The Woman in the Wall is a six-part mystery drama television series created by Joe Murtagh and starring Ruth Wilson and Daryl McCormack. It premiered on 27 August 2023 on BBC One.[1]
| The Woman in the Wall | |
|---|---|
| Genre | |
| Created by | Joe Murtagh |
| Directed by |
|
| Starring | |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Running time | 57 minutes |
| Production company | Motive Pictures |
| Original release | |
| Network | BBC One (United Kingdom) Showtime (United States) |
| Release | 27 August – 24 September 2023 |
Synopsis
editLorna (Wilson) wakes up to find the apparently dead body of a woman in her house.[2] Lorna has a long history of trauma-based sleepwalking that stretches back to her time spent in Ireland’s controversial Magdalene laundries.[3]
Cast
edit- Ruth Wilson as Lorna Brady
- Abby Fitz as Young Lorna
- Daryl McCormack as Detective Colman Akande
- Nicolas Nunes de Souza as Young Colman
- Simon Delaney as Sergeant Aidan Massey
- Philippa Dunne as Niamh
- Mark Huberman as Michael Kearney
- Hilda Fay as Amy Kane
- Frances Tomelty as Sister Eileen
- Aoibhinn McGinnity as Young Sister Eileen
- Dermot Crowley as James Coyle
- Caoimhe Farren as Clemence Tooley
- Ciara Stell as Young Clemence
- Cillian Lenaghan as Conor Skelly
- Stephen Brennan as Father Percy Sheehan
- Michael O'Kelly as Young Father Percy
- Liam Heslin as Luke Drennan
- Lynn Rafferty as Anna
- Chizzy Akudolu as Lola Akande
- Eimear Morrissey as Superintendent Louise Byrne
- Charles Abomeli as Tayo Akande
- Helen Roche as Peggy
- Anne Kent as Deirdre
- Fiona Bell as Aoife
- Orla Gaffney as Young Aoife Cassidy
- Ardal O'Hanlon as Dara
- Aisling O'Neill as Mrs. Moran
Episodes
edit| No. | Title [4] | Directed by | Written by | Original air date [4] | U.K. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Back to Life" | Harry Wootliff | Joe Murtagh | 27 August 2023 | 4.70 |
| 2 | "Show Thyself" | Harry Wootliff | Joe Murtagh | 28 August 2023 | 3.33 |
| 3 | "Knock, Knock" | Rachna Suri | Joe Murtagh & Margaret Perry | 3 September 2023 | 3.44 |
| 4 | "The Cruelty Man" | Rachna Suri | Joe Murtagh | 10 September 2023 | 3.53 |
| 5 | "Ex Gratia" | Harry Wootliff | Joe Murtagh | 17 September 2023 | 3.58 |
| 6 | "A Little Resurrection" | Harry Wootliff | Joe Murtagh | 24 September 2023 | 4.04 |
Production
editThe project was announced in August 2022 as a joint BBC and Showtime project with Joe Murtagh as writer and creator alongside Harry Wootliff and Rachna Suri directing, with Ruth Wilson and Daryl McCormack in the lead roles and Wilson also as an executive producer.[5] Also acting as executive producers were Sam Lavender, Simon Maxwell, Joe Murtagh, and Harry Wootliff. The series is produced by Motive Pictures.[6]
Filming took place on location in Northern Ireland and also the Republic of Ireland, namely County Mayo.[7]
Producers are Simon Maxwell, Sam Lavender, Joe Murtagh, Ruth Wilson, and Harry Wootliff, with Lucy Richer for BBC.
Ruth Wilson told Boyd Hilton when interviewed on the Pilot TV podcast that one of her inspirations for the voice of her character was Cora Staunton, a ladies' Gaelic footballer.[8]
Release
editSeveral months after its original premiere on BBC One the series aired on Showtime in the United States starting on 21 January 2024.[9]
Reception
editThe review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 70% approval rating with an average rating of 7.40/10, based on 10 critic reviews.[10]
Accolades
editIn March 2024, the series was nominated for Best Drama and Best script at the IFTA Film & Drama Awards with Darryl McCormack nominated for Best Actor, Simon Delaney for Best Supporting Actor and Hilda Fay for Best Supporting Actress.[11] The series was nominated for Best Drama Series and Wilson for Best Actress at the 2024 Broadcasting Press Guild Awards.[12]
References
edit- ^ Craig, David (16 August 2023). "The Woman in the Wall: Release date and latest news on BBC drama". Radio Times. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
- ^ Warner, Sam (3 August 2023). "BBC's psychological detective drama gets first look with Ruth Wilson". Digital Spy. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ Wiseman, Andreas (17 August 2022). "Ruth Wilson & 'Peaky Blinders' Star Daryl McCormack Lead BBC & Showtime Thriller Series 'The Woman In The Wall' Inspired By Ireland's Magdalene Laundries Scandal". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ a b "The Woman in the Wall TV Show - Season 1 Episodes List". Next Episode. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
- ^ Cottrell, Imani (18 August 2022). "Chilling new drama The Woman in the Wall announced by BBC and Showtime". rts.org.uk. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ McHugh, Connell (19 August 2022). "BBC to produce new Magdelene Laundries series 'The Woman in the Wall'". Irish Post. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ Craig, David (3 August 2023). "Daryl McCormack and Ruth Wilson in first look at The Woman in the Wall". Radio Times. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ Dyer, James (28 August 2023). "Pilot TV Podcast #251: The Tower, Starstruck, And The Following Events Are Based On A Pack Of Lies. With Guests Ruth Wilson And Jonathan Tropper". Empireonline. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
- ^ Han, Angie (16 January 2024). "'The Woman in the Wall' Review: Ruth Wilson and Daryl McCormack Headline a Gripping Showtime Mystery Steeped in Irish Trauma". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
- ^ "The Woman in the Wall: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
- ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (14 March 2024). "Cillian Murphy, Andrew Scott Among Irish Film & TV Awards Nominees; 'Lies We Tell' Leads Feature Categories – Full List". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
- ^ Naylor, James (29 February 2024). "BPG Television and Streaming nominations for the 50th annual BPG Awards". Broadcasting-pressguild.org. Retrieved 21 March 2024.