Jekyll: BBC Drama series starts 16 June

[Dave]

Hello everyone,

As you may have read or deduced from the UK Treasure discussion threads, Hayley has recorded the title theme for an eagerly awaited six part Drama series "Jekyll" which, we are advised by Hayley's Management, is set for broadcast starting on Sunday 18th March 2007 at 9pm in the summer of 2007**. As the BBC schedules have not yet been published for this date, these details should be regarded as provisional.

This is a major TV series and Hayley's involvement in the title theme could spark references to it by TV critics and from other media sources... anything significant that we find should be posted in this thread so that it's all kept together.

It could also give a boost to Hayley's album sales in the UK at a time when Treasure should still be fairly high in the pop charts and this effect may last for the entire series, extending its chart run and significantly improving its sales. If the BBC don't say much about Hayley's involvement, I am sure that Decca will! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

Even discussions about the plot (when we know it!) will be on topic in this thread... because the better it is, the more viewers it will have and the better Hayley will do out of it!

I will shortly post the initial press releases about this series, from the Production Company and the BBC.

Cheers, Dave

Edit: 14 Mar 2007 - Broadcast date amended to "Summer 2007"

[Dave]

From The BBC

Press Releases
An all-star cast to appear in BBC ONE's Jekyll

Category: TV Drama; BBC ONE
Date: 29.08.2006

Popular and hugely successful actor James Nesbitt (Murphy's Law, Bloody Sunday) - who takes the much-coveted lead role in Hartswood Films' highly-anticipated series, Jekyll, for BBC ONE - will be joined by an outstanding cast when the series goes into production in September.

Gina Bellman (Coupling, Blackeyes) plays Mrs Jackman, whose idyllic existence with her two small sons and doting husband is shattered by an ancient family curse; you think your husband's having a mid-life crisis – try being Mrs Jekyll and Hyde.

Denis Lawson (Holby City, Sensitive Skin and Emmy-nominated for Bleak House) plays Tom Jackman's oldest friend Peter Syme, who's just a little worried that Tom now seems to be sharing a flat with a younger, sexier man with a taste for the night life.

Michelle Ryan (EastEnders) is Tom's enigmatic and dedicated assistant, psychiatric nurse Katherine Reimer - the only person other than Doctor Jackman who knows about his secret double life and has the job of helping him lead it: the servant of two masters but only one man.

Meera Syal (Life Isn't All Ha Ha Hee Hee, The Kumars at No.42) is Miranda, the private detective who stumbles not only on the truth about Doctor Jackman and his alter ego, but on a conspiracy over a century old: she must convince Tom that there are more frightening things in this modern world than Mr Hyde…

Writer Steven Moffat (Coupling, Doctor Who) has taken a modern twist on the classic tale of scientific misadventure which he describes as "somewhere between a modern horror story and The Odd Couple."

Producers Elaine Cameron and Jeffrey Taylor say: "The series is a remarkable conspiracy thriller - more Spooks than Robert Louis Stevenson."

James Nesbitt comments: "Jekyll is modern, contemporary and cutting-edge – I am excited about exploring the comedy and darkness in both characters."

It is 2006 and there's a new Dr Jekyll, with an old problem - Mr Hyde. But they have a deal - a body share – and an impossible life is somehow lived.

What Hyde doesn't know: Jekyll is married. There's a wife and two children he'll do anything to protect from his dark side. With all the resources of modern technology, and the best surveillance hardware, he's determined to keep his dark side in line. He's done a deal with his own devil.

What neither of them knows: an ancient organisation, with limitless wealth and power, is monitoring their every move, and a plan over a century in the making is coming to fruition.

The return of Dr Jekyll is no accident…

The directors are Douglas Mackinnon (The Flying Scotsman, Gentlemen's Relish, Bodies) and Matt Lipsey (Border Café, Little Britain). Executive Producers are Beryl Vertue and Steven Moffat.

The series was commissioned by Controller of BBC Drama Commissioning, Jane Tranter, and BBC Head of Independent Drama, John Yorke.

Beryl Vertue says: "The scripts are brilliant – scary, funny, and full of the unexpected. We are delighted about James Nesbitt, one of the few genuine stars who has the range needed to play this extraordinary role."

Jane Tranter adds: "Steven's Jekyll takes a legendary story and places it firmly in the modern world. It will be high concept, intelligent and utterly engrossing as we focus on a man whose life is literally split in half."

Jekyll is a Hartswood Films Production in association with Stagescreen Productions for BBC ONE and will be screened next year [in 2007].

Dave

[Dave]

The latest I can find at the BBC:

Press Releases
Mark Gatiss joins James Nesbitt in BBC One's Jekyll

Category: TV Drama; BBC One
Date: 16.11.2006

Mark Gatiss, star of The League of Gentlemen and Nighty Night, joins the cast of highly-anticipated drama series Jekyll, starring James Nesbitt, Gina Bellman, Denis Lawson, Michelle Ryan and Meera Syal.

Written by Steven Moffat, the six hour drama from Hartswood Films for BBC One started shooting in September 2006 and continues until Christmas for transmission in 2007.

Mark Gatiss says: "I'm thrilled to join the cast of Steven's brilliant interpretation of this classic story and particularly pleased to be working with James Nesbitt.

"I hope to keep my own dark side restrained - at least as long as the filming lasts!"

AN

And from Hartswood Films (I've left out the bits they duplicated with the BBC press releases above):

Duration: 6 x 1 hour

Channel: BBC1

First Screening: Spring 2007

Produced by: Elaine Cameron and Jeffrey Taylor
Executive Producer: Beryl Vertue
Directed by: Douglas MacKinnon and Matt Lipsey
Writer: Steven Moffat

Starring: James Nesbitt, Gina Bellman, Michelle Ryan, Denis Lawson, Meera Syal, Mark Gatiss

Popular and hugely successful actor James Nesbitt (Murphy's Law, Bl oody Sunday), takes the much coveted lead role in Hartswood Films' highly anticipated series Jekyll for BBC One and is joined by an outstanding cast.

That's it for now folks, this all looks quite exciting!

Cheers, Dave

[postscript]

This all sounds very very exciting and a superb coup for Hayley. Not only is there the broadcasts but the opportunity of a repeat before the DVD sales, quite apart from syndication round the world, especially America by the sound of the script.
Peter S.

[jons]

If the theme tune matches the programme then I will be a happy man!

Speaking of Hayley's involvement in TV, ITV's 'The Flood' looks very 'The Day After Tomorrow' with is meteorological disaster theme so I would guess more haunting melodies from Hayley.

Back to Jekyll: James Nesbitt is a superlative actor so I have high hopes for it.

[Richard]

Hello everybody!

I've just discovered an interesting snippet about 'Jekyll' at IMDb.

Original Music by
Debbie Wiseman (2007)

Debbie Wiseman wrote 'Different Voices', which will be performed at Cadogan Hall on 9th April 2007, featuring Hayley! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

Best Wishes,

Richard

[Martin]

richnorri said:

Hello everybody!

I've just discovered an interesting snippet about 'Jekyll' at IMDb.

Original Music by
Debbie Wiseman (2007)

Debbie Wiseman wrote 'Different Voices', which will be performed at Cadogan Hall on 9th April 2007, featuring Hayley! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

Best Wishes,

Richard

Hi Richard
Do you mean that Hayley will use the different voice of Mr Hyde at Cadogan?

Martin

[jons]

Debbie Wiseman. Is this a coincidence?:

Original Music by
Debbie Wiseman
Akido (uncredited)

uk.imdb.com/title/tt0790665/fullcredits#cast

[jons]

Can't find anything more on 'Flood' about Hayley, but I guess her voice will be used for the incidental music.

[Dave]

richnorri said:

Hello everybody!

Here is another great interview with Hayley: www.ilikemusic.com/interviews/Hayley_Westenra_interview-3533

Hayley Westenra chats to I Like Music
There's a drama series called Jekyll for the BBC. And I've recorded the vocals for the soundtrack as well as the theme song. There's a British film coming out called Flood, which I've sung the theme song for. What else? The Merchant of Venice starring Al Pacino, I sang the end titles song for that. It's really exciting because you get to see the visuals and you get to see the previews too. I'm doing some more recording for Jekyll tomorrow.

Richard

Thanks Richard for posting the above interview in the other thread, it fills in some detail about the Jekyll drama series that Hayley will be heard in. So she will be heard not only in the title theme but, perhaps, throughout the six programmes too? Who knows, but maybe the BBC will release a soundtrack CD of it too?

Regarding the scheduling of this drama series, I've seen another interview somewhere recently where Hayley says it will be broadcast "in the summer" and this makes sense because of Hayley's very recent additional recording session for Jekyll (only two weeks ago!) and the absence of Jekyll from the current BBC TV schedules for the rest of March. Also, the slot we originally thought it would be broadcast in, 9pm on Sundays, has now been taken by the reality TV series Castaway for the next couple of months.

Interestingly, Castaway is broadcast from... a remote Island off the coast of New Zealand. Coincidence... or what?

I will amend the thread title and first post to update what we now know.

Cheers, Dave

[grant]

If, as Richard suggests, Jekyll will air on BBC1 on Sunday at 9pm (and Richard's not often wrong) Castaway still has 11 episodes to go so the first available slot will be Sunday 3rd June.

Coincidentally, my TV mag for next week has a preview of the show (plus three others) "Spring preview - new season - great TV!" but it doesn't give much away.

Grant

[Dave]

Hello Grant,

The information (which turned out to be incorrect as the BBC, presumably, rescheduled it) was provided by a member of Hayley's Management team to Roger.

We shall have to wait and see where and when the BBC now schedule it; the BBC are.... the BBC... and they will do what they want!

However, my line of thinking mirrors yours

Cheers, Dave

[Dave]

Hello everyone,

There's a minor update to the Jekyll story - a photo of the main character here at Hartswood Films. They don't seem to have caught up with th fact that it's been deferred until late Spring or Summer, we think.

Scary, huh?

Dave

[jons]

I knew about Jekyll and Flood(or so I thought) quite a while ago. I was reading a copy of the science fiction magazine SFX which had a feature called 'first shots' which showed the first images from upcoming sci-fi dramas and films. One shot was from Jekyll (Nesbitt tied to a chair - he's about to change presumably) and a shot from what I thought was Flood but was in fact a BBC drama called Superstorm. Its about the development of a weather control system which ends up in the wrong hands sending a 'superstorm' towards New York. Flood is obviously about the human drama, while Superstorm is an action packed CGI extravaganza. No sign of Hayley's involvement with Superstorm however.

"They have just subjected me to two hours of the 'Key Retirement Solutions' advert on ClassicFmTv. And I'm not a happy man - HERES JIMMY!!!"

King Kong failed to control his bladder while climbing up the Empire State Building!

[jons]

If you look carefully you can see the lovely ex - Eastender and soon to be Bionic Woman, Michelle Ryan in the photo (look into the knife!).