‘Perfect’ BBC period drama starring Hollywood icon | UK News
Some exhibits disappear too soon, and one BBC drama from 2016 is one of them. First broadcast on BBC One nearly 10 years in the past, the six-part supernatural collection shortly earned reward for its eerie ambiance, strong performances and cinematic visuals.
But despite crucial acclaim, The Living and the Dead was cancelled after just one season. Set in rural Somerset during the late 1800s, the story follows psychologist Nathan Appleby (Colin Morgan) and his spouse Charlotte (Charlotte Spencer) as they transfer into Nathan’s household property.
What begins as a hopeful return to the countryside soon unravels into a nightmare. The Applebys discover themselves surrounded by ghostly apparitions, unusual happenings and forces that science can’t clarify. As Nathan’s obsession with uncovering the reality deepens, the road between the dwelling and the useless begins to blur.
The Living and the Dead was created by Ashley Pharoah, best identified as co-creator of Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes. Determined to craft a traditional Victorian ghost story, Pharoah blended gothic horror with psychological drama.
Filming came about in the West Country, with Horton Court in Gloucestershire offering a good backdrop. Its medieval partitions and sweeping countryside gave the story an authenticity that CGI couldn’t replicate. One viewer praised it as “a feast for the eyes with views of the English countryside through the changing seasons.”
(Image: BBC)
Charlotte Spencer shines as Charlotte Appleby, offering both tenderness and strength as she tries to maintain her husband and the farm together. The chemistry between Morgan and Spencer was steadily singled out, with one review calling it “wonderful.”
Nicholas Woodeson, Elizabeth Berrington, and Robert Emms also stand out in the supporting solid, each including intrigue and unease to the Somerset village.
No gothic story is full without a haunting rating, and The Living and the Dead makes full use of sound. Bristol-based duo The Insects created the unique soundtrack, while Elizabeth Fraser of Cocteau Twins fame contributed a spine-tingling model of She Moved Through the Fair. Traditional hymns and the recurring people ballad The Reaper’s Ghost also helped tie the story together.
Fans famous that the music stayed with them long after watching, with one review calling the soundtrack “brilliant” and praising how it constructed rigidity throughout the collection.
(Image: BBC)
While the BBC never ordered a second collection, The Living and the Dead earned strong crucial suggestions. On Rotten Tomatoes, it sits at 83%, with reviewers describing it as “a throwback to traditional gothic tales of yore”.
Its visuals were particularly praised, with Matt Gray’s cinematography earning a nomination from the British Society of Cinematographers in 2016. The following year, the Royal Television Society nominated the series for both editing and cinematography at the RTS West Television Awards.
(Image: BBC)
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