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''The Great Train Robbery'' is a two-part British
television
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...
miniseries,
written by
Chris Chibnall
Christopher Antony Chibnall (born 21 March 1970) is an English television writer and producer, best known as the creator and writer of the award-winning ITV mystery-crime drama ''Broadchurch'' and as a showrunner of the long-running BBC sci ...
, that was first broadcast on
BBC One
BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
on 18 and 19 December 2013. The series is distributed worldwide by Kew Media.
It tells the story of the
Great Train Robbery on 8 August 1963, first from the perspective of the robbers, and then from the perspective of the police. Episode one, ''A Robber's Tale'' details the organisation of and successful completion of the robbery. Episode two, ''A Copper's Tale'' follows the police investigation into the crime and subsequent arrest of many of the perpetrators. Coincidentally, the first part, ''A Robber's Tale'', was shown on the same day that train robber
Ronnie Biggs
Ronald Arthur Biggs (8 August 1929 – 18 December 2013) was an English criminal who helped plan and carry out the Great Train Robbery of 1963. He subsequently became notorious for his escape from prison in 1965, living as a fugitive for 36 ye ...
died.
Plot
''A Robber's Tale'' is set between November 1962 and the aftermath of the
Great Train Robbery on 8 August 1963. It begins in November 1962 at
London Heathrow Airport
Heathrow Airport (), called ''London Airport'' until 1966 and now known as London Heathrow , is a major international airport in London, England. It is the largest of the six international airports in the London airport system (the others be ...
where an earlier robbery took place,
Bruce Reynolds
Bruce Richard Reynolds (7 September 1931 – 28 February 2013) was an English criminal who masterminded the 1963 Great Train Robbery. At the time it was Britain's largest robbery, netting , equivalent to £ million today. Reynolds spent fi ...
(
Luke Evans
Luke George Evans (born 15 April 1979) is a Welsh actor and singer. He began his career on the stage, performing in many of London's West End productions such as ''Rent'', ''Miss Saigon'', and '' Piaf'' before making his film breakthrough in ...
) then gathered a group of men to target the Royal Mail train heading between
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
and London.
''A Copper's Tale'' begins in the early morning of 8 August 1963 after the
train robbery
Train robbery is a type of robbery, in which the goal is to steal money or other valuables being carried aboard trains.
History
Train robberies were more common in the past when trains were slower, and often occurred in the American Old West. ...
took place. Six of the best police officers from
Scotland Yard are called to help with the investigation, with DCS
(
Jim Broadbent) in charge.
Cast
*
Luke Evans
Luke George Evans (born 15 April 1979) is a Welsh actor and singer. He began his career on the stage, performing in many of London's West End productions such as ''Rent'', ''Miss Saigon'', and '' Piaf'' before making his film breakthrough in ...
as
Bruce Reynolds
Bruce Richard Reynolds (7 September 1931 – 28 February 2013) was an English criminal who masterminded the 1963 Great Train Robbery. At the time it was Britain's largest robbery, netting , equivalent to £ million today. Reynolds spent fi ...
*
Jim Broadbent as DCS
*
Paul Anderson as Gordon Goody
* Jack Roth as
Charlie Wilson
*
Martin Compston
Martin Compston (born 8 May 1984) is a Scottish actor and former professional footballer. He played Anti-Corruption Unit Detective Inspector Steve Arnott in the BBC drama ''Line of Duty'', Liam in Ken Loach's '' Sweet Sixteen'', Paul Ferris in ...
as Roy James
*
Neil Maskell
Neil Maskell (born 1976) is an English actor, writer and director who is known for his appearances in British crime and horror films such as '' The Football Factory'' and ''Kill List''.
Early life
Maskell was born in London. As a youth, he pl ...
as
Buster Edwards
Ronald Christopher "Buster" Edwards (27 January 1931 – 28 November 1994) was a British criminal who was a member of the gang that committed the Great Train Robbery. He had also been a boxer, and owned a nightclub and a flower shop.
Early and ...
*
Del Synnott as
Brian Field
Brian Arthur Field (15 December 1934 – 27 April 1979) was an English solicitor's clerk who was one of the masterminds of the 1963 Great Train Robbery. He was the crucial link between the key informant known only as "''Ulsterman''" (who came u ...
*
Nicholas Murchie
Lucy Jane Robinson (born 1966) is a British actress working mostly in television.
Her television roles include Louisa Hurst in ''Pride and Prejudice'' (1995), Robyn Duff in the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth series of ''Cold Feet' ...
as Roger Cordery
* Jordan Long as
Tommy Wisbey
*
Jack Gordon as
Ronnie Biggs
Ronald Arthur Biggs (8 August 1929 – 18 December 2013) was an English criminal who helped plan and carry out the Great Train Robbery of 1963. He subsequently became notorious for his escape from prison in 1965, living as a fugitive for 36 ye ...
* George Ward as
Nick Reynolds
Nicholas Wells Reynolds (July 27, 1933 – October 1, 2008) was an American folk musician and recording artist. Reynolds was one of the founding members of The Kingston Trio, whose folk and folk-style material captured international attention du ...
* Eric Hulme as
Jack Mills
Jack Mills (1 September 1905 – 28 February 1970) was a British railway worker who was the driver of the train that was robbed in the Great Train Robbery in 1963.
Great Train Robbery
He boarded the train at the driver change-over at Crewe ...
*
James Bye as
John Daly
*
Robert Glenister
Robert Lewis Glenister (born 11 March 1960 in Watford, Hertfordshire) is an English actor. The son of the television director John Glenister and the older brother of actor Philip Glenister, his roles include con man Ash "Three Socks" Morgan in ...
as DI Frank Williams
* Bethany Muir as Franny Reynolds
*Olivia K Williams as Daughter of Charlie Wilson
A Robber's Tale
*
John Voce
John Voce (born 7 January 1963, Bicester) is an English actor. He has portrayed William Kempe in the period drama '' A Waste of Shame'' (2005) and the recurring character Tim Parker in '' Primeval'' (2007). He has also appeared in the 2001 fi ...
as Billy Still
*
Bill Thomas
William Marshall Thomas (born December 6, 1941) is an American politician. He was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1979 to 2007, finishing his tenure representing California's 22nd congressional district an ...
as Alf
* Nigel Collins as Bert Turner
*
Dean Smith
Dean Edwards Smith (February 28, 1931 – February 7, 2015) was an American men's college basketball head coach. Called a "coaching legend" by the Basketball Hall of Fame, he coached for 36 years at the University of North Carolina at Chapel H ...
as David Whitby
* Mark Stratton as Mr. Wyatt
A Copper's Tale
*
Ken Bones as Com. George Hatherill
*
Richard Hope as
DCS Malcolm Fewtrell
*
George Costigan
George J. Costigan (born 8 August 1947) is an English actor who is best known for portraying Bob in the 1987 film ''Rita, Sue and Bob Too'' and for roles in TV series such as '' Happy Valley'' and '' So Haunt Me''.
Early life
Born in Portsmouth ...
as DCS Ernie Millen
*
John Salthouse as DCI Sid Bradbury
*
Tim Pigott-Smith
Timothy Peter Pigott-Smith, (13 May 1946 – 7 April 2017) was an English film and television actor and author. He was best known for his leading role as Ronald Merrick in the television drama series '' The Jewel in the Crown'', for which he wo ...
as DS Maurice Ray
*
Nick Moran
Nick Moran (born 23 December 1968 or 1969, sources differ) is an English actor and filmmaker, best known for his role as Eddie the card sharp in ''Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels''. He appeared as Scabior in ''Harry Potter and the Deathly H ...
as
DS Jack Slipper
*
Tom Chambers as DS Steve Moore
* Matthew Jure as DS Stanley Davies
* James McGregor as DC Tommy Thorburn
* Tommy McDonnell as DC Keith Milner
* Tom Beard as Dr. Ian Holden
* Christine Cox as Emily Clarke
*
Gwyneth Strong
Gwyneth Strong (born 2 December 1959) is an English actress. She has appeared in '' Shadows'' (1975), ''Angels'' (1976), ''Crown Court'' and ''Z-Cars'' (1977), ''Play for Today'' (1980-1984), ''Silent Witness'' (1996). However, she is best known f ...
as Dorothy
*
James Wilby
James Jonathon Wilby (born 20 February 1958) is an English actor.
Early life and education
Wilby was born in Rangoon, Burma to a corporate executive father. He was educated at Terrington Hall School, North Yorkshire and Sedbergh School in Cu ...
as
John Wheater
John Feather Wheater (born 1958, London) is a British physicist, and Professor specialising in particle physics at the University of Oxford.
Education
Wheater was educated at the University of Oxford where he read Physics at Christ Church, Oxf ...
*
James Fox
William Fox (born 19 May 1939), known professionally as James Fox, is an English actor. He appeared in several notable films of the 1960s and early 1970s, including '' King Rat'', '' The Servant'', ''Thoroughly Modern Millie'' and ''Performan ...
as The Rt Hon
Henry Brooke MP
Production
''The Great Train Robbery'' was commissioned by
Ben Stephenson
Benjamin Stephenson is a television executive, formerly controller of drama at the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and currently Head of Television at Bad Robot Productions in the United States.
Personal life
Stephenson attended The ...
, controller of BBC Drama, and
Danny Cohen, controller of BBC One.
The
executive producers are Simon Heath for
World Productions
World Productions is a British television production company, founded on 20 March 1990 by acclaimed producer Tony Garnett, and owned by ITV plc following a takeover in 2017.
History
The company's first major series was the police drama '' Betwe ...
, the company behind the series, and Polly Hill for the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
.
Julia Stannard is the producer of the two ninety-minute films.
The two films were first due to be broadcast in August 2013, on the 50th anniversary of the train robbery, but was postponed to December 2013 because of scheduling issues. The production was inspired by the book ''Signal Red'' by
Robert Ryan
Robert Bushnell Ryan (November 11, 1909 – July 11, 1973) was an American actor and activist. Known for his portrayals of hardened cops and ruthless villains, Ryan performed for over three decades. He was nominated for the Academy Award for B ...
.
An arrangement of "
Keep On Running
"Keep On Running" is a song written and first recorded by Jackie Edwards. It became a hit in the UK for The Spencer Davis Group; their version reached number one in the charts.
Recordings
"Keep On Running" was written by Jamaican singer-songwrit ...
", performed by Louise Mitchell, was played at the beginning and end of "A Robber's Tale". This song's chart-topping version, performed by
The Spencer Davis Group
The Spencer Davis Group were a British band formed in Birmingham in 1963 by Spencer Davis (guitar), brothers Steve Winwood (keyboards, guitar) and Muff Winwood (bass guitar), and Pete York (drums). Their best known songs include the UK numb ...
, was used as the opening theme to ''
Buster'', the 1988 dramatisation of the Great Train Robbery.
Filming
Filming began in Yorkshire in March 2013.
Various parts of
Leeds city centre were used, such as the Adelphi public house,
the Calls,
Briggate,
Hyde Park Picture House and other parts of
Hyde Park.
The
Keighley and Worth Valley Railway
The Keighley & Worth Valley Railway is a heritage railway line in the Worth Valley, West Yorkshire, England, which runs from Keighley to Oxenhope. It connects to the National Rail network at Keighley railway station.
History
Inception ...
was used as Sears Crossing, where the actual robbery took place.
Other scenes were filmed at
Bradford (City Hall entrance/main steps.Also at the end of pt2,the blue police light is placed where the actual police station was in City Hall originally),
Shipley,
Haworth
Haworth () is a village in the City of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, in the Pennines, south-west of Keighley, west of Bradford and east of Colne in Lancashire. The surrounding areas include Oakworth and Oxenhope. Nearby villages inc ...
and
Goole
Goole is a port town and civil parish on the River Ouse in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The town's historic county is the West Riding of Yorkshire.
According to the 2011 UK census, Goole parish had a population of 19,518, an increa ...
.
Filey
Filey () is a seaside town and civil parish in the Borough of Scarborough in North Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the East Riding of Yorkshire, it is located between Scarborough and Bridlington on Filey Bay. Although it was a fishing ...
was used instead of
Torquay
Torquay ( ) is a seaside town in Devon, England, part of the unitary authority area of Torbay. It lies south of the county town of Exeter and east-north-east of Plymouth, on the north of Tor Bay, adjoining the neighbouring town of Paig ...
for the scenes involving Reynolds' hideout.
According to the BBC, Yorkshire is the "most cost-effective and realistic alternative".
Episodes
Reception
According to ''Cheshire Today'', the BBC was criticised for glorifying criminals when it announced the series.
Ratings
Overnight figures showed that ''A Robber's Tale'', the first episode of ''The Great Train Robbery'', was watched by 23.2% of the viewing audience for that time, with 5.23 million watching it. The second episode, ''A Copper's Tale'', had a 23.1% audience share and 4.95 million viewers, according to overnight figures.
Critical reception
''A Robber's Tale'' received a mixed response. ''
Metro
Metro, short for metropolitan, may refer to:
Geography
* Metro (city), a city in Indonesia
* A metropolitan area, the populated region including and surrounding an urban center
Public transport
* Rapid transit, a passenger railway in an urb ...
'' journalist Keith Watson gave the film two stars out of five and said he would have liked to have seen more background on the gang members. ''
The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally.
It was f ...
'' Tom Rowley gave it four stars out of five and noted the high attention to detail by
Chris Chibnall
Christopher Antony Chibnall (born 21 March 1970) is an English television writer and producer, best known as the creator and writer of the award-winning ITV mystery-crime drama ''Broadchurch'' and as a showrunner of the long-running BBC sci ...
. Sam Wollaston from ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' said ''A Robber's Tale'' "beautifully explores the dynamic of a gang of men".
Awards
''The Great Train Robbery'' received a
BAFTA nomination in 2014.
Home media
The two films have been released on DVD by publisher
Acorn Media UK and is available from the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
. It was released at other outlets on 6 January 2014.