Roadkill is a British four-part television thriller written and created by David Hare,[1] and directed by Michael Keillor. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 18 October 2020. In the United States, it was broadcast as part of the Masterpiece anthology series on PBS starting 1 November 2020.
| Roadkill | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | |
| Written by | David Hare |
| Directed by | Michael Keillor |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Harry Escott |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 4 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producer | Andy Litvin |
| Cinematography | Wojciech Szepel |
| Editor | Dominic Strevens |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production company | The Forge |
| Original release | |
| Network | BBC One |
| Release | 18 October – 8 November 2020 |
The series stars Hugh Laurie as the Justice Minister whose private life is under fire from his enemies.[2][3][4] The series also features Helen McCrory in her final performance before her death in April 2021.
Cast
edit- Hugh Laurie[5][6] as Peter Laurence
- Helen McCrory[7][8] as Dawn Ellison
- Pippa Bennett-Warner[9] as Rochelle Madeley
- Millie Brady as Lily Laurence
- Ophelia Lovibond as Susan Laurence
- Shalom Brune-Franklin as Rose Dietl
- Iain De Caestecker[10] as Duncan Knock
- Sarah Greene as Charmian Pepper
- Saskia Reeves as Helen Laurence
- Patricia Hodge as Lady Roche
- Olivia Vinall[11] as Julia Blythe
- Sidse Babett Knudsen as Madeleine Halle
- Danny Ashok as Luke Strand
- Gbemisola Ikumelo as Steff Frost
- Emma Cunniffe as Sydney
- Caroline Lee-Johnson as Bella Gayle
- Natalie Dew as Alisha Burman
- Anna Francolini as HJ Keane
- Vincenzo Nicoli as George
- Jennifer Hennessy as Bryony Beckett
- Yolanda Kettle as Joy Pelling
- Kate Lamb as Lindsay Storm
- Katie Leung as Margaret Moore
- Pip Torrens as Joe Lapidus
- Alice McMillan as Charlotte Hedge
- Tony Pitts as Mick 'the Mouth' Murray
- Nicholas Rowe as Adam De Banzie
- Sylvestra Le Touzel as Dame Vanessa Pollard
Episodes
edit| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Viewers (millions) [12] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Episode 1" | Michael Keillor | David Hare | 18 October 2020 | 8.68 | |
|
Peter Laurence is a charismatic government minister on the verge of promotion to high office. He is also celebrating a win in a newspaper libel case. But an inmate at a women’s prison claims to have a secret about Peter’s past that could affect his future.. | |||||||
| 2 | 2 | "Episode 2" | Michael Keillor | David Hare | 25 October 2020 | 6.47 | |
|
As Charmian digs into Peter's political past in Washington DC, troubles arise at home as Peter's family discovers his affair. | |||||||
| 3 | 3 | "Episode 3" | Michael Keillor | David Hare | 1 November 2020 | 6.38 | |
|
Confronted with his affair, Peter is the defendant at the family dinner table. Pressure mounts on Peter, as friends, family, employees, and even a dead person turn against him. Meanwhile, Rochelle questions whether to pick up where Charmian left off. | |||||||
| 4 | 4 | "Episode 4" | Michael Keillor | David Hare | 8 November 2020 | 6.29 | |
|
With the Prime Minister in trouble, Peter makes a shocking announcement to the nation. But with his enemies circling, he is forced to risk one final roll of the dice. | |||||||
Production
editThe series was filmed on location in London and Hastings.[13]
Accolades
edit| Year | Ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | BAFTA TV Craft Awards[14] | Original Music | Harry Escott | Won |
References
edit- ^ Moore, Matthew (7 October 2020). "At last David Hare decides to take Tory politics seriously with Roadkill". Media. The Times. London. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
Now Sir David Hare, 73, has acknowledged a gap in his oeuvre: works that take Conservative principles seriously.
- ^ "BBC One releases first look image of Hugh Laurie in Roadkill". BBC (Press release). 22 July 2020. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
- ^ "Hugh Laurie to star in political thriller Roadkill by David Hare". BBC (Press release). 22 August 2020. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
- ^ Craig, David (3 October 2020). "Hugh Laurie stars as a scandalous politician in first trailer for BBC One's Roadkill". Radio Times. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
- ^ "Roadkill, A major new political thriller for BBC One written by David Hare". BBC (Press release). 7 October 2020. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
- ^ Craig, David (7 October 2020). "Roadkill writer insists Hugh Laurie's Conservative politician Peter Laurence is 'not based on anyone'". Radio Times. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
- ^ "Further cast join Roadkill, David Hare's political thriller for BBC One". BBC (Press release). 15 November 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
- ^ "BBC Interview with Helen McCrory". BBC (Press release). 7 October 2020. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
- ^ "BBC Interview with Pippa Bennett-Warner". BBC (Press release). 7 October 2020. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
- ^ "BBC Interview with Iain De Caestecker". BBC (Press release). 7 October 2020. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
- ^ "BBC Interview with Olivia Vinall". BBC (Press release). 7 October 2020. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
- ^ "Weekly top programmes on four screens (from Sept 2018)". BARB. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
- ^ "Hugh Laurie gives the thumbs up as the BBC films in St Leonards". Hastings Observer. JPI Media. 9 January 2020. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
- ^ "BAFTA TV 2021: The Winners and Nominations for the Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards and British Academy Television Craft Awards". Bafta.org. 28 April 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
