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Keeping Faith (TV series)

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Keeping Faith
GenreThriller
Created byMatthew Hall
Directed byPip Broughton
Andy Newbery
Starring
ComposersLaurence Love Greed
Amy Wadge
Country of originWales
Original languagesFilmed concurrently
in both Welsh
and in English
No. of series1
No. of episodes8 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producersAdrian Bate
Maggie Russell
Shane Murphy
ProducersPip Broughton
Nora Ostler
Production locationsCarmarthen
Laugharne
Carmarthenshire
Swansea
Vale of Glamorgan
CinematographySteve Lawes
Rory Taylor
Bjorn Bratberg
Running time60 minutes
Production companiesVox Pictures, Nevision, Cinematic Productions, Soundworks, About Premium Content
Original release
NetworkS4C (Welsh Version) and BBC One Wales (English Version)
Release5 November 2017 (2017-11-05) –
Present

Keeping Faith, (or original title Template:Lang-cy, translates to "One Wednesday Morning") is a Welsh thriller television series, created by Matthew Hall and produced by Vox Pictures. Un Bore Mercher was first broadcast on S4C on 5 November 2017.[1] Pip Broughton directed six of the eight episodes; Andy Newbery the other two. The series stars Eve Myles as Faith Howells. She is a solicitor at a family-run law firm. Evan, her husband, disappears whilst she is on maternity leave following the birth of their third child. The series co-stars Hannah Daniel, Matthew Gravelle, Bradley Freegard, Mark Lewis Jones, Mali Harries and Aneirin Hughes.

The series was filmed concurrently in two languages. This programme is the second in a season of bilingual dramas set to premiere back-to-back on S4C.[1] The initial Welsh broadcasts on S4C carried entirely English subtitles, while repeat airings carried encoded English subtitles. The series has been available on the BBC iPlayer as part of the BBC's ongoing relationship with S4C.[2]

Renamed Keeping Faith, the English-language version premiered on BBC Wales on 13 February 2018.[3][1] The show was extremely popular in Wales, with an average of 300,000 viewers per episode, making it the most popular show on BBC Wales for over 25 years. It also became the most downloaded non-network show on BBC iPlayer, with over 8.5 million downloads as at May 2018.[4]

Having announced on 15 June 2018 that Keeping Faith would be shown in the whole of the UK on BBC One, its broadcast began on 10 July 2018.[5] In the wake of a further report of the series' string of records, the Head of Commissioning for BBC Wales, Nick Andrews, said that this series has been a real gem from start to finish, and it is testament to the strength of drama coming out of Wales right now.[6][7]

Production of a second series began in 2018.[8]

Critical reception

The series has generally received favourable responses and was described in The Guardian[9] as, "a bit like Big Little Lies relocated to rural Wales". As Un Bore Mercher, the Welsh version of the series gained strong reviews.[10] Gary Raymond, in Wales Arts Review, wrote: "...particularly interesting to see a genuine diamond emerge from the coalface in the form of Keeping Faith" and "Social media opinion has been a little more approving" [than the limited publicity surrounding the series].[11] Lydia Morris at the UK Daily Post wrote that the programme "...has already proved a hit with TV audiences".[12] A review (under 'Show and Tell' by Paul Flynn) in Grazia magazine was headed "Like Broadchurch when it was good, Welsh production Keeping Faith is a TV trailblazer" and was generous with its praise.[13] Writing in The Times, Nicole Wynne described it as "...the dual-language drama that has got box-set Britain gripped".[3] On 2 May 2018, referring to the series' imminent removal from iPlayer access, Stuart Heritage wrote in the 'I' "Watch this game-changing thriller while you still can".[14] ] In the Daily Mail, Benji Wilson wrote that Keeping Faith "...looks set to take Broadchurch's crown".[7] Jon Coates in the Express wrote "Keeping Faith's unprecedented success... has led to a primetime run on BBC One starting on Thursday [12 July 2018], with a second series due to begin filming this autumn."[15] In July 2018, a Guardian review said "...already a huge iPlayer hit, this Carmarthen-set drama about a vanished husband is realistic and beautifully shot..." and "It looks real and brilliant and Welsh".[16] 'crimefictionlover' wrote: "The BBC has a secret... it's worth seeking out".[17]

As of 16 March 2018 the series rates 7.7 out of 10 on IMDB.[18]

Cast

  • Eve Myles as Faith Howells; solicitor, mother of three and wife of Evan Howells
  • Hannah Daniel as Cerys Jones; junior associate at Howells
  • Matthew Gravelle as Constable Terry Price; husband to Bethan (Evan's sister) and local policeman
  • Bradley Freegard as Evan Howells; a solicitor who mysteriously disappears
  • Mark Lewis Jones as Steve Baldini; one of Evan's clients who befriends Faith
  • Rhian Morgan as Marion Howells; Evan's mother
  • Aneirin Hughes as Tom Howells; Evan's father and a former solicitor
  • Eiry Thomas as DI Susan Williams; head of the local CID
  • Mali Harries as Bethan Price (née Howells); Terry's wife and Evan's sister
  • Alex Harries as Arthur Davies; a former client of Evan's, who is homeless
  • Betsan Llwyd (Un Bore Mercher)/Suzanne Packer (Keeping Faith) as Delyth Lloyd; secretary at Howells
  • Catherine Ayers as Lisa Connors; Faith's best friend
  • Richard Elfyn as DCI Huw Parry; divisional commander and close friend of Tom
  • Lowri Palfrey as Erin Glynn; daughter of a local crime lord and a former client of Evan's
  • Angeline Ball as Gael Reardon; widow of Paddy Reardon, who was killed by Erin Glynn

Episodes

Episode Title Directed by Written by Viewers (S4C)
(millions)[19] 		Original
airdate (S4C)
1"Episode 1"Pip BroughtonMatthew Hall0.465 November 2017 (2017-11-05)
2"Episode 2"Pip BroughtonMatthew Hall & Sian Naiomi0.3712 November 2017 (2017-11-12)
3"Episode 3"Pip BroughtonMatthew HallLess than 0.2019 November 2017 (2017-11-19)
4"Episode 4"Pip BroughtonMatthew Hall & Anwen Huws0.3626 November 2017 (2017-11-26)
5"Episode 5"Andy NewberyMatthew Hall0.323 December 2017 (2017-12-03)
6"Episode 6"Andy NewberyMatthew HallLess than 0.2410 December 2017 (2017-12-10)
7"Episode 7"Pip BroughtonMatthew Hall0.2217 December 2017 (2017-12-17)
8"Episode 8"Pip BroughtonMatthew Hall0.2324 December 2017 (2017-12-24)

Production

Set in the fictional town of Abercorran—the original name for Laugharne Castle—filming started in the summer of 2017. Exterior shots were filmed in Carmarthenshire, with exterior views of Faith's home situated high up overlooking the estuary and the castle of Laugharne. Many scenes were shot in Laugharne, also in Carmarthen; the main square and the historic Guildhall was used as a courtroom. Also, the Vale of Glamorgan, Pontardawe and Swansea were filming locations.[20] Other courtroom scenes feature the former courthouse at Swansea.[21] Studio scenes were filmed at Sony UK Technology Centre's Ffilm Factory 35 in Pencoed.

Vox pictures produced the drama with the aid of Nevision, Cinematic Productions, Soundworks and About Premium Content. The production of the programme was funded through the Welsh Government's Media Investment Budget, which is advised by Pinewood Pictures, S4C and BBC Wales. Location assistance was provided by Wales Screen, part of the Welsh Government's creative industries team, helping to maximise the economic benefits for Wales.[22]

Gwawr Martha Lloyd, S4C Drama Content Commissioner, said of the series; "We're very excited about this new and original series that will be premiering on S4C this autumn. With a stellar cast and a completely compelling story, plot and setting, we're hoping the audience will grow to love the world and the characters of Un Bore Mercher as much as we in S4C have as we worked to develop the series. The series intends to take the viewer on a thrilling, emotional and warm journey, which will pull at their heart-strings but will also make them smile along the way."[23]

Music

Six original songs were composed for the series by singer-songwriter Amy Wadge. The English and Welsh soundtracks were released as EPs on iTunes on Friday 9 March 2018. The English versions are sung by Amy Wadge[24] and the Welsh versions by Ela Hughes.[25] The score music was written by Laurence Love Greed.[26][27]

Second series

After the final episode of Series 1, (April 2018), and with the storyline ending on some significant 'cliff-hangers', the voice-over states that a second series is in development; in an interview with BBC Breakfast, Eve Myles said that Matthew Hall is writing the scripts for the second series. On 6 May 2018, Huw Thomas, BBC Wales arts and media correspondent wrote, "A second series is in development, but has not yet been commissioned."[28] The second series was in production in October 2018 and will air first on S4C.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b c "S4C Press release: Three drama series to fire the imagination... Bang; Un Bore Mercher; Craith". www.s4c.wales. 10 August 2017. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  2. ^ "Un Bore Mercher - BBC - S4C '...Mystery drama about a woman whose husband disappears.'". BBC. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  3. ^ a b Welsh TV noir Keeping Faith leaves Scandis for dead Nicole Wynne, thetimes.co.uk, April 29, 2018, accessed 30 April 2018
  4. ^ Work begins on second series of record-breaking BBC Wales drama ...The eight-part series, starring Eve Myles (Broadchurch/Victoria), has broken a string of records over recent weeks... at bbc.co.uk/mediacentre, accessed 8 April 2018
  5. ^ Record-breaking BBC Wales/S4C drama Keeping Faith to be broadcast across the UK on BBC One www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre, 15 June 2018, accessed 18 June 2018
  6. ^ Keeping Faith series 1 episode 1 at iPlayer after BBC1 broadcast bbc.co.uk/iplayer, accessed 29 July 2018
  7. ^ a b Hello, boyos ...or how Eve Myles and a small-budget Welsh-language thriller became this year’s most surprising iPlayer sensation – as Event unravels the mysterious pulling power of Keeping Faith (now on prime-time TV) dailymail.co.uk, 7 July 2018, accessed 12 July 2018
  8. ^ a b "Keeping Faith: BBC Wales drama back for second series". BBC News. 4 October 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  9. ^ Virtue, Graeme (2018-02-27). "Dimension overload: why TV can't get enough of parallel universes". the Guardian. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
  10. ^ Morgan Jeffery, 13 February 2018: "Eve Myles almost quit acting before she was offered new BBC series Keeping Faith" 'The Welsh-language version of Keeping Faith has already aired on S4C, under the title of Un Bore Mercher, with the series – and in particular Myles's performance – earning strong reviews.' digitalspy.com, accessed 16 March 2018
  11. ^ Gary Raymond, 2 March 2018- Reviews, Film & TV, Keeping Faith walesartsreview.org, accessed 15 March 2018
  12. ^ Lydia Morris 14 February 2018: The actress who learned Welsh to land Keeping Faith lead role dailypost.co.uk, accessed 15 March 2018
  13. ^ Paul Flynn 'Show and Tell' (review) in Grazia magazine (ISSN 1120-5113), p.110, headed 'Like Broadchurch when it was good, Welsh production Keeping Faith is a TV trailblazer' ... "It’s what happens to the gloriously little folk when big events calamitously fall onto the doorstep. The characters’ reactions to Evan’s disappearance are entirely human, local and believable. Catch up, please." Viewed 16 March 2018
  14. ^ Keeping Faith is about to vanish from iPlayer. Watch this game-changing thriller while you still can Stuart Heritage 2 May 2018, at inews.co.uk, accessed 3 May 2018
  15. ^ Why a TV writer put his faith in Wales express.co.uk, 9 July 2018, accessed 12 July 2018
  16. ^ Keeping Faith review – a brilliant Welsh answer to Broadchurch at theguardian.com, accessed 8 August 2018
  17. ^ Keeping Faith: The BBC’s hidden Welsh gem 5 July 2018 at crimefictionlover.com, accessed 8 August 2018
  18. ^ 'Keeping Faith' TV Series (2017– ) imdb.com, accessed 16 March 2018
  19. ^ "Weekly top 30 programmes - BARB". www.barb.co.uk.
  20. ^ Robert Harries, 19 April 2017, 'Filming for new TV drama gets under way in historic Carmarthen building' walesonline.co.uk, accessed 15 March 2018
  21. ^ Footage gives public a rare glimpse inside a former Swansea courthouse used as a set for new BBC drama walesonline.co.uk, accessed 15 March 2018
  22. ^ Rachel Jones, 6th November 2017: 'Bilingual Television Thriller Keeping Faith Films in South Wales' businessnewswales.com, accessed 15 March 2018
  23. ^ Filming starts on new joint BBC Wales and S4C drama series 13 April 2017, bbc.co.uk, accessed 15 March 2018
  24. ^ Keeping Faith - EP Amy Wadge itunes.apple.com, accessed 25 May 2018
  25. ^ Un Bore Mercher - EP Ela Hughes itunes.apple.com, accessed 25 May 2018
  26. ^ https://www.fabermusic.com/composers/love-greed-laurence
  27. ^ Keeping Faith Soundtrack Tracklist (Un Bore Mercher) Music from TV Series (Type: Original Television Soundtrack/ Music by Laurence Love Greed/ Label: Laurence Love Greed/ Format: Digital Date: April 4, 2018) youtube.com, accessed 25 May 2018
  28. ^ Keeping Faith: BBC Wales drama success 'wonderful' www.bbc.co.uk/news, accessed 4 June 2018
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