The Tower
Title card of the first episode
GenrePolice procedural, drama
Created byKate London
Based onPost Mortem by Kate London
Developed byWindhover Films
Written byPatrick Harbinson
Kate London
Directed byJim Loach
StarringGemma Whelan
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series2
No. of episodes7
Production
Executive producersPatrick Harbinson
Kate London
ProducerPaul Testar
EditorGez Morris
Running time150 minutes
Production companiesMammoth Screen
Windhover Films
Original release
NetworkITV
Release8 November 2021 (2021-11-08) –
present

The Tower is a British police procedural television series based on Kate London's Metropolitan trilogy book series. Set in London, it stars Gemma Whelan as police officer Sarah Collins, initially from the fictional DSI department. The first series follows the aftermath of the deaths of a veteran Metropolitan Police officer and a young Libyan girl who fell together from the roof of a London tower block. When Constable Lizzie Adama—one of the only witnesses—disappears soon after, Collins' investigation becomes two-pronged: what happened on the roof, and finding Adama.

Although the series is set in southeast London, it was mostly filmed in the northwest of England, particularly Liverpool and Manchester. The first series of The Tower was broadcast over three 50-minute episodes in November 2021. Patrick Harbinson acted as both screenwriter and executive producer. The show received generally favourable reviews, with positive comparisons being made by critics to fellow police corruption drama Line of Duty; Whelan's acting was considered a highlight. Criticisms were also made, particularly of the sound engineering, which was accused of muffling the spoken dialogue on occasion.

Cast

Cast background

Gemma Whelan is probably best known as her character Yara Greyjoy in the HBO series Game of Thrones; Collins is her first primetime lead character.[5] Tahirah Sharif was previously seen in The Haunting of Bly Manor and played minor characters in soaps such as Waterloo Road and Casualty. Jimmy Akingbola had roles in Kate & Koji and Holby City, Emmett J. Scanlan and Nick Holder were both in Peaky Blinders, while Nabil Elouhabi has had parts in Deep State, His Dark Materials[2] and Only Fools and Horses.[6] Karl Davies had previously appeared in Kingdom, Emmerdale, Happy Valley, Brief Encounters, and Chernobyl,[3] while The Tower was Lola Elsokari's and Rex Parry's first television roles.[2]

Characters

Gemma Whelan at a conference
Jimmy Akingbola at a conference
Nabil Elouahabi in 2021
Emmett J Scanlan
Tahirah Sharif
Clockwise from top: Gemma Whelan, Nabil Elouahabi, Tahirah Sharif, Emmett J Scanlan, Jimmy Akingbola

DS Collins—described by The Guardian's Hollie Richardson as "a heavy-sighing, perma-frown primetime detective"[7] and an "outlier and an outsider"[8]—is a Detective Sergeant from the Directorate of Special Investigations.[7] The Telegraph suggested that she displayed a "rigid attention to detail at work that masks a sadness in her personal life, which seems to be represented by a signature anorak that is the colour of a dying autumn leaf".[9] Ed Cumming of The Independent, summarises her as "a single, gay, childless cop: it’s made to look like a thankless gig".[10]⁸

PC Lizzie Adama is a newly qualified rookie, having been in the MPS for six months. Constable Matthews, a veteran cop of the old school, aspires to become a police training officer. He is only seen in flashbacks.[11] Kieran Shaw is Adama's and Matthews' immediate superior and has been engaging in an extramarital affair with the former. His relationship with the DSI team becomes increasingly fractious, and Collins suspects him of knowing far more about Adama's disappearance than he is letting on. However, he is protected by his superior, DCI Tim Baillie, until the last episode in the series.[1]

Production

The show was commissioned by ITV and produced in three 50-minute episodes by Mammoth Screens—a subsidiary of ITV—and Windhover Films, owned by Harbinson. It was produced and edited by Paul Testar and Gez Morris respectively.[12] Several different scenarists were considered before Patrick Harbinson, who had previously co-produced the Showtime series Homeland, was chosen as both writer[8] and executive producer.[1] It was directed by Jim Loach[13] and developed for television by Sly Fox Productions.[14]

Locations

The COVID-19 pandemic prevented Harbinson from doing the usual thorough location searches, and he had to rely on images being Dropboxxed to him from around the country.[8] Although set in southeast London, The Tower was predominantly filmed in northwest England,[10] with a week spent in London during post-production doing pick-up shots, particularly of the City of London skyline.[8] Northern locations included Liverpool, Manchester, Runcorn,[15] Warrington and Knutsford's Tatton Park.[16] Sharif later recalled the scenes filmed in Liverpool as particularly difficult due to pervasive rain, which made her "emotional, heavy dialogue... challenging".[17] The disused cellars of the Martins Bank Building in Liverpool were used to replicate the police cellblock.[8]

Episodes

SeriesTitleEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast airedNetwork
1The Tower38 November 2021 (2021-11-08)10 November 2021 (2021-11-10)ITV
2The Tower II: Death Message416 May 2023 (2023-05-16)6 June 2023 (2023-06-06)BritBox

Series 1 (2021)

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateU.K viewers
(millions) [18][lower-alpha 1]
1"Episode 1"Jim LoachPatrick Harbinson8 November 2021 (2021-11-08)5.57

Collins and Bradshaw are called to Portland Tower, southeast London,[10] where a police constable and a teenage girl, Farah, have fallen to their deaths. Collins finds another police constable, Lizzie Adama, and 5-year-old Ben Stoddard, Farah's next-door neighbour, whom she had brought with her. At Adama's police station, Collins discovers that Adama is an important witness in an approaching case against a local gangster. Meanwhile, Bradshaw discovers that Adama has disappeared. Collins visits Mrs Stoddard who refuses to let her talk to Ben. At Farah's post mortem, Adama's phone number is found in her pocket; Collins and Bradshaw get word that Adama has hired a car. They track her down, but Adama escapes. Shaw is revealed to now be in possession of Farah's mobile phone.

Flashbacks

Nine days before the fall, Hadley and Adama visit the Stoddards, Younes and Farah's neighbour. Mrs Stoddard accuses him of having keyed her car. The officers then visit Younes; only an old lady is in, and she speaks no English. Hadley persuades her to give them entry; Farah arrives, and Adama sees them talk from a distance. Younes arrives, but flees.

2"Episode 2"Jim LoachPatrick Harbinson9 November 2021 (2021-11-09)4.54

A public appeal is put out for Adama. Collins visits Farah's school teacher who disputes the portrayal of Farah being unhinged and tells Collins that Farah spent two years in a refugee camp. Meanwhile, Younes claims Hadley made racist remarks to Farah; Collins discovers that in separate statements Adama both ignored Younes' allegation and then denied it. Farah tells Collins that her phone recorded Hadley's comments, so Hadley confiscated it. DCI Baillie, Shaw's superior officer, following an argument with Collins, eventually authorises her request for a search warrant for Shaw's house.

Flashbacks

Seven days before the fall, Adama tells Hadley about Younes' allegations, which he denies, asking her to say nothing. She tells Shaw that she was not with Hadley at the time. Four days later, Adama discovers a woman in a house who has been badly beaten by the gangster. He is still there, and, threatening them with a gun, steals Adama's bodycam. Hadley arrives and says he will section her if she refuses hospital; she dies there the next day. Adama persuades Younes to surrender himself at the station. This he does, and she arrests him.

3"Episode 3"Jim LoachPatrick Harbinson10 November 2021 (2021-11-10)4.20

Shaw reveals to Adama that, en route to Portland Tower, Hadley phoned him and asked that he retrieve Farah's mobile from Hadley's locker. Adama wants to go public; Shaw threatens her. Collins arrives at Shaw's house with her warrant. The returning Shaw spots them and hides the phone in a takeaway coffee. Later, another post mortem reveals each had the other's epidermis under their fingernails. Shaw's wife tells him she has destroyed Farah's mobile.[8] Interviewed by Collins, Adama denies wrong had been done by any of them. Collins believes Hadley killed Farah, but Adama explains that she startled Farah into falling. Hadley tried to grab her but overbalanced. Bradshaw ends the interview. Eleven days later Adama identifies her gangster from an identity parade, while Collins gets asked to help out with Northumbria Police but opting to accept a job offer at Homicide Command instead. Collins attends Hadley's funeral; Adama does not. Mrs Shaw did not destroy Farah's undamaged phone, despite her earlier assertion.

Flashbacks

Farah and Hadley are on Portland Tower roof with Farah and the boy. Hadley joins Farah on the ledge and he and Adama persuade Farah to release the boy, which she does. Then they disappear over the edge together.

Series 2 - The Tower II: Death Message (2023)

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateU.K viewers
(millions)
1"Episode 1"Faye GilbertPatrick Harbinson16 May 2023 (2023-05-16)4.02

DS Sarah Collins is tasked with a cold case. PC Lizzie Adams's willingness to do things by the book is tested.

Note: This episode was broadcast on ITV1 on 28 August 2023.
2"Episode 2"Faye GilbertPatrick Harbinson23 May 2023 (2023-05-23)3.76

The investigation into the cold case starts to reveal secrets and possible suspects. The dad is still on the run and one of the daughter's relatives gets involved. An officer is offered a chance to lead a big operation, but he needs to recruit a potentially reluctant team member.

Note: This episode was broadcast on ITV1 on 29 August 2023.
3"Episode 3"Faye GilbertPatrick Harbinson30 May 2023 (2023-05-30)3.60

The team are left reeling when Brannon's video goes viral.

Note: This episode was broadcast on ITV1 on 30 August 2023.
4"Episode 4"Faye GilbertPatrick Harbinson6 June 2023 (2023-06-06)3.42

Sarah races to Lizzie's aid and both face Brannon together in a grisly climax.

Note: This episode was broadcast on ITV1 on 31 August 2023.

Reception

It’s a story of a typical London street—two families living cheek by jowl -one English white and middle-class, the other Libyan refugees, just settled in the community after two years of limbo in hostels and refugee camps. A dispute arises between them, basically out of nothing, and then escalates. And it’s also the story of a typical London police station, whose officers have to deal with that dispute.[19]

Patrick Harbinson

Although the original book was published many years before the murder of Sarah Everard by serving Met officer Wayne Couzens, the show's timing made the comparison obvious to some critics. For example, Paul Kendall in The Telegraph placed the show squarely in the context of contemporary police-public relations, particularly in the aftermath of the Couzens case.[20] The Guardian's Lucy Mangan considered the show's release timely, as "trust in officers is at an all-time low".[11] She was generally positive about the first episode, writing that "the plot builds at pace but without inducing vertigo in the viewer"[11] and noting its background of "racial tensions, bigger crimes, personal secrets and political arse-covering".[11] Writing in The Times, Carol Midgley identified an "aura of grim authenticity", which she put down to the original author's police background. Although she noticed a Line of Duty-style "what are all these coppers hiding?"[21] trope, she considered the show to have successfully avoided the tendency to focus on the murder of females.[21]

Midgely criticised the sound engineering, though, complaining that at times it was difficult to hear; "was it just my old ears or were the actors going for a mumbling level worthy of The Wire?"[21] A similar criticism, of muffled—and also hurried—dialogue was made by Digital Spy, who argued that this was a common refrain from viewers on Twitter.[22] Anita Singh of The Telegraph also criticised dialogue which sounded as if some cast members were "mumbling at their shoes". She summed up the series, effectively, as "everyone is lying about what happened and Collins is here to find out why",[23] although she disagreed that the series was derivative of Line of Duty: while the DSI might appear to be another A10, she suggested The Tower had a greater sense of day-to-day realism than similar programmes.[23] Also addressing comparisons with Line of Duty, Ed Cumming suggested that, unlike that show, with The Tower "there isn't much pure evil here, more opportunists and easy-life seekers".[10] He also argued that, thanks to Loach's direction, The Tower was a tighter script—with less "flabbiness"—than many of its genre.[10] However, he was overall critical, arguing that Whelan is the only character to consistently hold the viewers' interest and that, generally, the series could have "aimed a bit higher".[10] The Guardian's Barbara Ellen was also less enthusiastic, picking out what she considered an overuse of flashbacks adding unnecessary confusion to an already complex plot, combined with the shoehorning in of too many themes. She was more positive of the dialogue and portrayals, summing up saying "bring back the characters, please, but with a less chaotic story".[13]

Future

Tahirah Sharif believed that there was plenty of material to allow for the series' expansion, and Emmett Scanlan has pointed out that the later books expand the characters also, particularly Bradshaw's.[24]

Kate London

Kate London was born in Staffordshire to a retired RAF sergeant and a nurse. A graduate of the University of Cambridge, she took up acting and played alongside Hugh Bonneville and Dominic Dromgoole. She travelled to Paris and attended the same clown school as Sacha Baron Cohen would later. She joined the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) as a uniformed PC in 2006 and left in 2014 as a murder squad detective in a Homicide and Serious Crime Command dealing with major investigations[20] before becoming a full-time author.[20][21] She also writes regularly for newspapers.[25] In response to comparisons between The Tower and the murder of Sarah Everard in March 2021, London argued that, in a close-knit institution such as the police, officers often do not speak out or criticise, through fear of becoming known as a troublemaker. London notes that, in the universe of The Tower, this is at the root of the police's problem, and by extension the public's:[20]

In The Tower people don’t speak up, they don’t say 'No', and we know historically, in any place where bad things are happening, good people need to speak up, and when they don’t, catastrophe ensues. The Tower is a story. Saying all police are like the police in The Tower is like saying all kings are like Lear. But there do need to be things in place to make it easier for people to speak out and do the right thing.[20]

London lives and writes in Shropshire. Critic Joan Smith positively reviewed Post Mortem on its 2015 publication, arguing that London "vividly recreates the everyday experience of uniformed police, for the most part avoiding the temptation to take sides. The result is a complex novel that offers rare insights into how the police operate."[26] London was nervous of ITV's proposal to televise Post Mortem as she had experienced two previous, unsuccessful attempts at turning her book into script.[8]

Notes

  1. ↑ final ratings are sourced from BARB

    References

    1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Geall, Lauren; Ross, Charley (8 November 2021). "ITV's The Tower: Gemma Whelan's new crime drama starts tonight". Stylist. Archived from the original on 15 February 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
    2. 1 2 3 4 5 Carr, Flora (8 November 2021). "Meet the cast of ITV drama The Tower". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 15 February 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
    3. 1 2 Calday, John (10 November 2021). "The Tower: Release date, cast and trailer for new ITV drama". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
    4. ↑ Jade, Kayleigh (10 November 2021). "The Tower cast revealed for new ITV drama series". TellyMix. Archived from the original on 13 June 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
    5. ↑ Davies, Hannah J; Abbott, Kate (23 August 2021). "Sex, Succession and sci-fi nightmares: the must-see TV of autumn 2021". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 15 February 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
    6. ↑ Marsden, Samantha (6 November 2017). "How to pursue a stage career without going to drama school". The Stage. Archived from the original on 15 February 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
    7. 1 2 Richardson, Hollie (8 November 2021). "TV tonight: can Gemma Whelan's detective solve her first tricky case?". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 15 February 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
    8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Lawes, Ruth (9 November 2021). "Constructing The Tower". Drama Quarterly. Archived from the original on 17 February 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
    9. ↑ "What's on TV tonight: The Tower, Dexter: New Blood, and more". The Telegraph. 8 November 2021. ProQuest 2594889032.
    10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Cumming, Ed (8 November 2021). "Gemma Whelan stands out in The Tower, but it fails to reach great heights - review". The Independent. Archived from the original on 15 February 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
    11. 1 2 3 4 Mangan, Lucy (8 November 2021). "The Tower review – Gemma Whelan bosses a doozy of a police thriller". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 15 February 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
    12. ↑ Purkiss, Brian. "The Tower". Mammoth Screen. Archived from the original on 17 February 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
    13. 1 2 Ellen, Barbara (14 November 2021). "The week in TV: The Shrink Next Door; Inside the Care Crisis With Ed Balls; Beat the Devil; The Tower". The Observer. Archived from the original on 15 February 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
    14. ↑ London, Kate (5 April 2016). "Line of Duty: why I think accuracy in police drama is so important". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 15 February 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
    15. ↑ Clay, Oliver (17 May 2021). "Game of Thrones' Gemma Whelan seen filming at cemetery". Liverpool Echo. Archived from the original on 15 February 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
    16. ↑ Craig, David (8 November 2021). "Where is ITV's The Tower filmed?". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
    17. ↑ Ramsden, Sam (30 October 2021). "Tahirah Sharif Is As Excited About The 'Waterloo Road' Reboot As You Are". Bustle. Archived from the original on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
    18. ↑ "Weekly Top 10 Programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Archived from the original on 18 July 2014. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
    19. ↑ "The Tower | Interview with Patrick Harbinson (Writer And Executive Producer)". 31 October 2021. Archived from the original on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
    20. 1 2 3 4 5 Kendall, Paul (2 November 2021). "Cop-turned-novelist Kate London on the Met: 'Good officers have to speak up or catastrophe ensues'". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 15 February 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2022 – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
    21. 1 2 3 4 Midgley, Carol (9 November 2021). "The Tower review — an authentic cop drama, but too much mumbling". The Times. Archived from the original on 1 January 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
    22. ↑ Davies, Matilda (8 November 2021). "ITV's The Tower premiere gets mixed reactions from viewers". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 15 February 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
    23. 1 2 Singh, Anita (8 November 2021). "The Tower episode 1, review: why does this drama feel so real? It's all in the anorak". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 15 February 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2022 – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
    24. ↑ Robinson, Abby (11 November 2021). "Will there be a second season of The Tower on ITV?". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 15 February 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
    25. ↑ London, Kate (16 January 2019). "Cutting police homicide teams is the sure sign of a failing society". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 15 February 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
    26. ↑ Smith, Joan (9 August 2015). "Grisly outlines". The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 15 February 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
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