Black Work

Black Work
DVD cover
Created by	Matt Charman
Directed by	Michael Samuels
Starring	Sheridan Smith Douglas Henshall Kenny Doughty Geraldine James Matthew McNulty Ace Bhatti
Composer	Stuart Earl
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
No. of series	1
No. of episodes	3
Production
Executive producers	Peter Hampden Hugo Heppell Rebecca Keane Damien Timmer
Producer	Tom Mullens
Production locations	Leeds, Yorkshire, England
Cinematography	Gavin Finney
Running time	60 mins. (w/advertisements)
Production companies	Mammoth Screen LipSync Productions Screen Yorkshire
Original release
Network	ITV
Release	21 June (2015-06-21) – 5 July 2015 (2015-07-05)

Black Work is a three-part British detective fiction thriller and a leading dramatic vehicle for Sheridan Smith, who stars as police officer Jo Gillespie. The series, produced by Mammoth Screen in association with LipSync productions and Screen Yorkshire and directed by Michael Samuels, premiered on ITV on 21 June 2015, at 9PM, with two further episodes following. All three episodes are sixty minutes in length. The DVD of the series was released on 6 July 2015.

Cast

• Sheridan Smith as P.C. Jo Gillespie
• Matthew McNulty as D.C Jack Clark
• Andrew Knott as D.C. Lee Miekel
• Ace Bhatti as D.C.I. Jahan Kapoor
• Geraldine James as Chief Constable Carolyn Jarecki
• Douglas Henshall as D.C.S. Will Hepburn
• Andrew Gower as D.C. Jared Ansell
• Kenny Doughty as D.S. Ryan Gillespie

Episodes

#	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	UK viewers (millions)
1	"Episode 1"	Michael Samuels	Matt Charman	21 June 2015 (2015-06-21)	8.36m
Jo Gillespie is dissatisfied that her husband Ryan, like herself a police officer, spends so much time away from her and their children but resists colleague Jack Clark's suggestion that she leaves Ryan for him. She is doubly shocked to be told by Superintendent Hepburn not only that Ryan has been shot dead but had been working undercover - doing 'black work' - for three years without her knowledge. Most of the gang he was infiltrating have been arrested but Hepburn and Chief Constable Carolyn Jarecki are anxious not to publicize Ryan's murder lest it damage the prosecution and are puzzled as to why Ryan had not reported back to his handler for some days before his death. Jo is incensed by their attitude and tells his mother Barbara who leaks his murder to the press. Believing she has a clue to the killer Jo tells Jack but follows up her enquiry alone, landing herself in danger.
2	"Episode 2"	Michael Samuels	Matt Charman	28 June 2015 (2015-06-28)	7.63m
Jo pursues missing gang member Michael Parry to a cottage she learns about from a bugged conversation, and he is arrested, but Jo is amazed to learn that Ryan bought the cottage without telling her. She also believes Parry may have been framed. Following Ryan's funeral she meets his handler Tom Piper, who advises her not to question her husband's death - increasing her suspicions of a cover-up, especially after she spies on him. Jo visits Parry in custody, unofficially, but is accused of jeopardizing the enquiry and suspended from duty. Then she gets an even bigger shock as she learns that Ryan certainly did lead a double life.
3	"Episode 3"	Michael Samuels	Matt Charman	5 July 2015 (2015-07-05)	7.63m
Devastated to discover that Ryan had bought the cottage for his mistress of three years and their child Jo is also told that Parry's girlfriend Sian was murdered just before Ryan was slain. She tracks down Tom Piper, who tells her that Sian blew Ryan's cover and Chief Constable Jarecki was aware of this but did not pull him out of the operation. A paranoid Jo is now suspicious of all her police colleagues, particularly Jack, who appears to be far less innocent than she thought although it is Jack who eventually saves her from the real killer.

External links

• Black Work at IMDb