Jekyll (TV series)

Infobox Television
show_name = Jekyll


caption = The "Jekyll" intertitle.
runtime = 55 min. (approx.)
country = United Kingdom
writer = Steven Moffat
starring = James Nesbitt
Gina Bellman
Denis Lawson
Michelle Ryan
Meera Syal
theme_music_composer = Debbie Wiseman
network = BBC One
producer = Elaine Cameron
Jeffrey Taylor
executive_producer = Steven Moffat
Beryl Vertue
first_aired = 16 June 2007
last_aired = 28 July 2007
num_episodes = 6
imdb_id = 0497298
tv_com_id = 69232

"Jekyll" is a British television drama series produced by Hartswood Films and Stagescreen Productions for BBC One. It was written by Steven Moffat and stars James Nesbitt as Tom Jackman, a modern-day descendant of Dr. Jekyll, who has recently begun transforming into a version of Mr. Hyde (also played by Nesbitt). He uses modern technology in an attempt to keep Hyde in check and the two for a while have a peaceful co-existence until it is revealed that they are the key to a secret-organisation's one-hundred year old plot.

The series is described by its creators as a sequel to the novella "Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde", rather than an adaptation of it, and the Robert Louis Stevenson tale is used within the series as a backstory. The series was first transmitted on BBC One in June and July 2007.

Production

Development

Jeffrey Tayor of Stagescreen Productions intended to make a sequel to the original story and joined with Hartswood Films when Elaine Cameron was scouting for ideas for a supernatural thriller.cite press release |title=Production interviews|publisher= BBC Press Office |date=2007-05-23 |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2007/05_may/23/jekyll_other.shtml |accessdate 2007-07-28] Cameron then approached Steven Moffat for a script, and a six-part series was commissioned by the BBC's Jane Tranter and John Yorke in November 2005. [cite news |author=Staff writer |title=BBC1 updates Jekyll and Hyde|work=Broadcast|date=2005-11-03]
BBC America signed on to provide co-production funding in March 2006. [cite news|first=John|last=Dempsey |title='Hyde' parks at BBC |url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117940582.html?categoryid=19&cs=1 |work=Variety |date=2006-03-29 |accessdate=2007-07-28] Moffat explicitly describes the series as a sequel, rather than an adaptation, stating that the Jekyll of the original story really existed, and Jackman is his "modern-day descendant dealing with the same problems".cite video |people= Moffat, Steven|year=2007 |title= Jekyll: Behind the Scenes |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/check/drama/jekyll/realmedia/backstage?size=16x9&bgc=000000&nbwm=1&bbwm=1&nbram=1&bbram=1
medium=Documentary |publisher= bbc.co.uk]

Casting

James Nesbitt and his agent attended a meeting with Jane Tranter in late 2005 regarding the 2006 series of "Murphy's Law". At the conclusion of the meeting, she offered him a script for "Jekyll", suggesting that he might like the role. Nesbitt took the script role as a way of putting a distance between his previous work.cite video|people= Nesbitt, James|year=2007 |title= An interview with Jekyll star James Nesbitt (Part 1) |url=http://www.bbcamerica.com/content/260/nesbitt.jsp |medium=Documentary |publisher= BBC America] He was announced as Tom Jackman and Hyde on 12 December 2005, [cite press release|title=James Nesbitt to star in Jekyll|publisher=BBC Press Office |date=2005-12-12 |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2005/12_december/13/jekyll.shtml |accessdate=2007-07-28] but filming was not scheduled to begin until September 2006, increasing his anticipation.

Michelle Ryan, known for her long-running role in "EastEnders", was revealed by tabloid newspaper "The Sun" to have been cast as "Jekyll's sultry assistant" (Katherine Reimer) in August 2006.cite news|first= Sara|last= Nathan|title= Zoe's Jekyll & pride |url=http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2001320029-2006370568,,00.html |work=The Sun |date=2006-08-13|accessdate= 2007-07-28 ] Ryan believed herself to be too young for the part, though that aspect had already been written into the character.cite press release|title=Michelle Ryan plays Katherine Reimer |publisher=BBC Press Office |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2007/05_may/23/jekyll_ryan.shtml |date=2007-05-23 |accessdate=2007-07-28] To prepare, she consulted the Royal College of Psychiatry. The same report named "Holby City" actor Denis Lawson as having been cast. Lawson consulted his post-graduate son for information on Syme's job. [cite press release|title=Denis Lawson plays Peter Syme|publisher=BBC Press Office |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2007/05_may/23/jekyll_lawson.shtml |date=2007-05-23 |accessdate=2007-07-28] Gina Bellman had previously appeared in Moffat's successful sitcom "Coupling", and approached her role as if Claire had become caught up in Tom's mid-life crisis, an angle that impressed the producers. [cite press release|title=Gina Bellman plays Claire Jackman|publisher=BBC Press Office|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2007/05_may/23/jekyll_bellman.shtml |date=2007-05-23 |accessdate=2007-07-28] cite video|people= Moffat, Steven|year=2007|title= An interview with Jekyll creator Steven Moffat (Part 1)|url=http://www.bbcamerica.com/content/260/moffet.jsp|medium=Documentary|publisher= BBC America] Meera Syal was attracted to her role because Miranda was not a clichéd private detective and she thought the humour was "fresh". [cite press release|title=Meera Syal plays Miranda|publisher=BBC Press Office|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2007/05_may/23/jekyll_syal.shtml |date=2007-05-23|accessdate=2007-07-28] During the second filming block, Mark Gatiss joined the cast, playing Robert Louis Stevenson in flashback scenes in episode five. [cite press release|title=Mark Gatiss joins James Nesbitt in BBC One's Jekyll|publisher=BBC Press Office|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2006/11_november/16/jekyll.shtml |date=2006-11-16|accessdate=2007-07-28]

Filming

The series was filmed in two blocks of three episodes. The first three were directed by Douglas Mackinnon and the second by Matt Lipsey. Each 55-minute episode was filmed over 12 days and filming commenced in September 2006. Nesbitt spent an hour each day being made up as Hyde; a hairpiece lowered his hairline and prosthetics were added to his chin, nose and ear lobes. He also wore black contact lenses to make Hyde "soulless". cite news|first=Daphne|last=Lockyer|title=Day of the Jekyll|url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article1926482.ece |work=The Times|date=2007-06-16|accessdate=2007-07-28] The transformation itself was never shown on-camera in any of the six episodes. Location filming was done at a private zoo, a large country estate near Henley-on-Thames and in Bognor Regis for some of the scenes whilst on the run and in flashbacks. Filming concluded on 20 December 2006. [cite press release|title=Press Release: Jekyll|publisher=Hartswood Films|url=http://www.hartswoodfilms.co.uk/news/press_jekyll3.html |accessdate=2007-07-28]

Episodes

Characters

*James Nesbitt as Dr. Tom Jackman / Mr. Hyde: The main character of the series, Jackman has a terrible curse. When under extreme stress or panic he will transform into the demonic Mr Hyde. While Jackman is a timid, good-natured and unassuming family man, Hyde is a deranged psychopath with the mind of a child who commits obscene murders and acts of violence for pure fun. However, Hyde is not pure evil, as he does love his alter-ego's wife and children, considering them his family and regarding them as the only people in the world besides himself he cares about. Jackman resents this however. It is revealed in the last episode that whilst Jekyll died a virgin, Jackman is a descendant of one of the many women the original Hyde raped. Jackman however is the only perfect copy and the Hyde gene was originally brought out in him by his proximity to Claire Jackman when he fell in love with her. It is revealed that Hyde was not brought out by a potion but by love. :Hyde seems to possess abilities Jackman does not, such as accelerated healing, extremely powerful telepathy/mind control, increased agility, strength and speed. He also seems to have a kind of race memory and is constantly aware of his body (e.g he can feel his own blood). These powers, combined with his nature, causes him to be called "the Devil" in the last episode. Nesbitt also plays Dr Jekyll in flashback scenes in the fifth episode, and the Jekyll Zombies in the sixth.

*Gina Bellman as Claire Jackman: Tom's wife, Claire deeply loves her husband and children and goes to any lengths to protect them from the evil of Hyde. However, she comes to realise at the climax of the series that Hyde is actually out to protect Claire and her children and the real enemy is Klein & Utterson, resulting in Claire coming to view him as a valuable asset in her and her children's fight for survival.

*Denis Lawson as Peter Syme: The head of Klein & Utterson, Peter Syme was originally the best friend of Jackman but it is revealed halfway through the series that he actually only befriended him because he knew about Hyde, seeking all along to capture him to serve as a pawn in Klein & Utterson's one hundred year old plan; to use Hyde's genetic code to develop a cure for every disease known to humankind. Syme can be ruthless and cold-hearted, but he is not pure evil, justifying his actions in manipulating and capturing Jackman and abducting his wife and children as for "the greater good." He also shows great remorse for his deeds and still likes Jackman as a friend. Despite this he still incapacitates him with nerve gas in the last episode, but the gas fails and Jackman becomes Hyde who kills Syme by exhaling the gas into his body. Hyde does, however, close Syme's eyes as a mark of respect after killing him.

*Michelle Ryan as Katherine Reimer: Katherine is the sultry young assistant to both Tom Jackman/Mr Hyde. In episode two we find out she works for Dr. Jackman's mother and in a short time has fallen for him. He is oblivious to her attraction, although it is mentioned to him multiple times.

*Meera Syal as Miranda Calender: A cunning and driven detective who is determined to establish the origins of Hyde and assist Jackman in finding a cure. She possesses a dry acidic wit and is highly intelligent. She and her assistant are lovers, and expecting a child.

*Paterson Joseph as Benjamin Lennox: One of the heads of Klein & Utterson, Benjamin hides his ruthless, sadistic personality and disregard for human life with a light-hearted, jovial sense of humour, able to laugh and joke even in the darkest of circumstances such as when Hyde throws his bodyguard out of the window and later murders a fully-grown lion. He is arrogant and overconfident and makes a fatal miscalculation in thinking he can use Hyde's affection for Jackman's family to control Hyde.

* Mark Gatiss appeared as Robert Louis Stevenson in the fifth episode.

Reception

James Jackson of "The Times" rated the first episode four out of five stars, calling Nesbitt's performance as Hyde "as entertainingly OTT as a dozen "Doctor Who" villains, with a palpable sense of menace to boot". The conspiracy plot is praised as a storyline that distinguishes this series from other adaptations. [cite news |first=James|last=Jackson |title=Weekend TV |url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article1940955.ece |work=The Times |date=2007-06-18|accessdate=2007-07-28] "The Daily Telegraph"'s Stephen Pile criticised the script for "veering between Hammer horror and larky humour" and for being "cheesy". He also criticised Hyde's gravity-defying hijinks and mistook Michelle Ryan for a model. [cite news |first=Stephen |last=Pile |title=Into the dark world of therapy by TV |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2007/06/23/nosplit/bvtvpile23.xml |work=The Telegraph |date=2007-06-23|accessdate= 2007-07-28] In the same newspaper, James Walton called the first episode a combination of "a good yarn with several nicely thoughtful touches". [cite news |first=James|last=Walton |title=The weekend on television |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2007/06/18/nosplit/bvtv18last.xml |work=The Telegraph |date=2007-06-18|accessdate=2007-07-28] David Cornelius of "DVDTalk" was full of compliments for the series, summing up its review with the statement "six episodes, 300 minutes, not a single one of them wasted. "Jekyll" is this year's finest television event". [ [http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=30395 DVD Talk Review: Jekyll ] ] The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commenting on the series being part of their 2008 line-up, said "This classic horror tale has been given a modern make-over that will leave you on the edge of your seat and begging for more. James Nesbitt is outstanding as the new Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde". [cite web |last=Green |first=Liz |title=ABC TV New Content for 2008 |url=http://www.abc.net.au/corp/pubs/media/s2107829.htm |accessdate=2007-12-03]

Nesbitt was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television for his roles. [http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gELNZF1zNaBdIywnz21zL-mj1hewD8TGKSHO3]

eries information

Broadcast history

"Jekyll" was broadcast on BBC One on Saturday nights from 9 p.m. A two-week break occurred between showings of the third and fourth episodes because Live Earth was broadcast during its timeslot on 7 July. [cite press release|title=Live Earth on the BBC|publisher= BBC Press Office|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2007/06_june/15/liveearth.shtml |date=2007-06-15|accessdate= 2007-07-28] The series began airing on BBC America from 4 August, as part of a "Supernatural Saturday" programming strand. [cite news|first=Kimberly|last=Nordyke|title=BBC America plays new theme|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3i22273eca9c9a74ce6bd223c7be39bf69 |work=Hollywood Reporter|date=2007-04-03|accessdate=2007-07-28] In Australia "Jekyll" began broadcasting on ABC1, Sundays at 8.30 p.m. from 2 March 2008 with a double episode back-to-back each week. In Canada, "Jekyll" began broadcasting on Showcase, beginning at the end of August 2007 and on BBC Canada, Wednesdays at 10:00 PM from 26 March 2008.

Certain edits were made to the United Kingdom broadcasts in order to remove language unsuitable for Saturday night BBC One audiences; for example, a line spoken by Hyde in episode 1 was changed from "Who the fuck is Mr Hyde?" to "Who the hell is Mr Hyde?" [cite video|people=Moffat, Steven|title=Jekyll DVD audio commentary for "Episode 1"|medium=DVD|publisher=Contender Entertainment|date=2007]

DVD release

The BBFC rated all episodes as 15 on 11 June 2007. [British Board of Film Classification (2007-06-11). [http://www.bbfc.co.uk/website/Classified.nsf/0/4C4CD35DD8AF6640802572F70032A4B3 Episode 1] , [http://www.bbfc.co.uk/website/Classified.nsf/0/6506396D8B2A8B9D802572F70032A4BA Episode 2] , [http://www.bbfc.co.uk/website/Classified.nsf/0/F068FA470116A68D802572F70032A4C0 Episode 3] , [http://www.bbfc.co.uk/website/Classified.nsf/0/1DD03E27BF99D5F7802572F70032A4CB Episode 4] , [http://www.bbfc.co.uk/website/Classified.nsf/0/EEB4E2BBC011E977802572F70032A4D2 Episode 5] , [http://www.bbfc.co.uk/website/Classified.nsf/0/42DD29DF1DBBC67A802572F70032A4DA Episode 6] . Retrieved on 2007-07-28.] "Jekyll: Season One" was released for region 2 on 30 July 2007 and includes uncut episodes, cast and crew audio commentaries on episodes 1 and 6, and behind-the-scenes documentaries. [cite web |title= Jekyll - Everyone Has A Dark Side |url=http://www.jekylldvd.com/orderdvd.php |publisher=Contender Entertainment Ltd |accessdate= 2007-07-28] The first Region 1 release occurred in the United States on Sept. 18 [cite web |title= TV Shows on DVD |url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/releaseinfo.cfm?ReleaseID=7010 |publisher= TV Shows on DVD |accessdate=2007-09-05] , although the Region 1 Canadian release was delayed until Oct. 9, following the Canadian broadcast of the series on Showcase, which commenced at the end of August 2007. [cite web |title=Amazon.ca catalogue listing |url=http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B000QXDEH2/imdbca-20/ |publisher=Amazon.ca |accessdate= 2007-09-05]

References

External links

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/jekyll/ "Jekyll"] at bbc.co.uk
* [http://www.hartswoodfilms.co.uk/programmes/dra_jekyll.html "Jekyll"] at Hartswood Films
* [http://www.bbcamerica.com/content/260/index.jsp "Jekyll"] at BBC America
* [http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/series/42294 "Jekyll"] at the British Film Institute