The Second Coming (2003)

Country of Origin: UK
Dates of Original Broadcast: 9 February 2003-10 February 2003
Number of Seasons: 1
Total Number of Episodes: 2
Average Episode Running Times: 72m
Format:
Colour Format: colour
Aspect Ratio:
Sound:

DIRECTION

Directed by: Adrian Shergold

CREW

PRODUCTION
Copyright: © Red Production Company 2002
Production Company: Red Production Company
Executive Producers: Nicola Shindler, Russell T. Davies
Produced by: Ann Harrison-Baxter
Associate Producer: Des Hughes
Unit Manager: Rebecca Rawliffe
Production Coordinator: Tracy Lee

SCRIPT
Written by: Russell T. Davies
Script Editor: Susie Conklin

DIRECTION
1st Assistant Director: Jamie Hall
2nd Assistant Director: Jonathan Leather
3rd Assistant Director: Daniel Winch
Script Supervisor: Carol Saunderson

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director ofPhotography: David Odd
Focus Puller: David Bell
Clapper Loader: Tony Slater-Ling
Camera Trainee: Richard Evans
Lighting Gaffer: Andrew Taylor
Best Boy: Peter Chester
Electricians: Eddie McCarthy, Chris Gilbertson, Bob Fernandez
Grip: John Rundle

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editor: Tony Cranstoun
Post-Production Supervisors: Chris Clarkson, David Boyle
Post Production: 3Sixtymedia
Colourist: Kevin Horsewood

MUSIC
Composer: Murray Gold

SOUND
Sound Recordist: Dennis Cartwright
Boom Operators: Chris Cartwright, Jonathan Seale
Re-Recording Mixer: John Whitworth
Dubbing Editors: John Crumpton, John Rutherford

COSTUMES AND MAKE-UP
Costume Designer: Emma Rosenthal
Costume Supervisor: Alison McLaughlin
Costume Assistant: Alison Cook
Make-Up Designer: David Jones
Make-Up Artists: Jaqui Walsh, Ali Mountford

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects Supervisor: Graham Brown

VISUAL EFFECTS
Digital Effects Supervisor: Peter Bach
Digital Effects: Jim Parsons, Ben Murray, Josh George

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Chris Wilkinson
Art Director: Emma Dibb
Standby Art Director: Pawlo Wintoniuk
Production Buyer: Ron Pritchard
Props Master: Vic Shirovay
Standby Props: Mike Gleeson, Neil Glynn
Construction Manager: Steve Bedford
Standby Carpenter: Alan Sprawson
Standby Painter: Richard Brockless
Standby Rigger: Mark Jenkinson

OTHER CREW
Production Accountant: Tracy Sproston
Unit Publicists: Joy Sapieka, Chloe Dunbar

LOCATIONS
Locations: Manchester, Greater Manchester, England, UK
Location Manager: Ken Mair

STUNTS
Stunt Co-ordinator: Gareth Milne
Stunts: Peter Pedrero, Rick English, John Tannen

CASTING
Casting Director: Beverley Keogh
Crowd Casting: Caz Nicklin

CAST

Part One
Christopher Eccleston (Stephen Baxter)
Lesley Sharp (Judith Roach)
William Travis (Dave Morris)
Ahsen Bhatti (Peter Gupta)
Annabelle Apsion (Fiona Morris)
John Henshaw (Clive Saxon)
Judith Barker (Eileen Saxon)
Ray Emmet Brown (charge nurse)
Peter Armitage (Frank Baxter)
Rory Kinnear (Father Dillane)
Mark Benton (Johnny Tyler)
Jazmine Franks (Jane Morris)
Chrissi-Jo Hyde (hospital administrator)
Phil Clegg (hospital policeman)
Neil Bell (homeless man)
Rosalind March (woman driver)
Steve Money (Stan Lynch)
Lee Seddon (Lee Lynch)
Peter Wight (Len Chadwick)
Jack Watson (Alex Morris)
Mary Cunningham (female expert)
Anthony Schaeffer (male expert)
Cheuk Li (Chinese newscaster)
Jagtar Singh (Indian newsreader)
Henry Margolis (Rabbi Shorofski)
Doug Cockle (American newsreader)
Jennifer Hennessy (female reporter)
Basienka Blake (French woman)
Angel Coulby (PC Louise Fraser)
Tim Woodward (Chief Constable Richard Tanner)
Kenny Doughty (PC Simon Lincoln)
Denise Black (Rachel Craig)
John Warnaby (phone-in presenter)
Joe Simpson (pub bouncer)
Jeff Merchant (calm man)


Part Two
Christopher Eccleston (Stephen Baxter)
Lesley Sharp (Judith Roach)
Peter Armitage (Frank Baxter)
Peter Wight (Len Chadwick)
Annabelle Apsion (Fiona Morris)
Jack Watson (Alex Morris)
Jazmine Franks (Jane Morris)
William Travis (Dave Morris)
Ahsen Bhatti (Peter Gupta)
Mark Benton (Johnny Tyler)
Angel Coulby (PC Louise Fraser)
Kenny Doughty (PC Simon Lincoln)
Tim Woodward (Chief Constable Richard Tanner)
John Warnaby (phone-in presenter)
David Horovitch (Mr Streeter)
David Prosho (PC Jackson)
Victoria Myers (checkout girl)

PLOT SUMMARY

Video shop clerk Steven Baxter disappears for 40 days and 40 nights. When he comes back, he claims to be the Son of God. When he apparently starts to perform genuine miracles, the world starts to take notice. But is Mankind able to meet Steven's demands – that it mends its ways in five days or face Judgement Day?

CAPSULE REVIEW

A superb cast, a genuinely thought-provoking premise and some of Davies' best writing conspire to make The Second Coming one of the very few must-see television events in Britain since the turn of the Millennium. It's bound to shock some and offend others but that's exactly as it should be - it's a deliberately challenging work, one written with wit and intellect, and for that it should be cherished, watched repeatedly and talked about endlessly, no matter which side of the religious divide you happen to live on. (Full Review)

AVAILABILITY

UK
Television Broadcasters: ITV
Television Distributors: Carlton International Media Ltd/ITV
DVD Distributors: Carlton (37115 04783)

CENSORSHIP HISTORY

UK
Rating: 15

AWARDS

2003
Royal Television Society, UK
Best Tape and Film Editing – Drama (Tony Cranstoun) - winner

2004
Directors Guild of Great Britain, UK
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Television Movie/Serial (Adrian Shergold) - nominated

REFERENCES

PERIODICALS

Televisual November 2003 p.15 (UK)
illustrated article (ITV plc: together at last - no writer credited)

OTHER SOURCES

screen
credits

KEYWORDS

demons, the devil, god, jesus christ, miracles, possession, religion, the second coming, suicide

Last Updated: 3 May, 2010