| The Crimson Field | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Drama |
| Written by | Sarah Phelps |
| Directed by |
|
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producer | Annie Tricklebank |
| Cinematography | Matt Gray BSC |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production company | BBC Drama Production |
| Original release | |
| Network | |
| Release | 6 April – 11 May 2014 |
The Crimson Field is a British period drama television series that was broadcast beginning on BBC One on 6 April 2014. The series shows the lives of medics and the patients at a fictional field hospital in France during the First World War.[1][2]
Cast
- Rupert Graves as Major Edward Crecy
- Oona Chaplin as Kitty Trevelyan
- Hermione Norris as Grace Carter
- Suranne Jones as Sister Joan Livesey
- Kevin Doyle as Lt Col Roland Brett
- Kerry Fox as Sister Margaret Quayle
- Alex Wyndham as Captain Miles Hesketh-Thorne
- Jeremy Swift as Quartermaster Sergeant Reggie Soper
- Richard Rankin as Captain Thomas Gillan
- Marianne Oldham as Rosalie Berwick
- Alice St. Clair as Flora Marshall
- Jack Gordon as Orderly Corporal Peter Foley
- Liam James Collins as Tommy
- Lewis C. Elson as Injured Soldier
Production
Originally called The Ark, the series was commissioned by Ben Stephenson and Danny Cohen[3][4] as part of the BBC World War I centenary season. Sarah Phelps, the creator of The Crimson Field said: "I am bouncing off the walls with excitement at having such an extraordinary talented cast, bouncing off the walls."[3]
Filming began in August 2013. The Historic Dockyard Chatham and HMS Gannet featured in the first episode of the series doubling as the Port of Boulogne, France.[5] Dyrham Park appeared in scenes as a French hotel.
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [6] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Episode 1" | David Evans | Sarah Phelps | 6 April 2014 | 7.83 |
| 2 | "Episode 2" | David Evans | Sarah Phelps | 13 April 2014 | 6.89 |
| 3 | "Episode 3" | Richard Clark | Sarah Phelps | 20 April 2014 | 6.31 |
| 4 | "Episode 4" | Richard Clark | Sarah Phelps | 27 April 2014 | 6.25 |
| 5 | "Episode 5" | Thaddeus O'Sullivan | Sarah Phelps | 4 May 2014 | 6.01 |
| 6 | "Episode 6" | Thaddeus O'Sullivan | Sarah Phelps | 11 May 2014 | 6.33 |
Cancellation
The show was cancelled after one series, due to a lacklustre critical and audience response, as well as budgetary considerations towards other BBC series.[7] Phelps revealed she had planned four more series.
See also
- Alexis Carrel and Henry Drysdale Dakin, developers of the pre-antibiotic antiseptic Carrel-Dakin method depicted in the series.
- Edith Cavell, the British Red Cross nurse whose execution by German firing squad is mentioned in Episode 6.
References
- ↑ "BBC reveals 2,500-hour World War I season". BBC News. 16 October 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
- ↑ Vincent, Alice (7 August 2013). "Hermione Norris, Oona Chaplin and Suranne Jones in cast of field hospital drama, The Ark". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
- 1 2 "Cast announced for Sarah Phelps' new First World War drama series, The Crimson Field". BBC. 7 August 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
- ↑ "Casting announced for WWI drama The Ark". BBC. 7 August 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
- ↑ Kent Film Office. "Kent Film Office The Crimson Field Film Focus".
- ↑ "BARB Top 30s".
- ↑ Dowell, Ben (10 June 2014). "BBC1 axes First World War drama The Crimson Field". Radio Times. Retrieved 12 July 2015.