Guilt (British TV series)

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Guilt
Written byNeil Forsyth
Directed by
  • Robert McKillop
  • Patrick Harkins
Starring
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series2
No. of episodes8
Production
ProducersNeil Forsyth
Neil Webster
Kirstie MacDonald
Jules Hussey
Eric Coulter
Running time60 minutes
Production companiesExpectation Entertainment
Happy Tramp North
BBC Scotland
BBC Studios
DistributorBBC Studios
Release
Original networkBBC Scotland
BBC Two
Original release30 October 2019 (2019-10-30) –
present

Guilt is a Scottish thriller and mystery series, which was the first drama commission of the new BBC Scotland channel and first broadcast there before being broadcast on BBC Two. Written and created by Neil Forsyth, the show initially centres on two brothers, played by Mark Bonnar and Jamie Sives, who get involved in a hit and run, before involving a large number of cast in an ongoing story. The first series of Guilt was broadcast in 2019, and the second series broadcast in the autumn of 2021.[1] The show was a critical hit and was subsequently broadcast around the world including in America (PBS), France (Arte), Australia (BBC First), Sweden (Sveriges Television), Germany (Arte) and South Africa (Showmax).

Cast[]

Production[]

Forsyth was keen to write a show about siblings, which he has called "the most interesting dramatic relationship", and a show with a leitmotif that ran through all the characters, in this case guilt.[2] He spent several years developing the show before finding a home for it at the BBC. Guilt was produced by Happy Tramp North and Expectation Entertainment. It was directed by Robert McKillop.

Guilt became the first drama commission for the new BBC Scotland channel, which premiered the show's episodes a week before UK-wide transmission on BBC Two.

Guilt was shot in Edinburgh and Glasgow. In Edinburgh, locations included Calton Hill and Charlotte Square.[3] In Glasgow, a studio was built at Parkhouse Business Park and other locations included Clydebank Docks, Glasgow Caledonian University, Aberfoyle and the Lanarkshire town of East Kilbride.

A second series of Guilt was confirmed by the BBC in July 2020,[4] and filming began in Scotland in November 2020. [5] New cast members included Phyllis Logan, Sara Vickers, Stuart Bowman and Iain Pirie. The second series was directed by Patrick Harkins.

Plot[]

The show begins with two brothers, Max and Jake, in a car returning from a wedding. When they accidentally run over and kill an elderly man on an Edinburgh street, they make the decision to try to cover up the crime. As the show progresses, the brothers’ difficulties intensify and the story opens up to bring in other characters and storylines, within a narrative theme of guilt.[6]

Reception[]

Guilt received strong viewing figures[6] and a highly positive critical reception. The Times called it, "An absolute cracker",[7] The Observer, "an utter triumph, a word-of-mouth dazzler",[8] with "welcome Coen brothers echoes".[9] The Telegraph called it a "stealth hit"[10] which "felt like Fargo relocated to Leith, or Midnight Run reimagined by Irvine Welsh".[11] The Independent termed it "the unexpected treat of the year”,[12] The Guardian described it as a "darkly delicious tale" that was "fast becoming a word-of-mouth hit",[13] the Radio Times called it "Hitchcockian"[14] and The Herald deemed it the most impressive Scottish small screen debut since the 1987 comedy-drama Tutti Frutti.[6]

The second series was equally well received. The Sunday Times called it "irresistible, just as good as the original",[15] The Herald said it was "among the realms of modern television classics",[16] The Times called it "magnificent, a Scottish Fargo",[17] The Guardian "witty and scintillating",[18] and the Scotsman, "one of Scotland’s most acclaimed television dramas".[19]

Awards[]

The first series of Guilt was nominated for a large number of awards and won 2020 Best Drama at the Scottish BAFTA Awards, the Royal Television Society of Scotland Awards, the Celtic Media Festival, and the Broadcast Digital Awards.[20]

International broadcasts[]

Guilt has been broadcast widely around the world. It was broadcast on BBC First in Australia where The Australian called it "clever, stylish and absorbing".[21] In France it was retitled Petit Meurtre Entre Frères (A Small Murder Between Brothers) by Arte. It was retitled Vår Lilla Hemlighet (Our Little Secret) by SVT in Sweden, where Aftonbladet called it "exemplary television craftsmanship".[22] It was broadcast in South Africa by Showmax. In Germany it was retitled Keiner ist schuld (Nobody Is Guilty) by Arte, where Die Rheinpfalz said "this combination of tragedy and humour is a high art, which succeeds here".

In America, Guilt premiered on the PBS Masterpiece network in September 2021. The New York Times called it "tense but textured" with characters that are "funny and well-drawn" [23] while NPR said Guilt had "a verve that made me think of the TV series Fargo, which I mean as high praise".[24]

Indian version[]

In August 2021, it was announced that Guilt was being remade in Hindi by Applause Entertainment, starring the Indian actors Jaideep Ahlawat and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub.[25]

References[]

  1. ^ "BBC Scotland - Guilt - The real-life 'bromance' behind Guilt began in high school". BBC. Archived from the original on 17 November 2019. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  2. ^ "New BBC drama Guilt". The Herald. Archived from the original on 28 February 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  3. ^ "New BBC drama Guilt starts filming in Edinburgh". The Scotsman.
  4. ^ "Award-winning drama Guilt set to return for a second series on BBC Two and BBC Scotland". BBC. Archived from the original on 8 August 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  5. ^ "New cast confirmed for Guilt as filming begins on the second series of BBC Two and BBC Scotland's multi award-winning drama". BBC. Archived from the original on 1 November 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  6. ^ a b c "Guilt, series one, episode two review". The Herald. Archived from the original on 1 February 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  7. ^ Clay, Joe. "Guilt review". The Times. Archived from the original on 18 January 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  8. ^ "The week in TV". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 16 February 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  9. ^ "The week in TV". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 28 January 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  10. ^ Singh, Anita (20 November 2019). "Guilt, episode four review". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 26 November 2019. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  11. ^ Hogan, Michael (30 October 2019). "Guilt, episode one review". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 14 December 2019. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  12. ^ "Guilt, BBC Two, Review". iNews. Archived from the original on 1 November 2021. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  13. ^ Virtue, Graeme (6 November 2019). "Guilt should be your next binge watch". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 17 November 2019. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  14. ^ "Guilt". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 17 March 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  15. ^ "BBC drama Guilt". The Times. Archived from the original on 26 October 2021. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  16. ^ "New BBC drama Guilt". The Herald. Archived from the original on 30 October 2021. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  17. ^ "BBC drama Guilt". The Times. Archived from the original on 26 October 2021. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  18. ^ "Guilt series 2 review". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 28 October 2021. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  19. ^ "Guilt: Writer Neil Forsyth on bringing back his award-winning Edinburgh thriller series". The Scotsman. Archived from the original on 26 October 2021. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  20. ^ "Guilt-Awards-IMDb". Archived from the original on 19 August 2021. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  21. ^ "Guilty TV pleasure".
  22. ^ "Guilt". Archived from the original on 30 October 2021. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  23. ^ "Guilt review". Archived from the original on 30 October 2021. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  24. ^ "Guilt review: the tension never lets up". Archived from the original on 29 October 2021. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  25. ^ "BBC's Guilt adapted for India by Applause Entertainment". Archived from the original on 28 October 2021. Retrieved 1 November 2021.

External links[]

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