Inspector George Gently
| Inspector George Gently | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Crime drama |
| Created by | Peter Flannery |
| Based on |
George Gently by Alan Hunter |
| Written by | Peter Flannery |
| Starring |
|
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 7 + 1 Pilot |
| No. of episodes | 23 |
| Production | |
| Location(s) | England |
| Running time | 90 min (nominal) |
| Production company(s) | Company Pictures |
| Distributor | BBC |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC One |
| Original release | 8 April 2007 – present |
| External links | |
| Website | |
Inspector George Gently (titled George Gently for the pilot and first series) is a British television series produced by Company Pictures for BBC One, set in the 1960s and loosely based on some of the 46 Inspector Gently novels written by Alan Hunter.
Summary
The series features Martin Shaw as the eponymous Inspector (later Chief Inspector), Lee Ingleby as Detective Sergeant (later Detective Inspector) John Bacchus, and Simon Hubbard and Lisa McGrillis in supporting roles as police constables for the fictitious North East Police Constabulary. The series moved the setting of the stories to North East England, centering on Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland and County Durham as opposed to the Norfolk portrayed in the books. As the series begins, the death penalty is still in effect in Britain and is used as a plot feature in some early episodes; the penalty was abolished in 1965, a change noted in the series. The earliest episodes are set in 1964 and the series progresses in approximately real time, with the closing scenes of series 7 taking place on 1 January 1970.
Production history
In January 2010 it was announced that the BBC had secured funding from the North East Content Fund to produce further episodes of the detective drama. Series 4 was filmed from early to mid-2011 and shown that autumn. On 26 March 2012 the BBC announced that four new feature-length episodes were being produced to air later the same year.[1] Series 5 ended on a dramatic cliffhanger, with the fate of both leading characters uncertain. However, in September 2012, the lead writer confirmed that a sixth series consisting of four episodes had been commissioned.[2] This sixth series aired from 6 February to 27 February 2014 on BBC1. A seventh series of four episodes was commissioned by the BBC and aired on the same channel beginning 29 April 2015.[3]
Episode list
Pilot (2007)
| No. | # | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions)[4] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Gently Go Man" | Euros Lyn | Peter Flannery | 8 April 2007 | 6.33 |
|
Following the murder of his wife by notorious gangster Joe Webster in 1964, Inspector George Gently is pondering retirement. When he hears about Webster attending a funeral of a murder victim in Northumberland, he delays his retirement to take on this one last case. Paired with local detective DS John Bacchus, he must track down Webster while trying to deal with his headstrong young assistant and keep him on the straight and narrow. Adapted from the novel Gently Go Man, published in 1961. | ||||||
Series 1 (2008)
| No. | # | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions)[4] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | "The Burning Man" | Ciaran Donnelly | Peter Flannery | 13 July 2008 | 4.80 |
|
After an unidentified badly burnt body is found near an RAF base in 1964, Gently works alongside Special Branch officers who suspect the victim was involved with the IRA. However, the discovery that a large cache of guns has gone missing turns the case into a large hostage situation. Adapted from the novel Gently Where the Roads Go, published in 1962. | ||||||
| 3 | 2 | "Bomber's Moon" | Ciaran Donnelly | Mick Ford | 20 July 2008 | 4.59 |
|
When the beaten body of wealthy German businessman Gunter Schmeikel is discovered in the harbour, Gently and Bacchus are forced to consider whether a barman's anti-German sentiments are a motive for murder. However, the case takes a sinister turn when a key witness to Schmeikel's death is revealed to be a killer trained by United Kingdom Special Forces. Adapted from the novel Bomber's Moon, published in 1994. | ||||||
Series 2 (2009)
The show's title is changed to 'Inspector' George Gently.
| No. | # | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions)[4] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 1 | "Gently with the Innocents" | Daniel O'Hara | Peter Flannery | 3 May 2009 | 6.47 |
| When an old man is killed on the grounds of his seemingly dilapidated mansion, Gently and Bacchus dig deeper into the history of the former children's home and soon have their prime suspect, Harry Carson, a man who once lived there. But it becomes clear that some of the locals, including property developer Cora Davidson, have something to hide from the duo. | ||||||
| 5 | 2 | "Gently in the Night" | Daniel O'Hara | Peter Flannery | 10 May 2009 | 5.81 |
| Bacchus and Gently hunt for the murderer of a woman whose body is discovered laid out in a local church. As the investigation progresses, it turns out the victim was a waitress working at the first hostess club in Newcastle - a club that has greatly upset the local religious community opposing it. | ||||||
| 6 | 3 | "Gently in the Blood" | Ciaran Donnelly | Peter Flannery | 17 May 2009 | 6.02 |
| Bacchus and Gently investigate a consignment of stolen passports, but the case takes an unexpected turn when a woman linked to the crime is found dead on the seashore with her mixed-race infant son lying near by. As the cops follow a lead on the murder victim's ex-boyfriend, they encounter racial prejudice and are drawn into an underground world of gang wars within the Arab community. | ||||||
| 7 | 4 | "Gently Through the Mill" | Ciaran Donnelly | Mick Ford | 24 May 2009 | 5.17 |
| Bacchus and Gently arrive in a small town to investigate when a mill manager is found hanged in what seems to be a suicide case. However, the detectives begin to suspect foul play as they discover money has gone missing and the widow reveals her husband was having an affair. Also, Bacchus and Gently are at odds with each other over a training course Bacchus wants to take that he thinks will help him in his career. | ||||||
Series 3 (2010)
| No. | # | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions)[4] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 1 | "Gently Evil" | Daniel O'Hara | Peter Flannery | 26 September 2010 | 5.93 |
| A young woman's body is found in a seemingly idyllic Northumberland coastal village in 1966, and the subsequent investigation leads Gently and Bacchus to suspect the victim's estranged husband is responsible for the killing. However, they soon come to realise her disturbed family is hiding an even more shocking secret. | ||||||
| 9 | 2 | "Peace and Love" | Daniel O'Hara | Jimmy Gardner | 3 October 2010 | 5.52 |
| In the summer of 1966, the Northumbrian police come under increasing media scrutiny, as Sunderland prepares to host a World Cup match involving the USSR, while peace campaigners protest against the proposed landing of the Polaris nuclear submarine at Jarrow docks. When an academic is found dead after a CND rally, Gently and Bacchus are dispatched to Durham University to investigate his background - and find themselves in the midst of a wave of social and sexual rebellion. | ||||||
Series 4 (2011)
The show's theme song and opening credits sequence no longer appear starting with this series.
| No. | # | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions)[4] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 1 | "Gently Upside Down" | Nicholas Renton | Peter Flannery and Stewart Harcourt | 4 September 2011 | 7.09 |
| A schoolgirl's killing brings Gently into the alien world of pop and media celebrity when it turns out the victim's best friend is a rising young TV star. Bacchus suspects the dead girl's music teacher, since rumours persist that she was having an affair with him. But when it seems everyone has a different opinion of the girl, Gently must uncover these different faces to get to the truth of her murder. | ||||||
| 11 | 2 | "Goodbye China" | Gillies MacKinnon | Peter Flannery | 11 September 2011 | 7.20 |
| The detective looks into the suspicious death of an old friend and informant nicknamed "China", when he is told conflicting reasons for the man's demise by the coroner and the nurse who tended him in his final few hours. The investigation leads Gently to the local police station, where it becomes clear the officers are hiding something - and to complicate matters, the disappearance of a teenage boy is also linked to the case. | ||||||
Series 5 (2012)
| No. | # | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions)[4] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 1 | "Gently Northern Soul" | Gillies MacKinnon | David Kane | 26 August 2012 | 6.89 |
|
In Durham, the haven of equality found at the Carlton all-nighter is destroyed when a young black girl, Dolores Kenny, is murdered. Chief Inspector George Gently soon uncovers a disturbing and malevolent racist undercurrent lurking both within the local community and his own police force. Events are taken to have occurred in late April 1968. In addition to the discussion of Martin Luther King's assassination on 4 April, in one scene characters are seen watching the broadcast of Enoch Powell's notorious Rivers of Blood speech which took place on 20 April. Reference also is made to the impending Race Relations Act 1968 which had its second reading in Parliament on 23 April. The varying reactions of characters in George Gently's Durham were explored. | ||||||
| 13 | 2 | "Gently With Class" | Gillies MacKinnon | Peter Flannery | 2 September 2012 | 6.74 |
|
The indefatigable Chief Inspector George Gently and his sidekick, John Bacchus experience the inflated authority of their "social betters" firsthand when a beautiful young girl called Ellen Mallam is found drowned in the passenger seat of an upturned car registered to local aristocrats, the Blackstones. This episode features folk singing by the character Ellen Mallam (performed by Ebony Buckle) and a soundtrack including "It's All Over Now" sung by Roo Savill (written by Dan Skinner, Adam Skinner, DaveJames). | ||||||
| 14 | 3 | "The Lost Child" | Nicholas Renton | Peter Flannery | 9 September 2012 | 5.64 |
| Inspector George Gently and his sergeant, John Bacchus, are given an insight into the complexities of the emotionally wrought world when the adopted child of a middle-class couple is kidnapped. Suspicion initially falls upon the natural mother – did she 'steal' her own baby back? But investigation into the Mother and Baby home itself reveals a much darker side to this hothouse of morality; and raises questions as to how far this seemingly perfect couple is prepared to go to get a child. | ||||||
| 15 | 4 | "Gently In The Cathedral" | Nicholas Renton | Peter Flannery | 16 September 2012 | 5.21 |
| The dark forces that first displaced Gently in 1964 are once more active – and have followed him to Durham. Underworld figure Rattigan, whom Gently sent to prison years ago, has been cleared on the grounds that evidence was fabricated by Gently himself, and now he is hell-bent on revenge. Donald McGhee (played by Kevin Whately), Gently's old friend and colleague from the Met, appears on the scene – but can Gently trust him? Bacchus is torn between his loyalty to Gently and his ambition to transfer to the Met. Gently finds himself suspended from duty – powerless, unprotected and persecuted. If he is to survive, Gently must confront his deepest fears and fight to the death. | ||||||
Series 6 (2014)
| No. | # | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions)[4] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 1 | "Gently Between The Lines" | Nicholas Renton | Timothy Prager | 6 February 2014 | 6.48 |
| Gently is shocked to receive Bacchus’s resignation, but he soon realises that his sergeant has lost confidence in himself. To help his colleague to recover, Gently insists that while he serves out his notice, his help is needed to investigate a death in custody. The Newcastle police have arrested rioters as they tried to clear a slum due for demolition. The next morning, one of the protesters is discovered dead in a prison cell by WPC Rachel Coles. This will turn into a case that will have both Gently and Bacchus questioning what it means to be a police officer, at a time when attitudes towards the police are changing. They are no longer the trusted, familiar, local 'bobbies on the beat'. Police officers are now being seen as agents of the state. | ||||||
| 17 | 2 | "Blue for Bluebird" | Bill Anderson | Jess Williams | 13 February 2014 | 6.63 |
| Gently and Bacchus go to a seacoast family holiday camp to investigate staff and holidaymakers, after the body of one of the assistants, Megan (Pixie Lott) is washed up nearby. The colourful inmates of the holiday camp, from the flamboyant owner and his sister, to the chalet girls, performers, lifeguards, and guests, throw the investigation sideways as Gently and Bacchus uncover a story of jealousy, ambition, and the dark underbelly of the permissive society. PC Rachel Coles is now part of the support system for Gently and Bacchus at the police station, with her modern policing ways which annoy Bacchus. Also, Bacchus is trying to spend more time with his daughter, but his ex-wife Lisa opposes this. | ||||||
| 18 | 3 | "Gently With Honour" | Tim Whitby | Jess Williams and Steve Lightfoot | 20 February 2014 | 6.57 |
| In 1969, Gently and Bacchus delve into the world of army secrets when a young former soldier commits a murder in a known homosexual hangout. They soon learn he was discharged from the military for mental instability and when the psychiatrist he was seeing hangs himself, Gently believes the case is far from as cut-and-dried as it seems. In the process he finds some uncomfortable truths in what it means to serve one’s Queen and country. | ||||||
| 19 | 4 | "Gently Going Under" | Ben Bolt | Mike Cullen | 27 February 2014 | 6.61 |
| A suspicious death in the coalmine in Burnsend leads Gently and Bacchus to explore the tensions and relationships in a community whose seams have been ripped wide open by politics - and they discover some old grudges that date back to the era of World War II. | ||||||
Series 7 (2015)
| No. | # | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions)[4] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 1 | "Gently with the Women" | Roger Goldby | Peter Flannery | 29 April 2015 | 7.22 |
| A woman's body is found, brutally attacked. Gently wants to catch the killer and stop him attacking again. Worried that mistakes made have been down to one inspector, he becomes keen to get to the bottom of another mystery that is unfolding within the force. | ||||||
| 21 | 2 | "Breathe in the Air" | Roger Goldby | Peter Flannery | 6 May 2015 | 7.40 |
| Gently is intrigued as to why a woman has committed suicide. There are too many details that don't add up, and he suspects murder. Why did this woman, a GP, want to end her life? Gently's investigation leads him and his team to the discovery of a bigger industrial crime, more murders and more victims. Gently puts his career on the line to uncover who is really to blame. | ||||||
| 22 | 3 | "Gently Among Friends" | Tim Whitby | Timothy Prager and Peter Flannery | 13 May 2015 | 6.96 |
| A man has thrown himself off the Tyne Bridge and is found dead, landed on a pile of rubbish. Or so it seems. Gently knows it's murder and believes it's one involving lifelong friends. Who would want to kill a man who was apparently loved by all? | ||||||
| 23 | 4 | "Son of a Gun" | Tim Whitby | Jim Keeble and Dudi Appleton | 20 May 2015 | 6.71 |
| It's 1969 and on Christmas Eve Gently is enjoying the festive cheer, until he gets news that a bank has been hit. Gently's hunt for the gunmen takes him into the world of skinheads. Gently has little fear, but the world is changing around him. Gently is later faced with a difficult dilemma. Does the law always have to be so cruel? Can he bend it just this once? | ||||||
Other countries
In Argentina, the broadcasting of George Gently started on 2 July 2012 by Film And Arts channel.
In Australia, George Gently originally aired on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's ABC1 from August 2009 and on UKTV from 16 May.
In Belgium, the pilot was shown by the VRT's secondary channel Canvas on 31 October 2009.
In Canada, the pilot was shown by Knowledge on 30 May 2010 with the first four series repeated on several occasions, and the first six series are available on Netflix Canada.
In Denmark, the Danish Broadcasting Corporation aired George Gently on its main channel DR1, with a replay of episodes 2-6, followed by new episodes. By May 2014, DR has reached episode 19.
In Estonia the pilot was shown by ETV on 10 April 2011.
In Finland the pilot was shown by AVA on 10 June 2012 and YLE channel 1 started airing all episodes on 10 January 2015 starting with the pilot.
In France the pilot was shown by France 3 on 13 March 2011.
In Germany, the pilot and series one were shown by ZDF (Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen) in June 2009, with series two and three following in 2011 and series four and five in 2014.
In India, BBC Entertainment started showing the series in September 2010.
In Japan, the pilot was shown by AXN Mystery on 22 April 2010.
In the Netherlands, the pilot was shown by KRO on 27 January 2010.
In Norway, the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation's NRK 1 started showing George Gently on Sunday 6 September 2009.
In Slovenia all episodes were shown on national RTV SLO, the fifth series in November 2013.
In Sweden the first seven episodes (including the pilot) were aired by the small Kanal 9 in the late 2000s, with newer episodes following in later years. The four episodes of series five were broadcast in March 2015 (Kanal 9).
In the United States, the series runs on individual stations that are part of the PBS network, and is also available on Netflix and AcornTV.
DVD
- Region 2 "George Gently: Series 1" DVD Released 25-May-2009, EAN: 5036193096297 PAL Format Region 0 in the UK, distributed by Acorn Media UK.
- Region 2 "Inspector George Gently: Series 2" DVD Released 24-May-2010, EAN: 5036193097874 PAL Format Region 0 in the UK, distributed by Acorn Media UK.
- Region 2 "Inspector George Gently: Complete Series 1 & 2" DVD Released 04-Oct-2010, EAN: 5036193099915 PAL Format Region 0 in the UK, distributed by Acorn Media UK.
- Region 2 "Inspector George Gently: Complete Series 1-6 " DVD Released 04-Aug-2014, PAL Format Region 0 in the UK, distributed by Acorn Media UK.[5]
- Region 2 "George Gently - Der Unbestechliche, Volume 1" DVD Released 19-June-2009, EAN: 4029758960882 PAL Format in Germany, distributed by edel distribution.
- Region 2 "George Gently - Der Unbestechliche, Volume 2" DVD Released 20-May-2011, EAN: 4029759044284 PAL Format in Germany, distributed by edel distribution.
- Region 2 "George Gently - Der Unbestechliche, Volume 3" DVD Released 10-June-2011, EAN: 4029759067931 PAL Format in Germany, distributed by edel distribution.
- Region 1 "George Gently: Series 1" DVD Released 11-Nov-2008, ASIN: B001B43IUS NTSC Format in the USA, distributed by Acorn Media US.
- Region 1 "George Gently: Series 2" DVD Released 25-May-2010, ASIN: B00331RHCM NTSC Format in the USA, distributed by Acorn Media US.
- Region 1 "George Gently: Series 3" DVD Released 28-Jun-2011, ASIN: B004SI5VUY NTSC Format in the USA, distributed by Acorn Media US.
- Region 1 "George Gently: Series 4" DVD Released 03-Jul-2012, ASIN: B007S0DEB2 NTSC Format in the USA, distributed by Acorn Media US.
- Region 1 "George Gently: Series 5" DVD Released 28-May-2013, ASIN: B009DS3VQA NTSC Format in the USA, distributed by Acorn Media US.
- Region 1 "George Gently: Series 6" DVD Released 01-Apr-2014, ASIN: B00GWXI1F0 NTSC Format in the USA, distributed by Acorn Media US.
- Region 1 "George Gently: Series 7" DVD Released 29-Sep-2015, ASIN: B00XDBMB8W NTSC Format in the USA, distributed by Acorn Media US.
- Region 4 "George Gently: Series 1" DVD Released 17-Sep-2009, EAN: 9397910797498 PAL Format in Australia, distributed by REEL DVD Australia.
- Region 4 "George Gently: Series 2" DVD Released 04-Mar-2010, EAN: 9397911012293 PAL Format in Australia, distributed by REEL DVD Australia.
- Region 4 "George Gently: Series 1 & 2" DVD Released 05-May-2011, EAN: 9397911120899 PAL Format in Australia, distributed by REEL DVD Australia.
- Region 4 "George Gently: Series 3" DVD Released 07-Jul-2011, EAN: 9397911102291 PAL Format in Australia, distributed by REEL DVD Australia.
- Region 4 "George Gently: Series 4" DVD Released 01-May-2013, EAN: 9397911234497 PAL Format in Australia, distributed by REEL DVD Australia.
- Region 4 "George Gently: Series 5" DVD Released 01-May-2013, EAN: 9397911246995 PAL Format in Australia, distributed by REEL DVD Australia.
References
- ↑ BBC, Media Centre (26 March 2012). "Inspector George Gently returns in four new feature length episodes". Retrieved 26 March 2012.
- ↑ "Writersroom interviews...Peter Flannery". BBC. 17 September 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
It's just been commissioned for a 6th series, in fact, which will take us up to 19 films
- ↑ Susanna Lazarus (30 October 2014). "Louise Brealey to star with Vic Reeves in Inspector George Gently". Radio Times.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Weekly Viewing Summary (see relevant week)". BARB.
- ↑ The Complete Series One to Six:
External links
- Inspector George Gently at BBC Programmes
- Inspector George Gently at the Internet Movie Database
- Inspector George Gently at the British Film Institute
- George Gently press pack from the BBC Press Office, 2007
- Radio Times Martin Shaw interview, February 2014