Curfew (TV series)
Curfew is a British dystopian action drama television series created by Matthew Read for Sky. Starring an ensemble cast led by Sean Bean, Ike Bennett, Adam Brody, Aimee-Ffion Edwards, Phoebe Fox, Thaddea Graham, Guz Khan, Malachi Kirby, Adrian Lester, Andi Osho, Miranda Richardson, Jessye Romeo, Elijah Rowen, Jason Thorpe, Rose Williams, Billy Zane, and Michael Biehn, the series premiered on 22 February 2019 on Sky One in the United Kingdom and Ireland. In limited areas of the United States, the entire series was released on 24 June 2019 by Spectrum as part of their Spectrum Originals video on demand branding initiative.[2][3][4][5]
| Curfew | |
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| Genre | Action Drama |
| Created by | Matthew Read |
| Written by |
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| Directed by | |
| Starring |
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| Theme music composer | Pye Corner Audio |
| Opening theme | The Black Mill Video Tape |
| Composers | |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 8 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | |
| Producers |
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| Cinematography |
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| Editors |
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| Running time | 42–46 minutes |
| Production companies | Tiger Aspect Productions[1] Moonage Pictures |
| Release | |
| Original network | Sky One |
| Original release | 22 February – 12 April 2019 |
Premise
In the near future, Earth is overwhelmed by an unstoppable virus of unknown origin. To protect the population from the virus sweeping across the United Kingdom, a totalitarian government impose a curfew in which anyone caught out between 7pm to 7am will be put into quarantine, if not worse. Curfew focuses on a few lucky groups that are offered the opportunity to compete in an illegal 1,000-kilometre (620 mi) street race where the finish line ends in the ultimate prize: sanctuary.
The Virus
The initial outbreak of a virus in Scotland is followed by its spread to the rest of the world. Those infected by the virus are mutated into fast, savage and feral creatures (referred to as 'mooks') that attack non-infected humans. Mooks have high endurance and speed, and can only be taken down by heavy arms fire or head shots. They have a severe sensitivity to ultraviolet light; they burn when exposed to it, so they hide during the day and come out to hunt at night. When the virus and the appearance of 'mooks' started to impact everyday life, the curfew was introduced to keep people safe from the infected. In addition to the curfew, major cities, notably London and Manchester, have built walls and implemented checkpoints to control the public and limit the spread of the virus. Bridges across the Thames are also closed during curfew hours.
Because 'mooks' can seemingly respond to certain subsonic frequencies, these are used to lure them away from populated areas.
The virus is transmitted by biting alone; being scratched by a 'mook' does not result in infection, nor is the virus airborne. While a scratch is harmless, it does cause discomfort and mild nausea that is known to pass within a few hours. However, once bitten, an individual will quickly and painfully mutate. It is considered a mercy to kill the infected before they fully turn.
Unbeknownst to the public, the virus is not a natural phenomenon but, actually, a man-made agent originally designed for medical research into cellular regeneration. Unfortunately, the virus mutated unexpectedly during the first human trials in Scotland, and the outbreak occurred as a result of failed containment measures.
Cast
Main
- Sean Bean[4] as Errol "The General" Chambers[lower-alpha 1]
- Ike Bennett as Roman Donahue
- Adam Brody[1] as Max Larssen
- Aimee-Ffion Edwards[1] as Ruby Newman
- Rosie Fellner as Sylvie Chambers
- Phoebe Fox[3] as Kaye Newman
- Robert Glenister[3] as Jared Grieves
- Thaddea Graham as Hanmei Collins
- Guz Khan[1] as Cheese
- Malachi Kirby[1] as Michael Garwick
- Adrian Lester[3] as Simon Donahue
- Andi Osho as Jenny Donahue
- Chris Reilly as Clarence
- Miranda Richardson[3] as Lou Collins
- Richard Riddell as Kovacks
- Jessye Romeo as Meg Donahue
- Elijah Rowen[1] as Zane
- Clive Russell as Mac
- Peter Sullivan as Sebastian Underhill
- Jason Thorpe as El Capitano
- Harriet Walter[1] as Helen Newman
- Rose Williams[1] as Faith Palladino
- Billy Zane[3] as Joker Jones
Guest
- Michael Biehn[1] as Roadkill Jim
- Josef Davies as Ewan
- Lola Shepelev as Little Girl
- Jemma Churchill as Mrs. Matuscheck
- Alfie Field as Linus
- Toby Woolf as Maxi
- Roshawn Hewitt as Henry
- Henry Moult as Ty
- Sophia Ally as Simone
- Douglas Hodge as Tom Weston
- Emily Reid as Jessie Brown
- Eleanor Scarlett Clarke as Connie Brown
- Martin Walsh as John Brown
- Ryan Pope as Officer Darby
- Joe Bannister as Peter Carter
Joss Carter, Fionn Cox-Davies and Danny Collins portray the creatures.
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | U.K. viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Episode 1" | Colm McCarthy[1] | Matthew Read | 22 February 2019 | 1.01 | |
| Ordinary people compete for freedom in the world's deadliest street race. | ||||||
| 2 | "Episode 2" | Colm McCarthy | Matthew Read | 1 March 2019 | 0.756 | |
| The race is on and the road ahead is packed with dangers. The Donahues face up to a huge setback. Then, things go wrong on the Thames. | ||||||
| 3 | "Episode 3" | Colm McCarthy | Ben Hervey | 8 March 2019 | 0.706 | |
| London's huge wall presents the racers with another massive obstacle. Meanwhile, The General and Faith hatch a sneaky plan. | ||||||
| 4 | "Episode 4" | Christopher Smith | Will Smith | 15 March 2019 | 0.544 | |
| Roman confesses to Meg the real reason they joined the deadly street race. Kaye and Michael clash over whether to fight or flee. | ||||||
| 5 | "Episode 5" | Christopher Smith | Matthew Read | 22 March 2019 | 0.591 | |
| There's trouble when the Volvo and the tow truck crash. Lou and Ruby need spare parts. Fast. But they come at a steep price. | ||||||
| 6 | "Episode 6" | Christopher Smith | John Jackson | 29 March 2019 | 0.619 | |
| The ambulance, hot hatch and Volvo race into danger as they chase the prison truck into Manchester's badlands. | ||||||
| 7 | "Episode 7" | Brian Kelly | Matthew Read | 5 April 2019 | 0.515 | |
| Not far off the finish line, Kaye reveals a long-kept secret when she makes a shocking confession to Michael. | ||||||
| 8 | "Episode 8" | Brian Kelly | Matthew Read | 12 April 2019 | 0.533 | |
| An act of sabotage causes all hell to break loose. From the chaos, the final contenders emerge. | ||||||
Notes
- Receives guest credit in episode 6.
References
- "Another boost for Sky One's Curfew as Adam Brody joins supercharged cast". Sky Corporate. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
- White, Peter (28 August 2018). "'The O.C's Adam Brody Joins Sky's 'Fast & The Furious'-Style Drama 'Curfew'; Strikes U.S. Deal With Charter". Deadline.
- White, Peter (1 May 2018). "Billy Zane & Miranda Richardson Join The Cast Of Sky One 'Fast & The Furious'-Style Drama 'Curfew'". Deadline.
- Clarke, Stewart (25 January 2018). "Sean Bean to Star in Sky's Street-Racing Drama 'Curfew'". Variety.
- "TVLine Items: Sean Bean's Curfew Hits U.S., Vice News Cancelled and More". TVLine. 10 June 2019.