2014 British TV series or programme
| 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 (2014-04-06) – 11 May 2014 (2014-05-11) |
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.
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 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."
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. Dyrham Park appeared in scenes as a French hotel.
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Episode 1" | David Evans | Sarah Phelps | 6 April 2014 (2014-04-06) | 7.83 |
| 2 | "Episode 2" | David Evans | Sarah Phelps | 13 April 2014 (2014-04-13) | 6.89 |
| 3 | "Episode 3" | Richard Clark | Sarah Phelps | 20 April 2014 (2014-04-20) | 6.31 |
| 4 | "Episode 4" | Richard Clark | Sarah Phelps | 27 April 2014 (2014-04-27) | 6.25 |
| 5 | "Episode 5" | Thaddeus O'Sullivan | Sarah Phelps | 4 May 2014 (2014-05-04) | 6.01 |
| 6 | "Episode 6" | Thaddeus O'Sullivan | Sarah Phelps | 11 May 2014 (2014-05-11) | 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. 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.
- ^ "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.
