomes apparent his body has been mutilated in a manner linked with the occult. | |||||
72 | "Wounds, Part 2" | Sam Miller | Paul Farrell | 13 May 2008 | 710 |
Boyd investigates the links between a group of men, all of whom knew the murder victim. | |||||
73 | "Pieta, Part 1" | Philippa Langdale | Declan Croghan | 19 May 2008 | 711 |
A road accident provides a DNA link to a chilling murder committed in Srebrenica during the Balkan War. | |||||
74 | "Pieta, Part 2" | Philippa Langdale | Declan Croghan | 20 May 2008 | 712 |
Boyd and the team uncover a link between a tragic war crime and a massive drugs deal. |
Series 8 (2009)
The BBC announced the commissioning of the four-story eighth series in May 2008. Trevor Eve,[5] Sue Johnston, Tara Fitzgerald and Wil Johnson were confirmed to be returning.[6] Félicité du Jeu reprised her role of DC Stella Goodman for the opening two-part story and a new character, DS Katrina Howard, was introduced. Howard is portrayed by Stacey Roca.
# | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original Air-Date | Code |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
75 | "Magdalene 26, Part 1" | Andy Hay[7] | Declan Croghan[7] | 6 September 2009 | 801 |
When a naked woman is found wandering through woodland with no memory, and her DNA matches that found on a 1967 crime scene, Boyd finds himself dealing with a hot case as well as his cold case. But how are the two connected? | |||||
76 | "Magdalene 26, Part 2" | Andy Hay[8] | Declan Croghan[8] | 7 September 2009 | 802 |
The woman regains her memory, but still cannot explain why her DNA was found in a Soho brothel in 1967. | |||||
77 | "End of the Night, Part 1" | Dan Reed[9] | Ed Whitmore[9] | 13 September 2009 | 803 |
Boyd re-investigates a cold case when Gemma, a girl raped by two men twelve years earlier, tries to kill herself. | |||||
78 | "End of the Night, Part 2" | Dan Reed[10] | Ed Whitmore[10] | 14 September 2009 | 804 |
New forensic evidence brings one of Gemma's rapists to light, but he refuses to reveal who his partner was. | |||||
79 | "Substitute, Part 1" | Edward Bennett[11] | Edward Bennett and Ed Whitmore[11] | 20 September 2009 | 805 |
When Eve discovers that her new lover, Stefan, is implicated in a brutal murder, Boyd promises to support her. But when Boyd suspects Stefan of people-smuggling, Eve becomes determined to prove Stefan is innocent. How will Boyd and Eve resolve their conflict? And which of them is right? | |||||
80 | "Substitute, Part 2" | Edward Bennett[12] | Edward Bennett and Ed Whitmore[12] | 21 September 2009 | 806 |
The horrific discovery of a living body farm makes Boyd realise that Eve's lover is involved in illegal organ transplants. Eve is captured and prepared for the operating table; can Boyd rescue her before she loses her heart? | |||||
81 | "Endgame, Part 1" | Daniel Percival[13] | Daniel Percival and Andrew Holden[13] | 27 September 2009 | 807 |
Boyd receives a package from convicted killer Linda Cummings who is now held in a secure mental facility. With Grace in hospital for cancer treatment, Boyd races to solve the crime unaware of Linda's terrible plan that threatens to shock the Cold Case unit to the core. | |||||
82 | "Endgame, Part 2" | Daniel Percival[14] | Daniel Percival and Andrew Holden[14] | 28 September 2009 | 808 |
As Linda's scheme becomes clear, tensions run high at Padworth and a riot enables her escape. With Boyd closing in on the truth he is forced to choose between saving Grace's life and murdering the person who is responsible for his own son's untimely death. |
Series 9 (2011)
The BBC renewed the programme for a ninth series, with the first episodes airing in March 2011. In October 2010, BBC drama commissioner Ben Stephenson confirmed to The Sun newspaper that this will be the final series.[15]
# | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original Air-Date | Code |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
83 | "Harbinger, Part 1" | Marc Jobst[16] | Ed Whitmore[16] | 13 March 2011 | 901 |
Boyd has to break in a new team member of equal rank, Detective Superintendent Sarah Cavendish, a high-flyer recently grounded by a hushed-up failed operation. The team investigate the mystery of a missing banker to help the man's seemingly-cursed family find closure. | |||||
84 | "Harbinger, Part 2" | Marc Jobst[17] | Ed Whitmore[17] | 14 March 2011 | 902 |
Boyd is convinced that the missing Donald is not a murderer, and pushes his team to try to make sense of all the vague connections in the case and eventually confront the unfathomable evil lurking within the heart of this sad, unfortunate family. | |||||
85 | "Care, Part 1" | Edward Bennett[18] | Richard Warlow[18] | 20 March 2011 | 903 |
When the Cold Case squad learn that a recently murdered woman is Claire Somers, who as a seven year-old girl was abducted from a care home 25 years ago, they unveil a shocking portrait of life in the 1980s care system. | |||||
86 | "Care, Part 2" | Edward Bennett[18] | Richard Warlow[18] | 21 March 2011 | 904 |
The investigation into Claire Somers' death has seemingly unleashed a predator straight from the darkest childhood nightmare. But are they looking for a monstrous child-stealer, or misguided saviours? | |||||
87 | "Solidarity, Part 1" | Andy Hay[19] | Ed Whitmore[19] | 27 March 2011 | 905 |
When the squad look in to the case of an army actavist they discover that the case may have more police connections than they orriginaly thought. | |||||
88 | "Solidarity, Part 2" | Andy Hay[19] | Ed Whitmore[19] | 28 March 2011 | 906 |
As the case continues, the squad investigate in to 'the freind' using the squad as bait. However when one member is shot and one member is arrested the case could go in to turmoil, but then a conection is revealed. | |||||
89 | "Conviction, Part 1" | Tim Fywell | Timothy Prager[20] | 3 April 2011 | 907 |
TBA | |||||
90 | "Conviction, Part 2" | Tim Fywell | Timothy Prager[20] | 4 April 2011 | 908 |
TBA | |||||
91 | "Waterloo, Part 1" | TBA | Ed Whitmore[21] | 10 April 2011 | 909 |
TBA | |||||
92 | "Waterloo, Part 2" | TBA | Ed Whitmore[21] | 11 April 2011 | 910 |
TBA |
Reception
The first series secured strong ratings, with "Burn Out, part 1" receiving 8.4m viewers and a 38% share.[22] Persistently high ratings meant the programme was recommissioned each year for either the summer or winter schedule. The 2007 series began with strong ratings, with "Wren Boys, part 1" achieving 9.2m viewers and a 35.2% share.[23] The second part dropped to 8.6m but still gained a 33% share.[24]
Following the successful transmission of the third series and an International Emmy Award nomination, a further two series were commissioned with the number of stories expanded from four to six.[25] Waking the Dead won an International Emmy Award the following year for "Multistorey" written by Ed Whitmore and directed by Bob Bierman.[26]
DVD releases
All eight series of Waking the Dead have been released on Region 2 by 2 Entertain Ltd. under the BBC DVD banner. Region 1 is distributed by BBC Video and Region 4 by Roadshow.
DVD name | Release dates | ||
---|---|---|---|
Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4 | |
The Complete Series One & Pilot | October 24, 2006 | September 12, 2005 | March 2, 2006 |
The Complete Series Two | October 16, 2007 | June 26, 2006 | April 1, 2010 |
The Complete Series Three | January 20, 2009 | September 25, 2006 | June 1, 2010 |
The Complete Series Four | January 19, 2010 | January 29, 2007 | August 4, 2010 |
The Complete Series Five | January 18, 2011[27] | September 10, 2007 | October 5, 2010 |
The Complete Series Six | TBA | May 19, 2008 | December 2, 2010 |
The Complete Series Seven | TBA | May 3, 2010 | February 3, 2011 |
The Complete Series Eight | TBA | July 12, 2010 | TBA |
See also
The investigation of "Cold Cases" has been a theme for several detective dramas, including:
- The Enigma Files, UK (BBC), 1980
- Cold Squad, Canada (CTV), 1998
- Cold Case Files, US (A&E), 1999 (true cases)
- New Tricks, UK (BBC), 2003
- Cold Case, US (CBS), 2003
Notes and references
- ^ "About the Show". BBC. Retrieved 22 September 2009.
- ^ Mel Silverman in the pilot.
- ^ "Series 6 Episode Guide". BBC. Retrieved 22 September 2009.
- ^ "Magdalene 26". Waking the Dead. TX 6/7 September 2009.
- ^ "BBC takes more 'Waking', 'Silent Witness'". Digital Spy. 2008-05-14. Retrieved 2008-05-14.
- ^ "Waking The Dead and Silent Witness to return in 2009". BBC. 2008-05-15. Retrieved 2008-07-29.
- ^ a b http://www.locatetv.com/tv/waking-the-dead/season-8/6441836
- ^ a b http://www.locatetv.com/tv/waking-the-dead/season-8/6441864
- ^ a b http://www.locatetv.com/tv/waking-the-dead/season-8/6447942
- ^ a b http://www.locatetv.com/tv/waking-the-dead/season-8/6449218
- ^ a b http://www.locatetv.com/tv/waking-the-dead/season-8/6456795
- ^ a b http://www.locatetv.com/tv/waking-the-dead/season-8/6456832
- ^ a b http://www.locatetv.com/tv/waking-the-dead/season-8/6461181
- ^ a b http://www.locatetv.com/tv/waking-the-dead/season-8/6462535
- ^ Robertson, Colin (30 October, 2010). "Waking The Dead is put to sleep". The Sun. Retrieved 11 November, 2010.
{{cite news}}
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and|date=
(help) - ^ a b http://www.tvtv.co.uk/tvtv/web/programdetails.vm?programmeId=53502687&lang=en&epgView=list&groupid=0&tref=Search
- ^ a b http://www.tvtv.co.uk/tvtv/web/programdetails.vm?programmeId=53502689&lang=en&epgView=list&groupid=0&tref=Search
- ^ a b c d http://www.tvtv.co.uk/tvtv/web/programdetails.vm?programmeId=53670527&lang=en&epgView=list&groupid=0&tref=Search
- ^ a b c d http://www.tvtv.co.uk/tvtv/web/programdetails.vm?programmeId=53920252&lang=en&epgView=list&groupid=0&tref=Search
- ^ a b http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/proginfo/tv/2011/wk14/sun.shtml
- ^ a b http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/proginfo/tv/2011/wk15/sun.shtml
- ^ Digital Spy author (2001-06-22) Feltz return grabs 4m, Digital Spy, retrieved 2007-01-06
- ^ Waking the Dead returns to BBC1 with 9.2m, Broadcast Now, retrieved 2007-01-10
- ^ Waking the Dead rouses 8.6m, Broadcast Now, retrieved 2007-01-10
- ^ Wilkes, Neil (2003-11-04) 'Waking the Dead' gets two new series, Digital Spy, retrieved 2007-01-06
- ^ BBC News (2004-11-23) UK sweep up at global Emmy Awards, bbc.co.uk, retrieved 2007-01-06
- ^ http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Waking-Dead-Season-5/14440
External links
- Waking the Dead at bbc.co.uk
- Waking the Dead at IMDb
- "Shadowplay" shooting script at BBC Writers Room