DCI Banks

DCI Banks

Intertitle (2010–2016)
Genre Crime drama
Based on Novels by Peter Robinson
Starring
Composer(s) Sheridan Tongue[1]
Country of origin United Kingdom
Original language(s) English
No. of series 5 + Pilot
No. of episodes 32 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s) Andy Harries
Francis Hopkinson
Producer(s) Stephen Smallwoad
Running time 45 minutes
Production company(s) Left Bank Pictures
Release
Original network ITV
Picture format 16:9 1080i
Audio format Stereo
Original release 27 September 2010 (2010-09-27) – 5 October 2016 (2016-10-05)

DCI Banks is a British crime drama series produced by Left Bank Pictures for the ITV network. The series is based on Peter Robinson's Inspector Alan Banks novels and stars Stephen Tompkinson as Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks.[2] In 2013, the series won in the drama category at the regional Royal Television Society Yorkshire Programme Awards.[3]

Background

In January 2010, author Peter Robinson signed with Left Bank Pictures and ITV to adapt novels from the Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks series for television.[4] Filming on a two-part pilot based on Aftermath was completed in July 2010, with scenes filmed in Leeds. DCI Banks: Aftermath was broadcast on ITV on 27 September and 4 October 2010.[4] The two episodes drew 6.55 million viewers, twice becoming the fifth most-watched programme on the ITV network that week.[5]

ITV commissioned six episodes — three two-part dramas adapted from three novels for the first series. Filming began in February 2011 and included locations in Otley for Friend of the Devil. Some shop names were unchanged during filming.[6][7] The first episode, Playing with Fire, aired 16 September 2011, and drew an average of 4.5 million viewers.[8] The subsequent two 2-part dramas, Friend of the Devil and Cold is the Grave, achieved similar ratings.

ITV commissioned a second series. Filming began in March 2012, and episodes began broadcasting from 10 October.[9] For this series, the novels Dry Bones that Dream,[10] Innocent Graves[11] and Strange Affair were adapted.[12] With Andrea Lowe on maternity leave, Stephen Tompkinson was joined by Caroline Catz as DI Helen Morton, a character not in the novels.[13] Sally Haynes, head of the ITV drama commissioning, said of the second series: "DCI Banks is now established as a firm favourite within ITV's crime drama slate. We're delighted so many viewers are appreciating Robert Murphy’s adaptations and how the team at Left Bank Pictures are producing DCI Banks."[13]

On 1 December 2012, Peter Robinson announced on his website "[14] that DCI Banks has been recommissioned for a third series of six one-hour episodes (again, three two-parters), according to a revised statement posted June 17, 2013, based on three books: Wednesday’s Child, Piece of My Heart, and Bad Boy. The revised announcement said filming would begin in August 2013, broadcast dates to be confirmed later. In January 2013, Stephen Tompkinson mentioned in an interview "I’m pleased to say [DCI Banks has] recently been commissioned for a third series, which should start filming later in the year,"[15] and in a subsequent interview he said: "In series three [DCI Alan] Banks will be assisted by both Annie and Helen,"[16] indicating that Lowe and Catz will return. Describing Alan Banks, Tompkinson said, "He is heavily reliant on his team and a great, almost patrician leader."[16]

The show was originally shown on ITV but from June 2014 the show was repeated on ITV's subscription drama channel ITV Encore on Friday nights.

On 22 September 2014, ITV announced the show was renewed for a fourth series. Filming began in Yorkshire in September 2014.[17] The fourth series featured six hour-long original episodes inspired by Peter Robinson's books and aired from 4 March 2015 to 8 April 2015.

On 3 December 2015, ITV announced the show was renewed for a fifth and final series.[18]

On 8 November 2016, it was announced that the show would not be renewed for a sixth series, thereby bringing DCI Banks to an end after five series. [19]

Cast

In an article written for The Telegraph when the pilot DCI Banks: Aftermath first aired in the UK, Peter Robinson wrote:

"A lot of people asked me about the casting of Stephen Tompkinson as Banks....I met Stephen early on in the process, and he wanted to...find out everything he could from me about the character. I was impressed by his dedication, and when I finally saw him 'in character' I thought he managed to convey the essence of Banks. Stephen is taller than the Banks in the books, and my Annie is a brunette, whereas Andrea Lowe plays her as a blonde. It doesn't matter. You can't expect exact duplication. No actor is going to satisfy everybody's image of the way a fictional character should look, but that doesn’t mean he or she can't capture that character's spirit."[20]
Actor Character Rank Position Series Duration Episode Count
1 2 3 4 5
Stephen Tompkinson Alan Banks Detective Chief Inspector Major Crimes S.I.O. Main 1.01—5.06 32
Andrea Lowe Annie Cabbot Detective Sergeant Major Crimes Detective Main 1.01—2.02, 3.01—5.05 27
Caroline Catz Helen Morton Detective Inspector Major Crimes Deputy S.I.O. Main 2.01—5.06 24
Jack Deam Ken Blackstone Detective Sergeant Major Crimes Detective Also Starring 1.01—5.06 32
Lorraine Burroughs Winsome Jackman Detective Sergeant Major Crimes Detective Also Starring 1.01—2.06 14
Danny Rahim Tariq Lang Detective Constable Major Crimes Detective Also Starring 3.03—4.06 10
Samuel Anderson Vince Grady Detective Constable Major Crimes Detective Also Starring 5.01—5.06 06
Tom Shaw Kevin Templeton Detective Constable Major Crimes Detective Recurring 1.03—1.06 04
Nick Sidi Ron McLaughlin Detective Chief Superintendent Borough Commander Recurring 1.08—4.06 15
Colin Tierney Gerry Rydell Detective Chief Superintendent Borough Commander Recurring 1.01—1.08 08
Shaun Dingwall Colin Anderson Detective Chief Superintendent Borough Commander Recurring 5.01—5.06 06

Episodes

All episodes, to date, have been in two parts, often broadcast a week apart. For re-broadcast on U.S. public television stations, the two parts are usually re-edited into a single 90-minute episode (without commercial interruption).

The pilot was broadcast in late 2010, and good viewing numbers ensured the making of the subsequent series. Each series has comprised three two-part episodes. Series 1 was broadcast in late 2011, Series 2 in late 2012, Series 3 in early 2014, Series 4 in early 2015 and Series 5 in late 2016.

International distribution

On 9 January 2013, BBC Worldwide America announced a "landmark syndication deal" with public television stations in the US for DCI Banks to be available on 166 PBS affiliate stations, "reaching an estimated 77% of U.S. TV households". The syndication deal includes the pilot, and Series 1 and 2. Idaho Public Television created a website for the show and posted all the episodes to be streamed on demand in the US . Although each drama was shown in two parts over two weeks in the UK, on PBS they have been shown as single 90-minute dramas. Julius Cain of BBC Worldwide America, said: "This syndication deal marks the largest we have inked to date between BBC Worldwide America and public television stations."[21]

DCI Banks has also been broadcast in Canada, and it aired in Norway on NRK1. In Sweden, national public service broadcaster SVT aired the pilot and three Series 1 episodes (each about 90 minutes in length). Similar airings occurred in Denmark. The pilot and Series 1 have also been aired in Finland (YLE1). In Estonia, national public service broadcaster ETV aired the pilot and Series 1 in autumn 2012, with Series 2 due to be aired in the end of September 2013. Series 1 was aired in Germany (ZDF) in 3 episodes of 90 minutes each, between 26 May and 9 June 2013 under the title Inspector Banks. In Australia, the show has aired on subscription TV channel, UKTV,[22] and in May 2013, began screening on free-to-air station ABC1.[23] In France, the drama began on 2 November 2012 on Arte.

DVD releases

The Series 1 DVD was released for Region 2 (UK) on 31 October 2011.[6] The two disc-set features the pilot Aftermath and the three two-part dramas of Series 1. Extra features include some deleted scenes and short interviews with Stephen Tompkinson and Andrea Lowe. The Region 2 DVD of Series 2 was released in the UK 19 November 2012, and contains three two-part dramas.[24] Panvision has published DVDs of the pilot and Series 1 with subtitles in Swedish, Danish, Norwegian and Finnish.

References

  1. ↑ Full cast & crew at IMDB.com
  2. ↑ Kanter, Jake (21 October 2010). "ITV orders six-part run of DCI Banks". Broadcast. Emap. Retrieved 17 September 2011. (subscription required)
  3. ↑ RTS Yorkshire Programme Awards 2013 Winners | Royal Television Society
  4. 1 2 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 12 October 2012. Retrieved 12 October 2012.
  5. ↑ Top 30 Programmes - BARB
  6. 1 2 DCI Banks [DVD]: Amazon.co.uk: Stephen Tompkinson: Film & TV
  7. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 15 April 2011. Retrieved 15 April 2011.
  8. ↑ Crime Time Preview: DCI Banks: Playing with Fire starring Stephen Tompkinson PREVIEW
  9. ↑ DCI Banks to return for a new six-part series | Radio Times
  10. ↑ DCI Banks: Dry Bones That Dream: An Inspector Banks Mystery Inspector Banks 7: Amazon.co.uk: Peter Robinson: Books
  11. ↑ DCI Banks: Innocent Graves (Inspector Banks 8): Amazon.co.uk: Peter Robinson: Books
  12. ↑ DCI Banks: Strange Affair: An Inspector Banks Mystery Inspector Banks 15: Amazon.co.uk: Peter Robinson: Books
  13. 1 2 DCI Banks to return for a new six-part series, Radio Times, 20 Mar 2012
  14. ↑ Peter Robinson's Official Website
  15. ↑ Interview: Stephen Tompkinson and Anna-Jane Casey, OK! Magazine, 18 January 2013
  16. 1 2 Dour detective back on the beat, The West Australian, 4 April 2013
  17. ↑ DCI Banks Returns for a Fourth Series, itv Press Centre, 22 September 2014
  18. ↑ DCI Banks returns for new six-part series
  19. ↑ "DCI Banks will not be renewed for a sixth series". Radio Times. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
  20. ↑ Peter Robinson on DCI Banks's TV debut, The Telegraph, 21 September 2010
  21. ↑ BBC Worldwide inks milestone syndication deal with public television stations for British crime drama DCI Banks, BBC Media Centre, 9 January 2013
  22. ↑ DCI Banks | UK TV Australia. Retrieved 11 May 2013
  23. ↑ DCI Banks - Premiere | ABC website. Retrieved 11 May 2013
  24. ↑ DCI Banks - Series 2 [DVD]: Amazon.co.uk: Stephen Tompkinson, Andrea Lowe, Caroline Catz, Lorraine Burroughs, Jack Deam

External links

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