“Moving
into Series 2, one of the best
and most gripping television dramas
heads into the grim and disturbing
world of child abduction and murder,
investigated with dogged determination
by a deeply troubled female detective
in the tense, well-paced and compulsive Marcella...”
STILL SUFFERING DEBILITATING BLACKOUTS five months after the events of the
last series, troubled Detective Sergeant Marcella Backland (International Emmy
award-winning Anna Friel, bringing her character magnificently to life) is called
to a house where a workman has discovered a body hidden behind a wall.
Alarmed to find it is Leo Priestley, her son's friend who went missing four
years before while they were walking home, Marcella begins planning her investigation
with the owner of the neighbouring flat, Reg Reynolds (Nigel Planer: Episodes)
who, with his friend and manager Alan Summers (Keith Allen: Eddie The Eagle),
had lived a hedonistic lifestyle as part of successful band Swiss Coast.
“Marcella,
one of the best and
most gripping
new television dramas;
tense,
well paced and
utterly compulsive...”
It
is not an easy journey for Marcella. Plagued by blackouts and memory loss, she
struggles with life. Her husband Jason (Nicholas Pinnock: Fortitude),
now living with fiancée Becky Marani (Yolanda Kettle), is fighting for custody
of the children, Emma (Imogen Faires) and Edward (Asher Flowers) and plans to
move to Singapore.
During a seizure Marcella believes she assaulted Jason and she attacks Becky,
thinking Edward is being abducted. Her children are suffering and she is to
find out just how low her husband will go.
In the hunt for the killer, Marcella's list of suspects increases. Several children
have disappeared over the last few years and now young Adam Evans (Oaklee Pendergast)
has gone missing.
Another body is found in the boot of a crashed car and the DNA of convicted
paedophile Phil Dawkins (Peter Sullivan: The Borgias) is found in Reynolds'
flat, bringing tragedy to Phil's partner Nina (Amy Dawson). DI Rav Sangha (Ray
Panthaki: One Crazy Thing), a family man, is strongly affected by the
case and sympathises with Marcella.
Arrogant businessman Vince Whitman (Jason Hughes: Three Girls) was the
boxing sponsor to two of the missing boys. His wife Maya (Victoria Smurfit:
One Upon A Time) runs Kids Call, a charity that helps at-risk youngsters,
and is embarrassed by his drink problem.
Marcella has been seeing DCI Tim Williamson (Jamie Bamber: Fearless),
chairman of The Whitman Foundation and a ruthlessly ambitious social climber,
but he becomes involved with Maya.
DC Mark Travis (Jack Doolan: White Gold) is spying on Marcella through
her computer and risks calling for help when Dawkins enters her home while Edward
is alone. Then new and sassy detective DC LeAnne Hunter (Sophia Brown: Beauty
& The Beast) clashes with Marcella.
Marcella begins to recall some of the incidents during her blackouts when she
sees a psychiatrist and, as the hunt for the killer goes on, Vince Whitman comes
under suspicion when a third boy he sponsors, fourteen-year-old Karim (Hakeem
Shamis) also vanishes.
Adam escapes his captor, pursued by the killer. The farmhouse, with a history
of murder and suicide, is traced. Inside are gruesome photos along with discs
bearing ancient symbols. Frustratingly, neighbour Nigel Stafford (Andrew Tiernan)
is uncooperative.
Edward, meanwhile, is acting oddly and girlfriend Samantha Colletti (Lara Decaro)
drops him. Some new developments come from her paralysed uncle Joel (David Proud),
who communicates only with carer Gail Davidson (Harriet Cains: Line of Duty).
A child killer is on the loose and children are disappearing. Marcella will
bring to her investigation her usual unflinching and relentless drive for justice,
pushing out the boundaries, regardless of any emotional fall-out in Marcella,
one of the best and most gripping new television dramas — tense, well paced
and truly compulsive.
Marcella is an 8-episode British Nordic-Noir style detective series first
broadcast on ITV on 4 April, 2016. Locations were in London and the Port of
Dover. Episodes can be streamed after their ITV broadcast on Netflix outside
the UK. Critically acclaimed, series one was released on DVD via Universal Pictures
UK in 2016 and Anna Friel was awarded the International Emmy Award for Best
Actress for her performance in Marcella.
Marcella also features: Nina Sosanya as DCI Laura Porter; Michelle Terry
as Jane Colletti; Josh Herdman (Harry Potter) as Eric Davidson; Victoria Broom
as Sascha; and Tamzin Malleson as Jojo.
Series Music is By Lorne Balfe; Cinematography is by Kate Reid, Maja Zamojda
and Adam Suschitzky; Producer is Ann Harrison-Baxter; Written, Produced and
Directed by internationally-renowned Swedish screenwriter and novelist Han Rosenfeldt
(The Bridge).
*
Following
on from the first, critically acclaimed series and a run on ITV, the darker-than-dark
Scandi-Noir style drama Marcella Series Two is released on DVD in the
UK by Acorn Media International on 16 April 2018, alongside Marcella
Series One and Two Box Set.
Marcella Series Two DVD — Certificate: 15 | Running Time: 8 x 50
Approximately on Two Discs | Catalogue Number AV3464 RRP: £24.99.
Marcella Series One and Two DVD Box Set — Certificate: 15 | Running
Time: 16 x 50 Minutes Approximately on Four Discs | Catalogue Number AV3465
RRP: £34.99.
"Marcella, one of the best and most gripping new television dramas; tense,
well paced and utterly compulsive" — Maggie Woods, MotorBar
"Grim but gripping from the start" — Mail on Sunday
"Fasten your seat-belts; it's going to be a bumpy ride" — The Observer
"A gripping British take on Scandi-Noir" — The Mirror
"Anna Friel… one of the most watchable actresses on telly" — Sunday
Mirror
“Moving
into Series 2, one of the best