Sean Bean (Game of Thrones) is taken on a terrifying journey in pursuit of a chilling and diabolical foe in ITV Encore’s The Frankenstein Chronicles.
Incorporating elements from the investigative and horror genres with an extraordinary hero at its centre, The Frankenstein Chronicles is set in Georgian London in 1827 and has been created by Benjamin Ross (The Young Poisoner’s Handbook) and writer Barry Langford (Torte Bluma).
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The cast includes Anna Maxwell Martin (The Bletchley Circle), Charlie Creed-Miles (Ripper Street), Ed Stoppard (Cilla), Elliot Cowan (Da Vinci’s Demons), Hugh O’Conor (Chocolat), Joe Tucker (Bronson), Kate Dickie (Game of Thrones), Lalor Roddy (Hunger), Patrick Fitzsymons (Game of Thrones), Richie Campbell (Waterloo Road), Robbie Gee (Snatch), Ryan Sampson (Plebs), Samuel West (Mr Selfridge), Shaun Mason (Cilla), Steve Wilson (Game of Thrones), Steven Berkoff (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Stuart Graham (The Fall), Tom Ward (Silent Witness) and Vanessa Kirby (About Time).
Episode 1: ‘World without God’
Wednesday 11 November 2015, 10pm
London 1827: River Thames at night – a smuggling operation is underway – suddenly, a river police launch is bearing down on the smugglers and a fight breaks out, followed by a furious chase to the shore.
John Marlott, a senior river police officer and veteran of the Battle of Waterloo, paces the shoreline of the Thames reviewing the aftermath. A sharp police whistle draws his attention towards a small shape lying at the waters edge. As he approaches he sees it is the body of a child, a young girl around 10 years of age.
Her body is covered in crude sutures, and is a horrifying sight. He reaches down to touch the dead hand – but in a moment of terror, the hand grabs him back!
The dreadful corpse is brought to the urgent attention of the Home Secretary, Sir Robert Peel, who summons Marlott, and tells him that he wants him to undertake a private investigation. The leading surgeon at St Bart’s hospital in Smithfield, Sir William Chester, tells Marlott that the corpse was made up of seven or eight bodies stitched together.
Marlott is put to work within the offices of the Bow Street Runners, and recruits an optimistic young runner, Nightingale, to assist him. Marlott’s attention is then drawn towards a slum dwelling where criminal Billy Oates masterminds his gang of child criminals. There he discovers a young girl Flora.
He also finds a painting on the wall. It is “Little Girl Lost” by the artist William Blake – Marlott resolves to investigate further.
Episode 2: ‘Seeing Things’
Wednesday 18 November 2015, 10pm
Marlott visits the house of artist and printmaker William Blake who is on his deathbed, but he receives Marlott as a prophet of things to come.
Marlott confers with Nightingale who has been keeping watch on a public house, The Fortune of War, which is situated opposite St Barts hospital in Smithfield. This is where the body snatchers gather, along with their “goods” which they sell at the hospital. Marlott identifies one body snatcher, Pritty, as potentially helpful, and he and Nightingale set up a cunning ‘sting’ which brings him into their service.
Pritty is most indignant; body snatching is not illegal. He considers himself to be a businessman and hotly denies anything to do with the sutured child – though he does know of a gang who might not shrink at darker acts. Marlott charges him to arrange a meeting with them.
Marlott is visited by a Lady Hervey, a beautiful and fervent aristocrat – and a devoted Christian. She passionately opposes the Anatomy Act because she believes it will lead to a world without God. She begs Marlott to do whatever he can to stop the act being passed.
Marlott attends an anatomy lecture at St Barts, given by Garnet Chester the flamboyant cousin of Sir William, who performs a galvanizing experiment on a young corpse. As the dead arm twitches to a sensational response from the students, the lecture is disrupted by anti Anatomy Act supporters.
Marlott follows them to a public debate being conducted by a powerful MP, Bentley Warburton, who attempts to rouse the poor about the horrors of public dissection and urges them to demonstrate about the coming Anatomy Act.
A curious eye meets Marlott’s – young journalist Boz is writing a story about the coming act and Marlott quizzes him. Boz sets his sights on unraveling the secrets behind Marlott’s quest.
Episode 3: ‘All The Lost Children’
Wednesday 25 November 2015, 10pm
Having escaped the clutches of Billy Oates, Flora throws herself on Marlott’s mercy. Believing her to be a key witness to Alice’s disappearance, he brings her to his lodgings for safety.
As the investigation continues, Marlott travels to Kentish Town to interrogate Mary Shelley. The connectionbetween her monster and the child corpse cannot be a mere coincidence…
Episode 4: ‘The Fortune Of War’
Wednesday 2 December 2015, 10pm
Marlott takes a terrified Pritty on their assignation to meet the men who kill for money – they find themselves in the tunnels under Smithfield market, which run from the Fortune of War pub to St Bart’s Hospital.
Flora has returned to Marlott’s lodgings, but now she is back Marlott intends to use her as bait for the murderous gang, much against Nightingale’s wishes.
Episode 5: ‘The Frankenstein Murders’
Wednesday 9 December 2015, 10pm
Boz publishes his newspaper article, The Frankenstein Murders, which causes a public outcry and infuriates Peel on the eve of the Anatomy Act.
Mary Shelley follows her own line of enquiry into the medical practice of Sir William Chester, uncovering secrets from the past. Marlott decides to go back to Greenwich to where it all began, is there something he is missing?
Episode 6: ‘Lost and Found’
Wednesday 16 December 2015, 10pm
Marlott pieces together the links in the chain to connect the supplier of corpses with the his final suspect.
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Watch the trailer…
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