New Worlds (TV series)

New Worlds is a 2014 Channel 4 TV series, set in 1680s England and America and forming a sequel to The Devil's Whore.^[1]

New Worlds
Genre	Historical drama
Created by	Peter Flannery Martine Brant
Directed by	Charles Martin
Starring	Phil Cheadle Pip Carter
Composer	Harry Escott
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
No. of series	1
No. of episodes	4
Production
Executive producers	Peter Flannery Martine Brant John Yorke
Producer	Johann Knobel
Production locations	Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England
Running time	50 minutes (including adverts)
Production company	Company Pictures
Original release
Network	Channel 4
Release	1 April (2014-04-01) – 22 April 2014 (2014-04-22)

Production

In August 2013 Channel 4 announced a follow-up series to The Devil's Whore. Written by Peter Flannery and Martine Brant, it follows Angelica (the central character from the previous series), now Countess of Abingdon, trying to protect her daughter, in an England still full of unrest and Hope and Ned, struggling in colonial Massachusetts. It is produced by Company Pictures with Johann Knobel serving as the producer. The executive producers are Peter Flannery, Martine Brant and John Yorke. Channel 4 started airing the series as one-hour episodes on 1 April 2014.^[2]

Cast

• James Cosmo – Col. Goffe
• Pip Carter – Judge Jeffreys
• Phil Cheadle – Ralph
• Holli Dempsey – Agnes
• Joe Dempsie – Ned
• Jamie Dornan – Abe Goffe
• Alice Englert – Hope
• Patrick Malahide – John Francis
• Michael Maloney – Hardwick
• Freya Mavor – Beth Fanshawe
• Eve Best – Angelica Fanshawe
• Jeremy Northam – Charles II
• Guy Henry – Randolph
• Amy Marston – Martha Hawkins
• Michael McElhatton – John Hawkins
• Tom Payne – Monmouth
• Elliot Reeve – Caleb Cresswell
• Malcolm Storry – Adam
• Tommy Hatto – Native American
• James Mcardle – Will Blood
• Lewis C. Elson - Nobleman

Reception

Stuart Jeffries writing for The Guardian, criticised the dialogue and writing saying: "[...] the writing needs to be so much better. The dialogue is too often laughably expository. Too often characters tell us history rather than dramatising it."^[3] The same sentiment was echoed by Patrick Kevin Day of The Los Angeles Times, though he praised the production design and the cast's acting.^[4] He concluded saying: "Just don’t expect to be compelled to finish the whole thing in one sitting. Sometimes, a little magic goes a long way."^[4] Conversely Ellen E. Jones wrote for The Independent: "[...] despite their derring-do, this new cast of Skins graduates and ex-models didn't quite live up to the Devil's Whore originals, a group that memorably included Peter Capaldi, Dominic West, John Simm and Michael Fassbender."^[5]

David Hinckley of the New York Daily News was more positive about the series as he said: "Once we sort of figure out what's going on, which takes some work, the action is lively." He commended the cast, with particular notion for Dornan's performance, stating: "Dornan plays historical drama smoothly, as do his fellow performers."^[6]

References

1. Stubbs, David (29 March 2014). "New Worlds to conquer: meet the cast of Channel 4's new historical drama". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
2. Munn, Patrick (6 August 2013). "Channel 4's' The Devil's Whore follow up 'New Worlds' adds to cast". TV Wise. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
3. Jeffries, Stuart (2 April 2014). "New Worlds; Building Burma's Death Railway – TV review". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
4. Kevin Day, Patrick (16 February 2015). "'New Worlds' review: Historical drama that's more talky than epic". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
5. E. Jones, Ellen (2 April 2014). "New Worlds, Channel 4 - TV review: Restoration rebels fail to fire the". The Independent. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
6. Hinckley, David (12 February 2015). "'New Worlds': Television Review". New York Daily News. Retrieved 23 July 2023.

External links

• New Worlds at IMDb