Suranne Jones stars in the tense murder mystery (Picture: BBC)
The BBC is bringing us a treat in just a few days’ time in the form of tense, claustrophic drama Vigil, first teased on TV back in May, straight after the finale of Line of Duty series six.
The six-parter, starring Suranne Jones and Martin Compston, focuses on a death on board the titular Trident nuclear submarine which coincides with a Scottish fishing trawler going missing.
As the Royal Navy and British security services come into conflict, the HMS Vigil has to stay on patrol, meaning DCI Amy Silva (Suranne Jones) must board and investigate within the confines of the submarine.
The death is initially written off as an overdose but DCI Silva suspects foul play, and the suspicious behaviour of the close knit crew does little to change her mind.
Created by the the makers of Line of Duty and Bodyguard, the trailer promises it will be equally edge-of-your-seat stuff.
So when do we get to see it?
When does Vigil start on TV?
A heated moment kicks off for Martin Compston on board HMS Vigil (Picture: BBC)
There’s not long to wait until episode two, which goes out the following day, Bank Holiday Monday, at 9pm on BBC One.
The remaining four episodes will air weekly on Sunday night; same time, same place.
Who is in the cast of Vigil? Suranne Jones. Martin Compston and more
Rose Leslie and Gary Lewis also star (Picture: BBC)
There is a wealth of talent in the Vigil cast joining Doctor Foster star Suranne and the Line of Duty actor.
Game of Thrones star Rose Leslie plays DCI Silva’s colleague DS Kirsten Longacre, while the cast also features Shaun Evans (Endeavour), Anjli Mohindra (Bodyguard), Connor Swindells (Sex Education), Adam James (Doctor Foster), Gary Lewis (Outlander), Stephen Dillane (Game of Thrones), Lolita Chakrabarti (Criminal: UK), Daniel Portman (another Game of Thrones alum), Lorne MacFadyen (Grantchester) and Lauren Lyle (Outlander).
Is there a Vigil trailer?
There certainly is.
We’re ready.
The drama, set in Scotland, is written by Tom Edge with episodes by Ed Macdonald and Chandni Lakhani.
Vigil starts Sunday 29 at 9pm on BBC One.
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Suranne Jones, Rose Leslie and Martin Compston lead the cast of this thriller about a murder on a submarine.
Outlander fans would have been buzzing to spot Lauren in the promo clips released by the BBC, although not much is known about her role and the actress was good at keeping her lips sealed about any finer details.
We do know she plays Jade, a ‘quietly dangerous’ type, according to the actress who ‘risks her life for what she believes in’.
‘My character lives in a very dangerous mindset and has a strong sense of self, so that was really exciting,’ Lauren told Metro.co.uk.
‘I would consider myself to have that trait, standing up for what I believe in. I can’t give too much away but there were definitely passionate elements to her. She drives for what she wants and she’s incredibly brave. She holds a lot of information and secrets and she’s a lone ranger with quiet power.
‘Jade’s tricky. She has to be really smart and quietly dangerous. I could relate to that as I’m the youngest in my family. I’m the only girl and the youngest of so I had to be quite quick and sneaky and stand up for myself!’
Jade is ‘a lone ranger with quiet power’ (Picture: BBC)
The six part series focuses on a death on board the titular Trident nuclear submarine which coincides with a Scottish fishing trawler going missing.
As the Royal Navy and British security services come into conflict, the HMS Vigil has to stay on patrol, meaning DCI Amy Silva (Jones) must board and investigate within the confines of the submarine.
The death is initially written off as an overdose but DCI Silva suspects foul play, and the suspicious behaviour of the close knit crew does little to change her mind.
How does starring in such a contained drama compare to the world of Outlander? No corsets, as worn by her headstrong character Marsali, was a very big plus.
‘Being able to wear a pair of jeans was really cool,’ Lauren laughed.
Lauren in Outlander with César Domboy (Picture: Starz)
‘I vividly remember someone on Outlander saying to me, “What do you want to do after this season finishes?” I said, “I just want to do something where I can look quite rough, or where someone’s not coming in and having to perfect my hair every second.”
‘Jade doesn’t get to have a shower every day and she wears combat boots.’
Although she was worlds away from the Outlander realm, there was one familiar face on set – her Marsali stunt double.
‘She is Rose [Leslie]’s stunt double in Vigil and I had someone else, but it was really cool to work together again on this,’ the Karen Pirie star revealed.
Vigil starts Sunday at 9pm on BBC One with episode two on Monday at 9pm on BBC One.
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However, it wasn’t long before his character suffered a shocking fate.
In scenes that completely took viewers by surprise, Martin’s character Craig Burke – a crew member on the submarine HMS Vigil – died after suffering a supposed drug overdose in the opening five minutes.
While it was ruled that Craig died after snorting heroin, Suranne Jones’ character DCI Silva is determined to discover the real truth.
Martin, known for playing DI Steve Arnott in Line of Duty, is one of the biggest starts in the new series.
Viewers were left completely astonished by Craig’s death, voicing their disbelief online.
Taking to social media, fans voiced their shock and surprise at the early development.
‘He can’t be dead already!’ one said.
‘Well that was a short role for Martin Compston,’ another quipped.
One viewer cried out in their tweet: ‘I swear to god, if you’ve killed off my man I will not be happy!!!’
It’s now up to DCI Silva to discover what really happened to Martin’s character, after heading down into the submarine herself to investigate.
We have so many questions after the first episode, with so much to be uncovered in the forthcoming five episodes.
Suranne and Martin are joined in the cast by the likes of Game of Thrones’ Rose Leslie, who stars as DCI Silva’s partner and fellow copper Kirsten Longacre.
Paterson Joseph of Peep Show also plays submarine commander Newsome alongside Lauren Lyle, Adam James and Stephen Dillane.
Vigil continues on Monday at 9pm on BBC One.
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The gripping new drama from the creators of Line of Duty stars Suranne Jones as a DCI Silva, who is tasked with investigating the suspicious death of a submarine crew member (played by Martin Compston).
Game of Thrones’ Rose Leslie also stars as DCI Silva’s partner and fellow copper Kirsten Longacre, who is back on dry land trying to put the pieces together in the intriguing murder mystery.
Paterson Joseph of Peep Show is excellent as sinister submarine commander Newsome, while Lauren Lyle, Adam James and Stephen Dillane also appear.
The first episode was as claustrophobic and tense as you could imagine, with plenty of murky waters yet to be explored.
It promised much for the rest of the six-part series and also left us with plenty of unanswered questions.
Here’s what we need to know after episode one.
What really happened to Martin Compston’s character?
The twist in episode one left viewers shocked (Picture: BBC)
The big question, of course, is what happened to submarine crew member Craig Burke. It was just minutes into the first episode when Craig flagged a disturbance to his commanding officer which turned out to be a fishing boat being dragged to the ocean floor after getting its line caught. Moments later, after having his comments dismissed, he was found dead following a supposed drugs overdose.
One person who isn’t convinced by the ruling is DCI Silva, who quickly deems he was murdered. But what really happened to Craig, and will the DCI be able to prove he was killed?
What happened to DCI Silva’s family?
Suranne Jones stars in the tense murder mystery (Picture: BBC)
There’s more to DCI Silva than meets the eye, and an episode in her past threatened to put her investigation at risk during episode one.
While she’s currently living with partner Kirsten, viewers were shown flashbacks of times spent together with a male figure and children. There’s also the suggestion of a car crash, with the family hurtling towards open water. The experience has left the DCI with a fear of confined spaces and she was left fighting off a panic attack during her first night on the HMS Vigil.
Will her past experiences come to the surface in later episodes? And will it impact her investigation? Only time will tell.
Is there really an enemy submarine?
Remember that fishing boat we saw plummeting to the sea bed in the opening scene? As it turns out, it might not have been the HMS Vigil it was attached to at all, but an enemy boat.
When questioned by DCI Silva, Commander Newsome said that another craft is tracking them through the North Sea, which he described as utterly ‘terrifying’.
While DCI Silva protests that the boat is ‘not at war’, Newsome assures her that there is conflict around every corner. But should we believe him? Or is it a distraction, aimed to put her off the truth?
What triggered the reactor shutdown?
DCI Silva is on the hunt for answers (Picture: BBC/World Productions)
As if the first episode wasn’t tense enough, the HMS Vigil suffered a ‘complete reactor shutdown’ in the closing moments of the episode. It sparked panic on the boat, and as things ended viewers were left in the dark about its impact.
Will the crew make it out unscathed? And what triggered the shutdown in the first place?
What did the video message say?
He might be dead, but that didn’t stop Martin Compston’s Craig from speaking beyond the grave. Kirsten discovered a video message from the deceased crew member, which saw him speak ominously about ‘corruption and fear’ onboard the boat.
‘There are 20 ways you could kill the crew of a submarine crew,’ he adds, before hinting at a grand conspiracy that could go right to the heart of the armed forces.
Is his death about more than just one man? Is there far more to be uncovered in the case? Or is it all just the ramblings of a paranoid substance abuser? We can’t wait until Monday’s episode to find out more.
Vigil continues on Monday at 9pm on BBC One.
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Suranne Jones leads the stellar cast of the new series (Picture: BBC – Getty)
*Warning contains spoilers for Vigil episode 1*
The creators of Line of Duty are back with a taut new drama, Vigil, and Sunday nights just got interesting again.
It’s set up to be the unmissable TV event of the next six weeks, with a stellar cast and expert hands behind the camera pulling the strings, and if it keeps up the inexhaustible pace of episode one then viewers will be requiring treatment for whiplash by the time it’s done.
There are more twists packed into the first five minutes of Vigil’s first episode than most dramas would attempt in an entire series. It’s audacious stuff, as the opening scene follows a fishing boat as it’s dragged to the depths of the sea, having accidentally caught a whopper and snagged their net on a submarine.
We’re then briefly introduced to Martin Compston’s submarine crew member Craig Burke as he raises the alarm – only to see him drop dead moments later in scenes that will leave Line of Duty fans spitting out their post-roast dinner cup of tea.
Step in Suranne Jones as DCI Amy Silva, who’s tasked with heading into the bowels of nuclear submarine HMS Vigil to investigate the death.
While we’re told that it was an accidental heroin overdose that finished Craig off, it’s up to her to find the truth. She quickly determines he was murdered, and sets off to prove it. Just like that, we have a murder mystery set 1,000 leagues under the sea on our hands. Like the fishing crew dragged to the sea bed, we’re well and truly hooked.
Seeing Suranne’s name attached to a new drama these days is as reassuring as a comfy pair of slippers. She leads the cast of the gripping first instalment with serene authority, with her character dealing with past trauma that leaves her vulnerable to tight spaces – what are the chances, hey?
She’s surrounded by strong performers. Game of Thrones’ Rose Leslie brings steely determination to DCI Silva’s partner and fellow copper Kirsten Longacre, who is on the hunt for answers back on dry land. Paterson Joseph of Peep Show fame is also given plenty to sink his teeth into as sinister submarine commander Newsome.
Martin Compston takes on his biggest role since playing DCI Steve Arnott in Line of Duty series six (Picture: BBC)
As you’d expect from a drama set on a submarine, the unique setting helps ramp up the tension and sense of unease. Despite it being ‘as long as two football pitches and as tall as four double deckers’ the show manages to make HMS Vigil feel intoxicatingly claustrophobic and packed with an eerie atmosphere. While comparisons with 1981 war epic Das Boot are inevitable, the dingy corridors are more reminiscent of the interiors of the space tug Nostromo from Alien – never a bad thing.
It might be tense, even uncomfortable at times to spend time with DCI Silva onboard, but it’s a testament to the achievements of those involved that we’re counting down the hours until we can do it all over again.
The verdict:
The first two episodes fly by without wasting a second, with strong performances all round and quality at every turn. We can’t wait to be dragged down to its murky depths all over again next week.
Vigil continues on Monday at 9pm on BBC One.
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*Warning: This article contains spoilers for Vigil, episode one.
A former submarine captain has praised BBC One’s gripping new thriller Vigil, but revealed the one major inaccuracy about living on an underwater warship.
Vigil follows DCI SIlva (Jones) investigating Burke’s murder as she spends three days on board the vessel, with very little cooperation from the submarine’s commander and his crew.
Appearing on Monday’s BBC Breakfast, Ryan Ramsey, who was the captain of the nuclear submarine HMS Turbulent between 2008 and 2011, is a big fan of the series so far, but explained what it didn’t quite capture about submarine life.
‘What you can’t portray in many series is the claustrophobia, the sense of abnormal living and the submarines are the first and last line of defence for the United Kingdom, they operate in a void less explored than space,’ he said.
Suranne Jones is already magnificent in BBC’s Vigil (Picture: BBC)
How accurate is Vigil? If anyone knows its a former submarine captain (Picture: BBC)
‘It’s an incredible experience very difficult to recreate in a drama.’
Naturally, capturing the condensed space on a TV drama with a huge cast and crew presents its challenges, but Ramsey – who was on board an 84 meter boat with 130 crew and 94 bunk beds – added: ‘You could almost lower the ceilings to start with effectively, there’s just not as much space as you see there.’
He continued: ‘You can’t hide a second with a space that small and a crew that size.’
After the death of Burke and endless suspicious characters aboard the HMS Vigil, obviously we have plenty of questions going in to episode two.
Vigil continues tonight at 9pm on BBC One.
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Rose Leslie in Vigil (Credits: BBC/World Productions)
Last night saw BBC’s latest Sunday night drama Vigil come to screen after, with many well-known faces appearing in roles in the action-packed hour of television.
Suranne Jones as DCI Amy Silva, who is sent on an undercover mission to HMS Vigil to try and get to the bottom of a mysterious death of one of its crew.
Since then, she’s been heralded by many as one of the Queens of British drama, having appeared in a multitude of fantastic shows.
In recent years, she’s starred as the leading lady Gemma Foster, in hit series Doctor Foster as well as Anne Lister in Gentleman Jack, with the latter having filmed its second season last year.
She’s also had roles in Save Me, Vanity Fair and as Sergeant Rachel Bailey in ITV police drama, Scott and Bailey.
Connor Swindells
Fans will recognise Connor from his role as Adam Groff in Sex Education (Picture: Sam Taylor/Netflix)
Many fans of comedy Sex Education will have instantly recognised Connor when he popped up in Vigil last night as Lieutenant Simon Hadlow.
Connor’s alter-ego Adam is the bully of the school-based series, who has a difficult relationship with his father as well as coming to terms with his sexuality.
The 24-year-old has also featured in period comedy-drama film Emma, alongside Anya Taylor-Joy.
Paterson Joseph
Paterson appeared in Noughts + Crosses earlier this year on BBC One (Picture Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)
Paterson’s latest role as stern Captain Neil Newsome in Vigil is a far cry away from his most recognisable acting stint as Alan Johnson in Peep Show.
The actor stayed in the recurring role opposite Robert Webb and David Mitchell in the Channel 4 series between 2003 and 2015.
He also played the part of Prime Minister Kamal Hadley in the series of Noughts + Crosses in 2020 and appeared in an episode of the most recent series of Inside No. 9 earlier this year.
Martin Compston
Martin Compston’s character didn’t last long in Vigil… (Picture: BBC/World Productions)
Those watching were shocked to see him meet his maker less than 10 minutes into the drama.
But it’s not the first time Compston’s been right in the centre of action, having made a name for himself as DS Steve Arnott in Line of Duty – which aired its sixth season earlier this summer.
He also had a major role in BBC’s acclaimed drama, The Nest, opposite Peaky Blinders actress Sophie Rundle.
The pair played a wealthy married couple who were desperate to have a baby and prepared to go to very unconventional lengths to do so.
Rose Leslie
Rosie Leslie plays Kirsten Longacre in the drama (Picture: BBC)
Rose Leslie is first came to the attention of UK audiences when she played Ygritte in Game of Thrones and famously told Jon Snow (Kit Harington): ‘You know nothing Jon Snow.’
In Vigil, Rose stars as Kirsten Longacre, who is working together with DCI Silva on the investigation into Burke’s death and was seen making risky moves at the end of the first tense episode.
The Scottish actress has also starred in Luther as DS Emma Lane and as Gwen Dawson in much-loved period drama Downton Abbey.
She married her former Game of Thrones co-star Kit in 2018 and the pair had a son together earlier this year.
Anjli Mohindra
Mohindra starred as ACC Lydia Price in Wild Bill back in 2014 (Credits: ITV/Rex/Shutterstock)
Anjli is currently starring as Surgeon Lieutenant Tiffany ‘Doc Doc’ Docherty in Vigil, where she quickly seemed to have built up trust with DCI Silva in episode one.
But Aljli will be recognisable to some viewers for her role as Rani Chandra in Doctor Who spin-off series, The Sarah Jane Adventures, between 2008 and 2011.
She popped up in Doctor Who again last year in a very different role, playing Queen Skithra in episode ‘Nikola Tesla’s Night of Terror.’
The actress is no stranger to drama having had a role in Jed Mercurio’s crime thriller, Bodyguard, where she starred as Nadia Ali.
Shaun Evans
Shaun Evans in Endeavour (Picture: ITV/Rex/Shutterstock)
Shaun Evans stars as Chief Petty Officer Elliot Grover, with the character describing himself as a ‘walking HR department’ in last night’s opener – planting the seeds he will be key to the rest of the series.
He is best known for his time portraying the titular role of Sergeant Endeavour Morse, in the long-running ITV drama, Endeavour, which is the prequel to Inspector Morse.
The show will return for an eighth season later this year, taking place in 1971.
Shaun’s also featured in roles on programmes such as Whitechapel, Ashes to Ashes and Silk in recent years.
Adam James
Adam James at a premiere for Belgravia (Picture: Anthony Harvey/Rex/Shutterstock)
Eagle-eyed fans who love a BBC drama or two may have noticed it’s not the first time Suranne and Shaun have met on-screen.
Shaun also had a role in Doctor Foster playing cheating husband Neil Baker – who was interested in Suranne’s character Gemma – opposite Victoria Hamilton, who starred as his wife Anna.
He reprised this role in spin-off drama Life, which aired earlier this year, which sees him reunite with his alcoholic ex-wife, who now goes by the name of Belle.
Adam appeared in four episodes of Michaela Coel’s drama series I May Destroy You as Julian last year and in Belgravia.
Vigil continues tonight at 9pm on BBC One.
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Metro.co.uk sat down with former submariner David Lovell, who served in the Royal Navy for 23 years on both SSBNs (ship submersible ballistic nuclear boats, like HMS Vigil) and SSNs (submersible ship nuclear boats, without nuclear missiles, also known as hunter-killers), reaching the rank of lieutenant commander, which put him as second in command (or ‘XO’) on a boat – just like Adam James’ Lt Cdr Mark Prentice last night.
Although on the topic of Prentice, Lovell would like you to know, no matter how true, ‘the CO [commanding officer] would not call his XO a pr*ck in front of the Coxswain or any other crew member – it’s not good for morale or crew cohesion’.
Sharing his personal view as someone who served on two of the four nuclear submarines that were the predecessor to today’s Vanguard class, carrying the Polaris nuclear missile, Lovell recognises that there are, of course, plenty of situations created in Vigil with a large dollop of artistic licence to propel the drama.
But, alongside Chief Petty Officer Burke’s (Compston) attitude as he questions the CO, and the submarine being depicted as ‘very spacious’, what other inaccuracies stuck out to him? And what did the show reflect realistically?
Surfacing the submarine and breaking radio silence
Suranne Jones’ entrance defeated the point of HMS Vigil’s undetected patrol (Picture: BBC)
‘The primary aim of the vessel, whilst on patrol, is to remain undetected. Undetected by any – hostile or friendly – ship, submarine, aircraft, radar, sonar, non-acoustic system, satellite, passing yacht or cargo vessel. Nothing,’ Lovell explains.
Regarding the episode’s opening scenes, it’s also unrealistic an SSBN would be in waters where fishing vessels operate, as these are relatively shallow and confined waters and ‘not ideal for a massive submarine that wants to stay hidden’, as Lovell puts it.
However, trawlers have been dragged before.
‘The dragging under of a fishing vessel by a submarine is realistic. These incidents have occurred, and the programme makes mention of the trawler Antares, which is a true event.’ [In November 1990, the crew of the trawler Antares died when HMS Trenchant snagged its nets in the Bute Sound, off the west coast of Scotland, during a submarine command exercise.]
But the commander’s choice to both surface and transmit over a death onboard rather than the fishing vessel incident and possible linked tracking submarine is a real sticking point for Lovell.
Martin Compston’s Chief Petty Officer Burke would not have questioned his superior officers in such a way (Picture: BBC)
‘To suggest an SSBN, apparently on patrol, witnesses the event and then conducts a helicopter transfer in broad daylight and transmits two radio messages in the knowledge that an enemy submarine might be around is laughable – at least to all submariners.
‘If the SSBN is compromised, then the nuclear deterrent is compromised.’
He goes on to explain his main issue with the premise of Vigil: ‘This this is where it all sort of falls over, because the captain of this SSBN has broken patrol etiquette by transmitting, so he obviously thinks it’s important enough. He decides to transmit and tell them about the death, but he doesn’t give any indication of this incident with the fishing vessel that they have detected, and he’s concerned that he may be being tracked by another submarine.
‘Now, if you’re going to transmit, you might as well tell them everything you know. Because otherwise, you’ve got to go back and transmit again!’
A death vs HMS Vigil’s patrol
For HMS Vigil, of utmost importance is its patrol (Picture: BBC)
Vigil shows the clash between DCI Silva (Suranne Jones) attempting to investigate a possible murder and inspect a crime scene, and the boat continuing with its patrol.
Murder or not, as Lovell puts it: ‘You don’t just return to port for that sort of thing.’
So Cmdr Newsome’s (Paterson Joseph) resistance is entirely plausible.
He continues: ‘Of course he’s bothered by the death of his crew member, but his priority is to remain undetected and get the patrol done, and the fact that he’s going to be counter-detected is a big deal for him, a much bigger priority than the investigation of a death on board.’
And the letter of last resort Newsome mentions from the Prime Minister, which is on board each of the Royal Navy’s four Vanguard-class nuclear submarines?
‘Nobody actually knows what the contents say,’ reveals Lovell. ‘But Boris will have written a letter – every PM does – to say what he wishes the CO to do in the event that London’s nuked and there’s no communication.’
You would keep a body in the freezer
Sorry Martin/Burke, but we hope you’d understand (Picture: BBC/World Productions)
So what would happen if someone died while on patrol, which generally last around three months? The correct answer was briefly alluded to in Vigil.
‘In my days it was highly unlikely that a death would have required the submarine to break patrol; there are cases of deaths where the body was stored in the vessel’s deep freeze food compartment until return to base!
‘When I say deep freeze, it’s a whole compartment. So once you’ve had a couple of weeks eating your way through the steaks and the fish, then you’ve probably got a bit of room to store a body.’
And what about Vigil’s decision to store Burke’s body in the torpedo tube as the next best conditions, outside a freezer?
Lovell sees that as a ‘reasonable’ solution: ‘They do put stuff in the torpedo tubes if they’re not in use for torpedoes. It can be a wet and sort of claggy environment. They don’t put stuff up there as a general rule, but it is probably not a bad environment to keep it [the body] in.’
Leaving the torpedo tube door open
That open torpedo door is a major error (Picture: BBC)
When Silva comes in to investigate Burke’s body in ‘the bomb shop’, the rear door of the torpedo tube is left open after his body is removed ‘like it was your back door’.
Of the ‘very casual approach’ Lovell explains: ‘The rear door requires permission to be opened and would be shut immediately to maintain watertight integrity. It wouldn’t be left open while they chatted!’
He continued: ‘There are two doors to keep the water out. You’ve opened one, so there’s only one [left shut] so if hydraulics fail and the outer door opens, you’ll sink the submarine!’
Silva’s top bunk
Suranne’s Silva would have to get cosy on the torpedo rack (Picture: BBC)
Lovell reveals that guests – which realistically just means people training or intelligence gathering who are not part of the complement crew, rather than police detectives – would actually be on the torpedo rack rather than in a bunk!
He explains: ‘There are normally not enough bunks in the submarine for the amount of people it carries. I think at the start, they said 140 men and eight women; that would be a pretty realistic number.’
But for those additional crew, their bed is as literal as it sounds.
‘Basically, a bunk is strapped to the torpedo rack and they lie on top of the torpedo – that’s very commonplace.’
Chemicals on a submarine
Many substances are banned on submarines (Picture: BBC)
After spraying a chemical, Silva is able to detect the presence of blood at the crime scene as part of her investigation. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be nearly that easy in real life.
‘No chemicals would be permitted to be sprayed, the atmosphere is recycled continuously, filtered and monitored. Many substances are banned from being brought onboard.’
Reactor scram
This is a serious situation, but one that crews drill and know how to handle (Picture: BBC)
The final moments of Monday’s episode show a reactor scram, which happens when the rods and the reactor drop into the reactor and stop the new nuclear fusion process, stopping the generation of steam and, therefore, the submarine’s propulsion.
With all the flashing red lights, the submarine plunging downwards and panicked faces of the cast, it makes the situation look like a very serious emergency – but it’s a lot calmer in real life, and something that crews drill.
Lovel explains: ‘The submarine will come to a shallower depth, on battery power, and reduce electrical power until main nuclear power is restored.’
He likens it to attempting to preserve battery in an electric car by turning off the lights, for instance.
‘With the alarm going and the red lights flashing and the term ‘reactor scram’, it made the boat look very panicky, but it’s not like that at all,’ he shares. ‘We do shut the reactor down at sea, practising. But it’s a calm drill.
‘But obviously, I guess people link red lights with a reactor and “My god, we’re all going to die!” It’s a serious problem, but it’s not like everything goes into a flat spin. It’s very controlled.’
Vigil continues on Monday at 9pm on BBC One.
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Vigil had us all gripped over the Bank Holiday weekend, as the death of a sailor on a submarine proved to be just the tip of the iceberg.
The BBC One drama premiered on Sunday night and opened with one hell of a twist, before continuing on Monday night with episode two.
However, don’t tune in at 9pm tonight expecting the drama to continue.
The next episode of Vigil will not air until Sunday September 5 at 9pm, with the rest of the series airing weekly on Sunday nights.
As there are six episodes in the series, the final episode will air at 9pm on Sunday September 26.
Each episode will be available to stream on BBC iPlayer after it airs on TV.
Vigil boasts an all-star cast including Suranne Jones, Rose Leslie, Martin Compston, Shaun Evans and Paterson Joseph, with Jones playing DCI Amy Silva, who is sent to investigate a potential murder.
Only problem is – the potential murder happened on the Trident nuclear submarine HMS Vigil, and she must board the submarine to investigate.
Warning – spoilers ahead *
Viewers expected Line of Duty star Compston to play a major part in the series, so the rug was pulled out from under us all when his character Craig Burke was killed off in the first 10 minutes.
A cliffhanger then revealed that Burke had been a Navy whistleblower who was dating a campaigner from a peace group fighting against the use of Trident missiles.
In episode two, things got even murkier as Silva suspected that Burke had not been killed by a brain injury caused by a punch, but had been poisoned.
Viewers also learned about her tragic past, as she revealed that her partner had drowned when their car crashed into a lake, and she had to choose between saving him or their daughter.
There’s more trouble ahead on board the HMS Vigil (Picture: BBC/World Productions)
*Warning: This article contains spoilers for episodes one and two of Vigil.
Who killed Craig Burke? If you’ve been glued to the first two episodes of Vigil on BBC One, no doubt it’s the question running through your mind on loop since the new thriller launched on Sunday.
Sadly, we’re still no closer to finding the whistleblower’s killer – or killers – and if episode two left us with anything it was more questions than answers.
During the latest instalment, we discovered DCI Amy Silva’s (Suranne Jones) traumatic past after losing her boyfriend in a car crash while she saved his young daughter.
We also ruled out key suspect Lt Commander Mark Prentice (Adam James) who believed himself he was responsible for Craig’s death with a killer punch until Silva mad a discovery indicating he could have been poisoned.
Captain of the submarine, Newsome, is suddenly being unnervingly cooperative in the investigation, while Silva’s partner, Kirsten Longacre (Rose Leslie), found herself in danger when intruders broke into Silva’s house, and later she found the body of campaigner Jade, who clearly had too much information including the password to Burke’s USB.
Who’s at the receiving end of Gary’s gun? (Picture: BBC/World Productions)
Silva has more questions (Picture: BBC/World Productions)
Is ‘Doc Doc’ another suspect? (Picture: BBC/World Productions)
Thankfully, she managed to pass that little nugget on before being bumped off, clearly indicating she knew her life was in danger.
Looking ahead to episode three, newly released photos reveal there is much more tension on the horizon.
One image shows suspect Gary Walsh (Daniel Portman) being interrogated by Silva again while another shot sees him pointing a gun. At who? Our guess is Silva but with various dodgy servicemen and women aboard the HMS Vigil who knows.
Has Kristen finally tucked in to Burke’s USB? (Picture: BBC/World Productions)
Vigil’s next chapter dives deeper into Silva’s heartbreak (Picture: BBC/World Productions)
Walsh isn’t the only submariner to face the wrath of Silva, however, with Surgeon Lieutenant Tiffany ‘Doc Doc’ Docherty (Anjili Mohindra) also seen tense conversations with the detective. Could she be a new suspect?
Back on land, Kristen looks captivated by her laptop, possibly watching the footage found on Burke’s USB stick leaking information about the HMS Vigil.
Following the death of Grace, her biggest lead, Kristen now has another murder to investigate and she may stumble across evidence indicating that for as long as Silva is on board Vigil she’s in grave danger.
Behind-the-scenes photos also show we’ll delve further into Silva’s harrowing past, with images of her clinging on to her ex partner’s daughter at his funeral.
Vigil continues Sunday at 9pm on BBC One.
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The series explores the aftermath of the death of a sailor on a submarine, and the detective who must submerge herself in the murky waters to get to the bottom of it.
Boasting an all-star cast including Suranne Jones, Rose Leslie, Martin Compston, Shaun Evans and Paterson Joseph, the series will run for six episodes in total, with each episode available to stream on BBC iPlayer after it airs on TV.
When is the next episode of Vigil airing?
When is Vigil on?
The next episode of Vigil will air tonight, September 5, at 9pm.
The episode is an hour long.
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What’s happened on Vigil so far?
Warning – spoilers ahead *
Viewers expected Line of Duty star Compston to play a major part in the series, so the rug was pulled out from under us all when his character Craig Burke was killed off in the first 10 minutes.
A cliffhanger then revealed that Burke had been a Navy whistleblower who was dating a campaigner from a peace group fighting against the use of Trident missiles.
In episode two, things got even murkier as Silva suspected that Burke had not been killed by a brain injury caused by a punch, but had been poisoned.
Viewers also learned about her tragic past, as she revealed that her partner had drowned when their car crashed into a lake, and she had to choose between saving him or their daughter.
Sunday night’s fourth episode of Vigil packed plenty of drama into its final few minutes, much to fans’ delight, as DCI Amy Silva (Suranne Jones) stumbled across a dead body before being charged at by a mysterious assailant.
After 60 minutes that took in a dramatic drill, further drug intrigue, a Russian spy and HMS Vigil being called back to port, interrupting its patrol as part of the UK’s nuclear deterrent, this week’s twists and turns led to the boat’s chef, Petty Officer Jackie Hamilton.
However, shortly after calling Hamilton to the control room for questioning as a suspect in Craig Burke’s (Martin Compston) murder, following her son’s questionably quick release from a drugs sentence at an Indonesian prison, Silva stumbled upon the chef lying dead.
She then looked up to see a figure wearing a gas mask running at her – suggested to be Coxswain Glover, who is also under suspicion – and tackling her to the ground.
‘How am i supposed to wait a whole week with that ending,’ tweeted one viewer, while another wrote: ‘That was a line of duty-esque cliffhanger.’
Another declared: ‘I am not and will never be over that episode or #vigil like wow just wow.’
Others flocked to comment on the cliffhanger ending.
‘Talk about cliffhanger!’, a third posted.
Another tweeted: ‘Absolutely loved that episode, don’t want to have to wait a week.’
Glover seemed concerned by Silva’s interest in speaking with Hamilton (Picture: BBC)
Viewers also praised Suranne Jones’ performance, with one labelling it ‘incredible’ as another put: ‘@SuranneJonesUK how can you leave us hanging like that?’
Another part of Monday’s episode that earned praise from viewers was the kiss between Silva and her partner Kirsten Longacre (Rose Leslie), in a flashback to the beginning of their relationship.
Omg omg omg we got a kiss! I repeat we got A KISS ð ð yay! Thank you Suranne, thank you Rose, thank you Isabelle! Youre all legends ð i love #SILVACRE that kiss defo made up for the first one, the gay gods are upon us! #Vigil@IsabelleSieb i just love them so much xxx
With Longacre having already made a move in an earlier flashback, shortly after they first met, Silva returned the favour as she admitted: ‘I like you.’
‘Omg omg omg we got a kiss! I repeat we got A KISS,’ wrote one excited fan, before declaring: ‘The gay gods are upon us!’
Another simply tweeted: ‘I CANT MY SAPPHIC HEART.’
Vigil continues next Monday at 9pm on BBC One.
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The tender love story was almost as integral to proceedings as the main mystery (Picture: Vigil BBC)
There’s one element in particular of Vigil, BBC One’s blockbuster Sunday night drama, that seems to have really riled a small handful of viewers and critics; but I for one can’t stop thinking about it.
No, it’s not the par-for-the-course accusations of inaudible ‘mumbling’, which seem to bubble away on social media for a whole load of scripted shows these days. It’s not the dwindling amount of screen-time given to the guy we all fancy from Sex Education. It’s not even the fact that apparently some viewers think that, er, the central character’s cat might be a killer(?!).
It’s the fact that this twisty-turny whodunnit has also – gasp! – increasingly contained elements of romance; to the point in this week’s episode where the tender love story was almost as integral to proceedings as the main mystery.
To recap: DCI Amy Silva (Suranne Jones) is aboard HMS Vigil, a nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine on which a sonar mapping expert, played by him off Line of Duty (Martin Compston), was killed off within the first few minutes of the series premiere.
Trapped in such claustrophobic confines and coming up against significant resistance from just about every member of the ship’s crew, Silva is trying to get to the bottom of the suspected murder – which may or may not be linked to, among other things, MI5 cover-ups, Russian plants, and a nasty incident involving a few scandalous seamen in Florida.
Meanwhile, DI Kirsten Longacre (Rose Leslie) is on dry land doing what she can to help: clashing with the Royal Navy, digging into the dead guy’s backstory, and chasing down suspected killers who turn out to be spies with diplomatic immunity.
She can send messages, often coded, to Silva; but Silva – becoming more and more isolated and struggling with her mental health– cannot send them back.
Flashbacks have been peppered throughout the series; flashbacks which had, until this week, revolved mainly around a car crash that left Silva’s partner dead and ended with her being permanently separated from her would-be stepdaughter. The trauma led to her being put on medication and (somewhat inconveniently) struggling with being confined to small spaces.
This week, though, the ‘flashback timeline’ properly explored what had previously only felt like a nice bit of textural detail: Silva and Longacre’s relationship. We got to see their meet-cute, their early rapport and, ultimately, their first smooches.
Not everyone was impressed: some critics have accused the show of being a ‘gripping drama that’s confused itself with a fluffy romance’ (The Telegraph), or wondered if the flirty encounters ‘did little other than disrupt the rhythm and tension of the episode’ (Radio Times).
I respectfully disagree.
It doesn’t disengage or distract me at all (Picture: Vigil BBC)
Those moments were, in my view, extremely powerful: cut against scenes of a stressed Silva’s intensifying struggles on the sub, the flashbacks enabled us to see her experiencing something resembling joy and happiness. Or at least, moments in which she realises that after everything she’s been through, joy and happiness might still be possible for her.
We saw how, in the aftermath of her darkest moments, Longacre made her smile again, made her laugh again, made her dance again.
That, in turn, gives us a very hopeful sense of what could be waiting for her when this case is solved – assuming, of course, that she and the rest of Vigil’s crew make it back to dry land alive, and she and Longacre can work through whatever made their relationship take such a sour turn before Silva got this assignment (I assume we’ll learn more about that in the coming episodes).
In short, the fact their relationship is taking up so much space has – for me – elevated Vigil to something more emotionally resonant than your everyday police procedural.
In DCI Silva, we have a three-dimensional human being in the midst of an identity crisis, grappling with the almighty impact of her grief and her trauma – things that are, quite understandably, having a tangible effect on her ability to do her job, especially in such isolating conditions. Knowing more about her life and what’s at stake for her makes me more invested in her success within the thrilling main plot; it doesn’t disengage or distract me at all.
Some critics have accused the show of being a ‘gripping drama that’s confused itself with a fluffy romance’ (Picture: BBC/World Productions)
Add in the fact that she and DI Longacre are both women, in a genre traditionally driven by straight males, and it feels all the more refreshing.
Their queerness doesn’t feel like it’s been chucked in for the sake of it; it feels authentically woven into the story and given an unfiltered spotlight without being heavy-handed or used purely for titillation. Yes, it would have been even more wonderful if either character was played by an openly queer actor; but at least in Jones and Leslie we have two genuinely brilliant stars playing the roles beautifully.
And hey, as well as just being great storytelling, the rare piece of LGBTQ+ representation in a prime-time blockbuster means a lot to audiences, too: Twitter has been full of queer viewers (especially queer female viewers) praising director Isabelle Sieb and writer Chandni Lakhani for how moving and empowering Sunday’s scenes were, and how much good they’ll do for normalising same-sex love for mainstream audiences.
With two episodes to go and things inevitably starting to heat up (that cliffhanger at the end of episode four? Oh boy), I’m more invested than ever in Silva finding her culprit and returning home to work things out with Longacre.
Let’s just all keep an eye on that shifty cat, and hope that the show doesn’t fall into the old ‘bury your gays’ (or, in this case, sink your gays) trap before the end of the series.
The Suranne Jones drama is hurtling towards its climax (Picture: BBC)
Vigil has kept fans gripped on Sunday nights for four episodes, and the end is fast approaching.
The hit series, created by Tom Edge, is still throwing up more twists and turns as the race to find out who killed HMS Vigil crewman Craig Burke (Martin Compston) continues.
At the centre of the drama is DCI Amy Silva (Suranne Jones) and her colleague and lover DS Kirsten Longacre (Rose Leslie) who are trying to hunt down a killer, with Amy stuck onboard the claustrophobic titular submarine with no idea who she can trust.
She told RadioTimes.com: ‘I think there’s stuff on the horizon. But nothing confirmed just yet.’
Martin Compston appeared, briefly, in the series (Picture: BBC)
Before the drama launched, creator and writer Tom teased the future of the show, implying that any subsequent tales may not take place on a submarine, as ‘we have probably told as many of the stories as we would wish to tell on a submarine’.
Tom explained that he would ‘love to burrow’ into some of the characters in the show, adding: ‘So if there’s a will to do it from everyone else then certainly I would be up for it.’
Fingers crossed the BBC throw us a bone after the finale…
How many episodes of Vigil are left?
Turning back to the current series though, there are six episodes in total with the fifth one airing tonight, September 19.
The final instalment will go out on September 26, meaning we have just one episode left.
Vigil airs Sundays at 9pm on BBC One.
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Suranne Jones’ Amy Silva’s life hangs in the balance. (Picture: BBC)
Vigil turned up the pressure in the penultimate episode of the series as DCI Amy Silva’s (Suranne Jones) investigation left her life hanging in the balance in a dramatic showdown.
Sunday night’s episode saw the identity of the Russian spy finally revealed as Matthew Doward (Lorne MacFadyen), who proved he would stop at nothing to keep his dark secret.
Amy and Matthew ended up in a scuffle during the closing scenes as he was assigned to help her get rid of a device onboard the Vigil. She of course had no idea about who he really was.
Seizing his chance Matthew picked up the note he had written to Jackie (Anita Vettesse) and as Amy tried to protest and snatch it back he hit her, knocking her out.
When Amy came to she realised with horror she had been shoved inside a torpedo tube that was quickly filling with water. As she screamed for help the nail-biting episode ended, to be continued in the finale next week.
It was more than viewers could stand as they agonised on Twitter about having to wait seven whole days to learn Amy’s fate.
Matthew revealed himself as the traitor among them (Picture: BBC)
Amy’s life hung in the balance at the end of the episode (Picture: BBC)
A second series has not been confirmed but given that it is the BBC’s most-watched new drama of 2021, surely it’s a no-brainer to bring it back?
AMY IS NOT GOING TO DIE SHE IS GOING TO BE SAVED AND SHE IS GOING TO REJOIN KIRSTEN ON LAND AND GIVE HER A HUGE KISS AND GET MARRIED AND GET CUSTODY OF POPPY AND LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER IN SCOTLAND #Vigilpic.twitter.com/0gIJDvhZwp
#Vigil In a torpedo tube filling with water is literally my worst nightmare. Quite a cliffhanger to go to bed with. I don’t think I’ll be sleeping tonight.
Before the drama launched, creator and writer Tom teased the future of the show, implying that any subsequent tales may not take place on a submarine, as ‘we have probably told as many of the stories as we would wish to tell on a submarine’.
Tom explained that he would ‘love to burrow’ into some of the characters in the show, adding: ‘So if there’s a will to do it from everyone else then certainly I would be up for it.’
Fingers crossed the BBC throw us a bone after the finale…
Suranne herself reacted after the shock ending by sharing an Instagram picture of herself in costume, but gave nothing away about what happens to Amy.
‘Oh that was a sweaty few days!’ she joked.
Vigil continues Sunday at 9pm on BBC One.
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Time behaves strangely 200m under the sea, it seems.
It feels like months since Martin Compston was bumped off in the opening scenes of Vigil’s first episode, swiftly peeing off Line of Duty fans around the country – and can it really only be five weeks since Suranne Jones was winched on board to solve his murder?
The plot – at times as intentionally murky and unnavigable as the North Sea across the limited series’ slightly bloated length – resolved in solid, if unspectacular, fashion in Sunday’s finale.
The work had largely been done last week, when the traitor on board was unmasked in episode five. The execution might have been exhilarating, but the actual result was one of the most disappointing elements of the series.
Rather than Paterson Joseph’s Cdr. Neil Newsome or Adam James’s wonderfully slimy Cdr. Mark Prentice, it was Matthew Doward who was pulling the string for the Russians all along – Matthew Doward, a character we’d only really seen a handful of times in the back of crowd shots.
The series wrapped up after six episodes (Picture: BBC/World Productions)
Suranne’s DCI Silva was left to cool off in the torpedo tube as water filled in around her in that episode, and viewers on Sunday were thrown straight back into the claustrophobic hellhole in episode six. Thankfully, Cdr. Prentice comes to her rescue at the 11th hour, before a message in morse code leads to her rescue.
After that, everything falls into place in pretty underwhelming fashion. DCI Silva gets out in time to see spy Matthew blow his cover by trying to stab half the crew members to death in increasingly silly scenes. The characters both on land and on the boat make the discoveries that viewers already made last week, and before we knew it, it’s all over.
The mole is caught, Suranne heads home after a tricky few weeks on board HMS Vigil, sheds her sea legs and makes up with her partner Rose Leslie, before Matthew Doward explains what just happened over the last six episodes in a expository police interview.
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We’re told in rather stodgy dialogue that Russia’s aim in all of this was to ‘make the nuclear deterrent look bad’ and help push through policy changes which would have resulted in the removal of Trident from Scotland altogether. Sadly, the threat of nuclear escalation has rarely seemed so perfunctory.
Like Line of Duty, there are similar themes of institutionalised corruption and ineptitude at play, albeit with vague political commentary about the validity of nuclear deterrents added into the mix, but little of the verve and nuance that made the former such compelling viewing at its best.
There’s no doubting the quality of its individual parts. Everything works. The performances are uniformly great (Suranne, Paterson Joseph and Adam James in particular), the direction from Isabelle Sieb and James Strong has been taut throughout the run, and there’s an immersive feel to the dingy interiors of HMS Vigil that’s hard to shake.
Yet by the end, there’s no shifting the sense that Vigil has been treading water for some time.
Verdict
The submarine drama started with such electrifying promise, but even coming off the back of the big reveal in episode five, the finale didn’t come a moment too soon.
Fans might clamour for a series two, but Vigil had already begun to outstay its welcome before episode six. It would be unfair to call it substandard, but we won’t be holding our breath for more episodes.
Vigil is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
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The Celebrity Gogglebox line-up just got a whole lot stronger, with Suranne Jones and Vigil co-star Adam James set to star on the Stand Up To Cancer special.
The pair, who appeared in the critically acclaimed drama together earlier this year, will be watching telly for a good cause this Friday.
They’ll be sharing a sofa on the special edition of the programme, which sees Channel 4 and Cancer Research UK team up to raise money for the charity.
Joining them on Friday’s programme will be the likes of Drag Race pair Graham Norton and Michelle Visage, as well as Aisling Bea and Rob Delaney.
Michael Sheen and his partner Anna Lundberg will also be appearing in the line-up as well as Matt Lucas and his mum Diana.
The celebs will be passing judgement on a selection of the nation’s favourite TV, while the regular Gogglebox families will also be on hand to offer their opinions and observations.
The pair will share their thoughts on the biggest shows in the UK on Friday (Picture: Channel 4)
Suranne said: ‘Cancer affects way too many of us and the work being done by the Stand Up To Cancer campaign is incredible, so Adam and I are delighted to be involved.’
Adam added: ‘As a longstanding fan of the show, I am thrilled to be joining the esteemed list of Stand Up To Cancer Goggleboxers alongside the marvellous Suranne.
They join the likes of Graham Norton and Michelle Visage (Picture: Channel 4)
The pair join an already stacked celebrity line-up (Picture: Channel 4)
With one in two of us developing cancer in our lifetime, it’s so important for us to all join together raising vital funds and really make a difference.’
They follow in the footsteps of the likes of Naomi Campbell, Noel Gallagher and Line of Duty stars Vicky McClure, Adrian Dunbar and Martin Compston in appearing on the charity version of the hit programme.
It comes a few weeks after Suranne and Adam had the nation hooked on Vigil, with a murder mystery playing out hundreds of metres below the surface of the North Sea.
Stand Up To Cancer is on Channel 4 on Friday 15th October from 7.30pm. To donate to Stand Up To Cancer, go to channel4.com/SU2C. 100% of your donation goes to Cancer Research UK in support of the SU2C campaign.
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Vigil co-stars Suranne Jones and Adam James will give their takes on the week’s TV after their BBC drama hooked the nation.
Suranne said: ‘Cancer affects way too many of us and the work being done by the Stand Up To Cancer campaign is incredible, so Adam and I are delighted to be involved.’
Adam added: ‘As a longstanding fan of the show, I am thrilled to be joining the esteemed list of Stand Up To Cancer Goggleboxers alongside the marvellous Suranne.
‘With one in two of us developing cancer in our lifetime, it’s so important for us to all join together raising vital funds and really make a difference.’
Drag Race UK judges Graham Norton and Michelle Visage are surely not set to hold back on the show.
Chat show host Graham said: ‘Cancer keeps robbing us of the most wonderful people so it’s an honour for Michelle and me to be taking our places on the hallowed Gogglebox sofa for this year’s Stand Up To Cancer campaign.
‘I dread to think what we’ll end up watching but it’s safe to say, some shade will be thrown.’
Former Strictly star Michelle added: ‘I love Gogglebox and I adore Graham Norton, so this is my idea of sheer heaven.
‘I lost both my adoptive and biological mothers to this awful disease so it’s incredibly important to me to support the amazing work Stand Up To Cancer do.
‘Every penny raised goes towards finding cures for cancer so I hope we can help raise bucket loads of money.’
Comedians Aisling Bea and Rob Delaney will also take to their sofas to weigh in on the telly.
This Way Up star Aisling said: ‘I am more than happy to be supporting Stand Up To Cancer, [fighting] a disease which has touched too many people including my loved ones.
‘It’s especially necessary this year given how much strain health services and workers have been under during the pandemic. It’s been a rotten couple of years; I hope what we raise can help take even a small bit of the edge off.’
Meanwhile, joining the celeb cast will be siblings Pete and Sophie Sandiford, the Siddiqui family, and Marcus Luther and Mica Ven.
Stand Up To Cancer is on Channel 4 on Friday 15th October from 7.30pm. To donate to Stand Up To Cancer, go to channel4.com/SU2C. 100% of your donation goes to Cancer Research UK in support of the SU2C campaign.
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Suranne Jones is back as Anne Lister (Picture: PA)
Suranne Jones is back in character as the intriguing Anne Lister ahead of the second season premiere of BBC’s Gentleman Jack.
The period drama, which is directed by Last Tango in Halifax and Happy Valley creator Sally Wainwright, focuses on landowner Anne, who in the first series began a romance with another woman.
Season one of the biopic, which is based on the true story of real-life diarist Anne Lister, ended with her and Ann Walker (Sophie Rundle) declaring their love for each other and running off to get married, but what trouble awaits them in the second chapter?
The upcoming eight-parter will pick up in Yorkshire in 1834, as all eyes turn to Lister, who was known as the ‘first modern lesbian,’ and Walker as they set up home together at Shibden Hall as wife and wife, determined to combine their estates and become a power couple.
The official promo pictures show the Vigil star, actress Gemma Whelan (Marian Lister), and Lydia Leonard (Mariana Lawton) rocking the historical attire.
Gemma Jones, Timothy West, Katherine Kelly, Derek Riddell, Stephanie Cole and Peter Davison will also return to the screen.
The series is set to return this Spring (Picture: PA)
The second installment of Gentleman Jack was confirmed back in May 2020, with Suranne saying at the time: ‘I’m so thrilled that I will be joining Sally Wainwright on the second part of Anne’s journey.
‘We always dreamed there would be more and now we get to play it all out.’
The show began filming new episodes in early November 2020, and director Wainwright revealed how ‘thrilled’ she was over the programme’s return.
‘We’ve had such an extraordinary response from so many viewers all over the world about the first series’, she said.
‘I can’t wait to show them what we’ve come up with this time.’
What lies ahead for Anne and Ann? (Picture: PA)
Gemma Whelan plays Marian Lister (Picture: PA)
Amelia Bullmore, Vincent Franklin, Shaun Dooley, Rosie Cavaliero, Joe Armstrong, Anthony Flanagan and George Costigan are also set to reprise their roles.
Season one of the show covered the period 1832 to 1834 – but Lister died in 1840, meaning there is another six years worth of her life to bring to the small screen.
The first-look snaps are certainly enough to get fans hyped, and with good reason, as the programme received Bafta nominations for best drama, as well as a leading actress nomination for Suranne’s captivating performance.
Gentleman Jack will return to BBC One and BBC iPlayer this Spring.
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Suranne Jones starred in Vigil, which broke viewing records in 2021 (Picture; BBC)
The BBC has announced the renewal of four of its biggest hitters in recent months, but not all fans are happy to see more from the dramas.
Vigil, The Tourist, The Responder and Time were some of the broadcaster’s biggest new shows of recent years, hitting the screens in late 2021 and early 2022.
On Tuesday, it was confirmed all four would be renewed for a second season, after huge success the first time around.
BBC’s Chief Content Officer Charlotte Moore said: ‘I really think right now that the BBC is proving its worth. I think we did that during Covid. There are these moments when there is a real feeling that we’ve never needed a public service broadcaster more, to inform and educate and entertain and to bring the nation together.’
She went on to add: ‘In its first 30 days, 12 million people watched The Tourist – that’s twice as big as the largest [recent] show, Stay Close, on Netflix.
‘The power that the BBC has to reach millions of people is far greater than we perhaps realise,’ she told Radio Times.
The Responder was highly praised by fans (Picture: BBC/Dancing Ledge)
However, fans have been very split on the decision of the programmes’ renewals, with many feeling all but The Responder would be better left as singular series.
Reacting to the news on Twitter, those who tuned in to some of the offerings questioned why the BBC were making a second series of their favourite shows and urged them to ‘leave them alone.’
One wrote: ‘Time needs to be left alone. Why do we have this notion that more is better. Sometimes it’s just great as it is.
‘I absolutely loved #Time it was an outstanding series. But series 2??!! Why??? It doesn’t need it. It ended perfectly,’ argued another.
Sean Bean and Stephen Graham starred opposite each other in Time (Picture: BBC)
Someone else shared: ‘Tourist and Time had beginnings middles…and AN END!!! Leave be. I’ll take more responder though. Vigil can be left in the ocean mind.’
Some also had doubts about a future for Vigil, with one writing: ‘But where can they go with Vigil?, with another adding: ‘Not sure I want more of The Tourist or Time, felt like they were one and done. Hopefully, the writers have the right story to tell.’
‘Season two of vigil?? what’s she gonna do, save ANOTHER submarine,’ joked a fan.
Some fans were keener on the news and looked forward to more, as one said: ‘Binged all four of these. Quality drama, loved it, can’t wait for more.’
Jamie Dornan was keen for more of The Tourist (Picture: BBC/Two Brothers Pictures/Ian Routledge)
‘I’m not sure any of these need a second series but they’re all very good so who cares,’ added another.
Someone else wrote: ‘Oh wow. Huge news. Was not expecting a second season for Time – thought it was a one and done thing. But not complaining about all of these!’
It comes after Jamie Dornan previously expressed enthusiasm for season 2 of The Tourist, despite only ‘signing up for one.’
The actor recalls a similar scenario with his previous crime series The Fall, which he starred in alongside Gillian Anderson, which was originally also intended for just the one run.
‘There was big demand for The Fall, obviously, and we did a couple more [seasons]. In the UK and Ireland and Australia, and anywhere it’s been so far, people seem to love The Tourist, so who knows?
‘I know conversations are being had. So we’ll see what we get to, but I would love to,’ he said to Entertainment Weekly.
It’s not yet known when the four series are expected to return, but it seems likely they’ll be back on the BBC in 2023.
Vigil, Time, The Responder and The Tourist can all be streamed on BBC iPlayer in full now.
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