Summer of Rockets
| Summer of Rockets | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Drama |
| Screenplay by | Stephen Poliakoff |
| Directed by | Stephen Poliakoff |
| Starring | |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Production locations | |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production company | Little Island Productions |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC Two BBC Two HD |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original release | 22 May – 26 June 2019 |
Summer of Rockets is a six-episode British Cold War television miniseries, which premiered on BBC Two in the United Kingdom on 22 May 2019. The series was written and directed by Stephen Poliakoff and stars Keeley Hawes, Linus Roache, Timothy Spall and Toby Stephens.[1] It is a semi-autobiographical story based on Poliakoff's childhood and his father, Alexander Poliakoff.[2]
Plot[]
Samuel Petrukhin, a Russian-born Jewish inventor living in England, is given a secret mission by MI5. Samuel, who specialises in the development of hearing aids, is asked to use his expertise to contribute to western Cold War efforts. Following the tensions of the Space Race and the first hydrogen bomb test, Samuel's work plays a part in the emergence of the modern world.
Cast[]
- Toby Stephens as Samuel Petrukhin[1][3][4]
- Keeley Hawes as Kathleen Shaw[1][3][4]
- Timothy Spall as Lord Arthur Wallington[1][3][4]
- Linus Roache as Richard Shaw MP[1][3][4]
- Lily Sacofsky as Hannah Petrukhin[1][4]
- Toby Woolf as Sasha Petrukhin[1][4]
- Lucy Cohu as Miriam Petrukhin[1][4]
- Gary Beadle as Courtney Johnson[1][4]
- Mark Bonnar as Field[1][4]
- Suanne Braun as Matron Jeffry
- Ronald Pickup as Walter[1][4]
- Rose Ayling-Ellis as Esther[1][4]
- Greg Austin as Anthony Shaw[1][5]
- Jordan Coulson[1] as Kevin
- Matthew James Thomas[1] as Nicolas Halliday
- Fode Simbo[1] as Joel
- Claire Bloom as Aunt Mary
- Leo Staar as Denning
- Adrian Edmondson as Max Dennis
Episodes[]
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date [6] | UK viewers (millions) [7] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Episode 1" | Stephen Poliakoff | Stephen Poliakoff | 22 May 2019 | 2.76 | |
| In the summer of 1958, hearing-aid manufacturer Samuel Petrukhin is preparing to launch his revolutionary new invention. When his son goes missing on a day out at the horse races, he meets the mysterious Shaw family for the first time. | ||||||
| 2 | "Episode 2" | Stephen Poliakoff | Stephen Poliakoff | 29 May 2019 | 1.99 | |
| 3 | "Episode 3" | Stephen Poliakoff | Stephen Poliakoff | 5 June 2019 | 1.74 | |
| 4 | "Episode 4" | Stephen Poliakoff | Stephen Poliakoff | 12 June 2019 | 1.83 | |
| 5 | "Episode 5" | Stephen Poliakoff | Stephen Poliakoff | 19 June 2019 | 1.52 | |
| 6 | "Episode 6" | Stephen Poliakoff | Stephen Poliakoff | 26 June 2019 | 1.38 | |
Production[]
Development[]
Summer of Rockets was originally announced in May 2017 alongside two other BBC commissions, which were 2017's Little Women and 2018's A Very English Scandal.[8] In May 2018, Keeley Hawes, Toby Stephens, Timothy Spall and Linus Roache were announced as joining the project.[1]
Filming[]
Filming began in Oxford and in London in May 2018.[1] Filming also took place in Stevenage, Hertfordshire in July 2018 at Benington Lordship, and at Reddam House, Berkshire in August.[9] Filming also took place at The Royal Masonic School for Girls in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire in August 2018 and at the former RAF Upper Heyford air base in Oxfordshire.
The streets outside the Ropery at the Chatham Dockyard in Kent were used to film the 1950s civil defence exercise in the series and the upper floors of the Ropery itself featured as civil defence training rooms.[10]
Reception[]
Writing for The Guardian, Emine Saner gave it four stars out of five.[11] The Times gave it three stars out of five, praising the production but found it inconsistently engaging.[12] The Evening Standard, reviewing the first episode, found the drama 'hammy' but complimented the acting and mystery.[13]
References[]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r "BBC - BBC Two announces Toby Stephens, Keeley Hawes, Linus Roache and Timothy Spall lead cast of Stephen Poliakoff's Summer Of Rockets - Media Centre". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
- ^ Saner, Emine (22 May 2019). "Summer of Rockets review – Poliakoff has pulled it off at last!". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
- ^ a b c d "Summer Of Rockets: Keeley Hawes and more confirmed for new BBC drama". Den of Geek. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Keeley Hawes and Toby Stephens to lead new BBC Cold War drama". Radio Times. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
- ^ "Greg Austin plays Anthony Shaw in the new Stephen Poliakoff drama 'Summer of Rockets' for BBC two". www.jonathanarun.com. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
- ^ "Summer of Rockets – Listings". The Futon Critic. Retrieved May 30, 2019.
- ^ "Four Screen Dashboard". BARB. See relevant channel and week(s). Retrieved 14 May 2019.
- ^ "Stephen Poliakoff is back on BBC2 with Summer of Rockets". Radio Times. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
- ^ McEvoy, Louise (2 July 2018). "BBC crews spotted filming new drama Summer of Rockets in Benington and Watton-at-Stone". The Comet. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
- ^ "Kent Film Office Summer of Rockets Article". Kent Film Office.
- ^ "Summer of Rockets review – Poliakoff has pulled it off at last!". TheGuardian.com. 22 May 2019.
- ^ Midgley, Carol. "Summer of Rockets review — a slow start, but this drama could be a blast".
- ^ "Mysterious threads and Russian spies in thriller Summer of Rockets". 22 May 2019.
External links[]
- 2010s British drama television series
- 2019 British television series debuts
- 2019 British television series endings
- 2010s British television miniseries
- BBC television dramas
- English-language television shows
- Television series set in the 1950s
- Television series set in 1958
- Television shows set in the United Kingdom