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Marriage (TV series)

Marriage
GenreDrama
Created byStefan Golaszewski
Written byStefan Golaszewski
Directed byStefan Golaszewski
Starring
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes4 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Stefan Golaszewski
  • Tommy Bulfin
  • George Faber
  • Richard Laxton
  • Beth Willis
ProducerLyndsay Robinson
CinematographyAli Asad
EditorSimon Reglar
Production companies
  • All3Media
  • The Forge
  • The Money Men
Original release
NetworkBBC One
Release14 August (2022-08-14) –
22 August 2022 (2022-08-22)

Marriage is a 2022 British television drama series, starring Nicola Walker and Sean Bean as a married couple in a long term domestic relationship.[1] It was created, written and directed by Stefan Golaszewski.[2] The four-part series opened on 14 August 2022 on BBC One. It was simultaneously made available in full to stream, on BBC iPlayer.

Cast

  • Sean Bean as Ian, Emma's husband who has recently been made redundant
  • Nicola Walker as Emma, Ian's wife who is a solicitor
  • Chantelle Alle as Jessica, Ian and Emma's adoptive daughter and a singer
  • Henry Lloyd-Hughes as Jamie, Emma's boss
  • Jack Holden as Adam, Jessica's abusive boyfriend and a record producer
  • James Bolam as Gerry, Emma's father
  • Makir Ahmed as Mike, Emma's colleague
  • Kath Hughes as Claire, Emma's colleague
  • Ella Augustin as Maxine, an employee at the local leisure centre
  • Hector Hewer as Kieran, an employee at the local leisure centre
  • Shona McHugh as Emily, an employee at Jamie's company who is on work experience
  • Kemal Sylvester as Paul, Emma's brother
  • Miles Barrow as Mark, a restaurant employee who befriends Jessica

Production

In September 2021, it was announced that the BBC had commissioned Golaszewski's new drama, starring Walker and Bean. It was a co-production between The Forge and The Money Men, in association with All3Media International.[3]

The theme tune is "Partita for 8 Voices: No 1, Allemande", an a cappella work by the American composer Caroline Shaw.[4]

Episode list

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateU.K. viewers
(millions)
1"1.1"Stefan GolaszewskiStefan Golaszewski14 August 2022 (2022-08-14)5.44
2"1.2"Stefan GolaszewskiStefan Golaszewski15 August 2022 (2022-08-15)3.32
3"1.3"Stefan GolaszewskiStefan Golaszewski21 August 2022 (2022-08-21)2.93
4"1.4"Stefan GolaszewskiStefan Golaszewski22 August 2022 (2022-08-22)<(2.32)

Reception

The series received mostly very good reviews from critics, and mixed reviews from viewers.[5][6] The Telegraph praised the first episode and gave it five out of five stars.[7] Ben East of Metro, similarly, praised the first episode and gave it four stars.[8] Rebecca Nicholson for The Guardian gave the first episode four out of five stars, remarking, 'There is a pitch-perfect realism to the way these characters talk without really saying anything, then put across what they really mean while saying nothing at all. It’s so cleverly done.'[9]

By contrast, Nick Hilton, writing for The Independent, gave Marriage two out of five stars, adding that the show would "bore you to tears".[10]

References

  1. ^ Sturges, Fiona (14 August 2022). "Marriage is largely tedious – Sean Bean's new TV series finally gets it". The Independent. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  2. ^ "Sean Bean and Nicola Walker to star in new Stefan Golaszewski drama, Marriage, for BBC One". BBC. 24 September 2021. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  3. ^ Julian, Joe (24 September 2021). "Nicola Walker and Sean Bean to lead BBC relationship drama Marriage". Radio Times. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  4. ^ Doherty, Réiltín (21 August 2022). "Marriage theme tune is annoying the hell out of viewers - what is it?". Entertainment Daily. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  5. ^ Harrison, Ellie (14 August 2022). "Marriage: BBC viewers divided over slow, realist Sean Bean drama". The Independent. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  6. ^ "TV tonight: Sean Bean and Nicola Walker argue over a jacket potato". The Guardian. 14 August 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  7. ^ Rees, Jasper (14 August 2022). "Marriage, review: Sean Bean and Nicola Walker will shake you out of complacency". The Telegraph.
  8. ^ East, Ben (14 August 2022). "Marriage on BBC review: Sean Bean and Nicola Walker deliver acting masterclass in authentic relationship study". Metro. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  9. ^ "Marriage review – Sean Bean and Nicola Walker are pitch perfect". TheGuardian.com. 14 August 2022.
  10. ^ Hilton, Nick (14 August 2022). "Marriage review: Sean Bean and Nicola Walker's marital non-drama will bore you to tears". The Independent. Retrieved 14 August 2022.