The Sleeper is a single British television crime drama film, written by Gwyneth Hughes and directed by Stuart Orme, that first broadcast on BBC1 on 26 December 2000.[1] The film was initially broadcast in two parts,[2] and is based on the novel by Gillian White.[3]
| The Sleeper | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Crime drama |
| Created by | Gillian White |
| Written by | Gwyneth Hughes |
| Directed by | Stuart Orme |
| Starring | |
| Composer | Colin Towns |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 2 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Pippa Harris |
| Producer | Joy Spink |
| Cinematography | Derek Suter |
| Editor | Ardan Fisher |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production company | BBC Worldwide |
| Original release | |
| Network | BBC1 |
| Release | 26 December – 27 December 2000 |
The film was commissioned as part of the BBC's £42 million-pound Christmas schedule line-up for 2000.[4] Neither part of the film attracted more than 6.4 million viewers, placing it outside of the Top 30 most watched programmes that week.[5] Although the film remains unreleased on VHS or DVD, both parts are available to watch on YouTube.[6]
Plot
editThe Sleeper focuses on the Moon family, headed by Violet (Eileen Atkins), who descend into conflict when Fergus (Ciarán Hinds) and Claire (Annabelle Apsion), Violet's son and daughter-in-law, decide to sell the family farm from beneath her.
In Part One, as the family gather in the farmhouse to spend one last family Christmas together, a figure from Violet's past, determined to exact revenge, makes her way up to the farm amidst a rain and hail storm which cuts off power in the area, leaving the farm in pitch darkness.[1]
In Part Two, suspicious are raised amongst the family when Cath goes missing, forcing Lillian and George to mount a search party. Claire also begins to suspect her mother's motives for bringing the family together.[2]
Cast
edit- Eileen Atkins as Violet Moon
- Anna Massey as Lillian Kessel
- George Cole as George Gleeson
- Michelle Collins as Diana Wakeham
- Ciarán Hinds as Fergus Moon
- Annabelle Apsion as Claire Moon
- Elizabeth Spriggs as Cath Marks
- Simon Chandler as Jonna Wakeham
- Eric Byrne as Sam Wakeham
- Julia Deakin as Valerie Fellgett
- Rupert Frazer as David Litton
- Christine Kavanagh as Sheena Marks
- Gerard Horan as Sergeant Pollard
- Simon Quarterman as PC Browning
- Jimmy Gardner as Ernest Page
- Andrea Lowe as Donna Dawes
- Sheila Reid as Mrs. Fitzhall
- Sophie Harmer as Young Kitty
- Hannah Powell as Young Violet
- Ian McNeice as Mr. Tarbuck
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "The Sleeper – BBC One London – 26 December 2000". BBC Genome. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
- ^ a b "The Sleeper – BBC One London – 27 December 2000". BBC Genome. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
- ^ "The Sleeper [Part One] (2000)". BFI. Archived from the original on 29 January 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
- ^ "BBC One unveils Christmas lineup". Digital Spy. 6 December 2000. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
- ^ "BARB – Weekly Top 30 Programmes". BARB. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
- ^ "2000-12 Sleeper (Part 1)". 13 October 2013. Retrieved 28 January 2019 – via YouTube.
External links
edit- The Sleeper at IMDb