| Gunpowder | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Period drama Thriller |
| Developed by |
|
| Written by | |
| Directed by | J Blakeson |
| Starring |
|
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 3 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producer | Laurie Borg |
| Cinematography | Philipp Blaubach |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production company | Kudos |
| Original release | |
| Network | BBC One |
| Release | 21 October (2017-10-21) – 4 November 2017 (2017-11-04) |
Gunpowder is a British three-part televisionhistorical drama produced byKudos andKit Harington's Thriker Films forBBC One. The three-part drama premiered on BBC One in the United Kingdom on 21 October 2017 and onHBO in the United States on 18 December 2017.[1]
The series was developed byRonan Bennett, Kit Harington, and Daniel West and is based on theGunpowder Plot in London in 1605. It stars Harington, who is a direct descendant of his characterRobert Catesby.[2]J Blakeson directed the series.[3]
In February 2017, the BBC orderedGunpowder, then announced the three-part drama series was to be developed byRonan Bennett,Kit Harington, and Daniel West; written by Ronan Bennett; and produced byKudos. The series stars Kit Harington,Peter Mullan,Mark Gatiss, andLiv Tyler, and is directed byJ Blakeson.[4] Filming started in late February 2017.[5]
Filming locations included theNational Trust'sEast Riddlesden Hall andFountains Abbey, alongside popular visitor attractions such asOakwell Hall;Ripley Castle;Haddon Hall;Kirkstall Abbey;Bolton Abbey;Lendal Bridge in York City Centre; andIlkley Moor.Beverley Minster depicted the regal splendour of thePalace of Westminster.[6]
All three episodes were available on the BBC iPlayer following the terrestrial broadcast of the first episode.[7]
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | UK viewers (millions) [8] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Episode 1" | J Blakeson | Ronan Bennett | 21 October 2017 (2017-10-21) | 9.33 | |
It is 1603, and as England wars with Spain and the bloody persecution of Catholics intensifies, a young nobleman resolves to avenge his kin and defend his faith by any means necessary.[9] | ||||||
| 2 | "Episode 2" | J Blakeson | Ronan Bennett | 28 October 2017 (2017-10-28) | 7.49 | |
As the king's network of spies close in on them,Catesby andWintour attempt to raise an army for their plot across mainland Europe. Returning to London withGuy Fawkes in tow, Catesby assembles his gang of plotters for the first time. They know they must act fast, and the plan is formed—they will strike next week, 5 November, at the opening of Parliament.[10] | ||||||
| 3 | "Episode 3" | J Blakeson | Ronan Bennett | 4 November 2017 (2017-11-04) | 5.25 | |
Gunpowder premiered onBBC One in the United Kingdom on 21 October 2017.[4]The series premiered in theUnited States onHBO on 18 December 2017.[12]
On thereview aggregatorRotten Tomatoes, the series has an approval rating of 72% based on 25 reviews, with anaverage rating of 7.25/10.[13] OnMetacritic, which assigns a normalised rating, the series has a score 63 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "generally favourable reviews".[14]
The initial reaction to the first episode was mired with complaints from viewers about the depicted scenes of torture, nudity, and disembowelment despite the broadcast time being 10 minutes after thewatershed of 9 pm. In response to complaints, the BBC said: "The scenes aired after 9.30pm with a clear warning given to viewers before the episode started. The methods depicted are grounded in historical fact and reflect what took place during the time of the Gunpowder Plot." It was described as 'a very good drama' by other viewers.[15]
