Labyrinth (Channel 4 )
Jessica Brown Findlay, John Hurt, Vanessa Kirby, Emun Elliott, Tom Felton, Sebastian Stan star in a two-part thilller adapted from Kate Mosse's bestselling novel, linking the lives of two women born centuries apart: Labyrinth. Already broadcast in different countries, Labyrinth will be on British Channel 4 on Saturday March 30th and Sunday March 31st, 9 pm.
Emun Elliott and Tom Felton
Jessica Brown Findlay is the protagonist of the moving romance subplot with Emun Elliott. You may remember them as the protagonists of two popular costume series, respectively Downton Abbey (Lady Sybil) and The Paradise (Mr Moray) . Romance is only one of the elements in this epic mini-series produced by Ridley Scott and shot between South Africa and France with an international cast. It is a historical thriller with a gripping plot based on real historical events like the Crusade against the Catars.
Synopsis
Two intelligent headstrong heroines, 17-year-old Alaïs Pelletier (Jessica Brown Findlay) from 13th century Carcassonne and modern-day PhD graduate Dr. Alice Tanner (Vanessa Kirby) experience an adventure that intertwines their lives. Separated by time, but united in a common destiny, both protagonists display tremendous courage, steadfastness and loyalty on their respective quests. As the parallel storylines set in the southwest of France unfold, both ancient and modern-day conspiracies are
unearthed, all revolving around three hidden books – The Book of Words, The Book of Potions and The Book of Numbers. Together, these tomes hold the secret of the true Grail, which dates back to the Ancient Egyptian era many years before Christ. Alaïs and those closest to her must battle to protect the secret. She soon discovers she can trust no one – least of all her cruelly manipulative sister, Oriane. Back in the present day, Alice faces a race against time to put together the curiously familiar pieces of a jigsaw puzzle representing her long-buried history.
The Village (BBC One)
An epic drama series for BBC One starring John Simm and Maxine Peake charting the life and turbulent times of one English village across the twentieth century. The Village is written by BAFTA winning writer Peter Moffat.
Births, deaths, love and betrayal, great political events, upheavals in national identity, ways of working, rules kept and rebellions made, sex, religion, class, the shaping of modern memory – all refracted through the lives of the villagers and the village.
One man, Bert Middleton lives across the entire hundred years and his life story from boyhood to extreme old age provides the narrative backbone. His last great act of remembering is our way in to an examination of our recent past. The first series begins in 1914 and ends in 1920. Young Bert Middleton (introducing Bill Jones) is growing up in extreme poverty on a family farm in Derbyshire. His parents John (John Simm – Mad Dogs, State of Play, The Devil’s Whore) and Grace (Maxine Peake – Silk, Criminal Justice, Shameless) struggle to provide for Bert and his adored older brother Joe (Nico Mirallegro – My Fat Mad Teenage Diary, Upstairs Downstairs).
John is proud, unyielding and haunted by his past. Grace devotes her life to protecting her sons from the violence of his despair. Is her sacrifice sustainable? Is John capable of redemption? Will Bert’s funny, gentle ways and rich imagination survive? Joe supplements the family income by working at the big house where he comes into contact with the troubled and deeply unstable daughter, Caro Allingham (Emily Beecham – The Runaway).
The first episode opens with the arrival of the first bus ever to stop in the village. Everyone gathers to see it and off the bus steps the beautiful, headstrong Martha Lane (Charlie Murphy - Misfits, Love/Hate). Bert Middleton’s world will never be the same again...
Juliet Stevenson (White Heat, Truly, Madly, Deeply) plays Clem Allingham who lives on the edge of the village with her disfigured husband and adult children local MP Edmund, (Rupert Evans – North and South, Emma, Agora, World Without End, The Little House), poetic George, (Augustus Prew - The Borgias) and her unhinged daughter Caro.
Jim Cartwright (writer of Road, The Rise and Fall of Little Voice) plays Peter the Landlord of the village pub. Other cast includes: Anthony Flanagan (Prisoners Wives, Being Human), Annabelle Apsion (Doctors, Shameless, A Mother’s Son), Joe Armstrong (Public Enemies, Hustle, Robin Hood), Matt Stokoe (Misfits), Stephen Walters (The 51st State), Scott Handy (Hunted) and Alfie Stewart (Merlin, Sadie J) takes over as the teenage Bert Middleton from episode six.
The six part series was filmed on location in the Peak District and will start airing on Sunday 31stMarch, 9 pm on BBC1.
