“Fresh
from unmasking a serial killer,
the girls from Bletchley Park —
who
during World War Two specialised in
vital code-breaking —
are hot on the
trail of another enigma when one of
their own is accused of murdering her
lover in the riveting series The Bletchley
Circle...”
AT BLETCHLEY PARK IN 1943, the new German code seemed impossible to break
until gifted Alice Merren (Hattie Morahan: Outnumbered) suddenly sees
a way forward. Some of the most brilliant female minds were called to war service
at the now famous, but then highly secret, government department — and
Alice is one of the smartest.
As supervisor Jean (Julie Graham: Tower Block) leaves the machine hut
where Alice is working, she sees an exchange between her and top scientist John
Richards (Paul McGann), and surmises that the two are having an affair. But
John is being transferred to a top secret location and even his Alice does not
know where it is.
Ten years later in London, Alice calls the Police from John Richards' home.
John has been murdered and Alice refuses to explain what happened and is therefore
charged with killing her lover in the second series of The Bletchley Circle,
the superb ITV drama that is as much a hit with critics as it is with audiences.
“With
a powerful
female-led cast,
The Bletchley Circle
is an exciting and
compulsive post-war
thriller that relentlessly
keeps up the pace...”
When
Jean hears about the incident, she instinctively realises that Alice is innocent;
but why is she so adamant that she will not reveal the circumstances of the
tragedy, and is even prepared to face the death penalty —
even when Jean visits her in prison and offers her help in order to save her
from the hangman's noose.
Convinced there is something Alice is hiding, Jean enlists the help of Susan
(Anna Maxwell Martin: Accused; Tina's Story), Millie (Rachael Stirling:
Salmon Fishing In The Yemen) and Lucy (Sophie Rundle: Great Expectations)
and the friends begin to piece together the clues to the case.
Not for the four friends who'd worked as code-breakers during World War II was
life post-war one of dull drudgery — having established themselves
as crime solvers, they now take on the task of proving Alice's innocence, little
realising that there are dark forces at work in the heart of the military establishment
out to stop them discovering the truth about a tragic accident.
Does John's murder have anything to do with the cuttings he has saved about
the accident on Salisbury Plain in which a driver died and three soldiers were
treated for serious burns as the result of a chemical spillage? And who is the
mysterious young woman called Elizabeth (Faye Marsay) whose life appears to
be in danger?
In the meantime, Susan's husband Timothy (Mark Dexter) has been offered a two-year
posting abroad and is talking about finding a boarding school for their two
children. Not really wanting to be parted from them, Susan drags her heels.
But the pressure is on as Alice only has five days left to live if her sentence
is carried out and the truth about John Richards' murder must be quickly solved.
The second story focuses around Millie, who finds herself out of a job because
of her involvement with Alice's predicament. Desperate for money, she becomes
involved with a racketeer, Jasper (Rob Jarvis), who is a black market dealer
in difficult-to-obtain perfume, cigarettes and nylons.
Millie takes Alice to The Royal Marston Hotel where she cultivates clients,
but when she returns home after leaving Alice she is kidnapped by a Maltese
gang to whom Jasper owes money.
While held prisoner, Millie meets a young woman, Elishka (Edyta Bodik), and
quickly realises that her kidnappers are not only dealing in goods but also
human trafficking, bringing in young girls from Eastern Europe to be forced
into prostitution.
Making a deal with the ruthless Marta (Brana Bajic), who runs the gang and does
not flinch at torture and murder, Millie manages to escape their clutches. But
Jasper is not so lucky and it is becoming apparent that bribery and corruption
leads all the way back to Scotland Yard, where Lucy is now working with Ben
Gladstone (Nick Blood), to whom she is attracted.
As Lucy tries to track down the mole in Scotland Yard, she even begins to suspect
Ben, who is also taking an interest in her. The women once again find themselves
working against the clock and in grave danger to break up Marta's gang and rescue
the innocent girls from their fate.
With a powerful female-led cast, The Bletchley Circle is an exciting
and compulsive post-war thriller that relentlessly keeps up the pace. Hot on
the heels of its television broadcast, the DVD has just been released and includes
a half-hour special taking viewers behind the scenes.
The Bletchley Circle also features: Simon Chandler as Solicitor; Paul Ritter
as Professor Oliver Masters; Richard Huwes as Doctor; Freddie Anness-Lorenz
as Sam; Mabel Watson as Claire; James Weaver as Soldier; Hermione Gulliford
as Anne; David Houslow as DCI Fallow; Iain Stuart Robinson as Tommy; Neal Barry
as Bookie; and Orestes Sophocleous as Lazzru.
Composer is Nick Green; Director of Photography is Adam Suschitzky BSC / Jake
Polonsy; Written and Created by Guy Burt; Produced by Trevor Hopkins; and Directed
by Jamie Payne / Sarah Hardy. Story Consultant is Nick Dean.
*
The
girls are back in town and swinging into action when The Bletchley Circle
Series Two comes to DVD courtesy of Acorn Media in the UK on 27 January
2014.
The DVD is available in High Street DVD Stores; online at ACORNDVD.COM or by
calling ACORN on 0845 123 2312.
The Bletchley Circle Series Two— Catalogue Number: AV3130 |
Running Time: 206 Minutes Approximately on Two Discs | RRP: £17.99.
The Bletchley Circle Series One and Two— Catalogue Number:
AV3138 | Running Time: 367 Minutes Approximately on Three Discs | RRP: £24.99.
"With a powerful female-led cast, The Bletchley Circle is an exciting
and compulsive post-war thriller that relentlessly keeps up the pace"
—Maggie Woods
“Fresh
from unmasking a serial killer,