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The Responder is a British police drama television series set in Liverpool, written by former Merseyside Police officer Tony Schumacher, with Tim Mielants as leading director and starring Martin Freeman, Adelayo Adedayo, Ian Hart, and MyAnna Buring.[1] It aired on BBC One on 24 January 2022. Schumacher has said that the character has "a lot to do" with him and the struggles he faced as a police officer but that the storyline is fictional.[2]
| The Responder | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Police drama |
| Created by | Tony Schumacher |
| Written by | Tony Schumacher |
| Directed by |
|
| Starring | |
| Composer | Matthew Herbert |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 12 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producer | Rebecca Ferguson |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production company | Dancing Ledge Productions |
| Original release | |
| Network | BBC One |
| Release | 24 January 2022 – present |
In late March 2022, the show was renewed for a second series, consisting of six episodes,[3][4] which began airing on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on 5 May 2024.[5] The second series marked the final acting performance of Bernard Hill, who died the day of its release.[6]
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Chris Carson is a police officer in a fictional constabulary covering Liverpool, who has been demoted from his position as an inspector and undertakes a series of night shifts in the city centre. He is a conflicted and compromised man, with somewhat divided loyalties, a desire to do good, but with anger issues brought on by childhood trauma and exacerbated by his experience in the police. Shots of him working are interspersed with scenes at therapy, at home, with his mother in a nursing home, or visiting his estranged father. His partner is Rachel Hargreaves, an inexperienced and idealistic officer who wants to play by the rules but who ultimately dislikes her job.
Series 1
Carl Sweeney is a mid-level drug dealer whose stash of cocaine has been stolen by Casey, a local drug addict. Chris is trying to help Casey and in doing so crosses Carl. Marco is a young friend of Casey's who struggles to meet his daily needs.[7] Chris is pursued by the officer responsible for his demotion, whose motives may not be entirely honest, as part of a corruption probe. The effects of the job and Chris's mental state take a toll on his family.
Series 2
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Main
- Martin Freeman as Chris Carson
- Adelayo Adedayo as Rachel Hargreaves, a probationary police officer
- Warren Brown as Raymond Mullen, a demoted officer with an axe to grind
- MyAnna Buring as Kate Carson, Chris's wife
- Emily Fairn as Casey, a drug addict
- Josh Finan as Marco, Casey's friend
- Philip S. McGuinness as Ian, Carl's henchman
- Mark Womack as Barry, Carl's henchman
- Ian Hart as Carl Sweeney, a drug dealer
- Rita Tushingham as June Carson, Chris's mother
- Kerrie Hayes as Ellie Mullen, Raymond's wife and Kate's best friend
- Faye McKeever as Jodie Sweeney, Carl's wife
- David Bradley as Davey, a local homeless man
- Christine Tremarco as Diane Gallagher, Greg's sister
- Amaka Okafor as Deborah Barnes, Chris's boss
- James Nelson-Joyce as Greg Gallagher, a drug lord
Recurring
- Elizabeth Berrington as Lynne Renfrew, Chris's therapist
- Philip Barantini as Steve, Rachel's boyfriend
- Philip Whitchurch as Joe, Casey's grandfather
- Romi Hyland-Rylands as Tilly Carson, Chris and Kate's daughter
Guest
- Bernard Hill as Tom Carson
- Victor McGuire as Trevor
- Dominic Carter as Bernie Wilson
- Matthew Cottle as Father Liam Neeson
- Dave Hill as Billy
- Sylvie Gatrill as Mary
- Sonny Walker as Stevo Marsh
- James Ledsham as Enno
- Connor Dempsey as Kyle
- David Ayres as Andy
- Kieron Urquhart as Paul
- Harry Burke as Liam
- Sue Johnston as Madge
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Series 1 (2022)
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Episode 1" | Tim Mielants | Tony Schumacher | 24 January 2022 | |
|
Liverpool first responder Chris Carson, who recently was demoted from inspector to officer, patrols the streets on his own, encountering familiar faces, while facing new challenges. He is later contacted by an old friend, Carl Sweeney, who asks him to find a drug addict named Casey. Despite his longing to help people, Chris rejects the task, noting that he isn't going to be anyone's bounty hunter. With this rejection, Sweeney warns that he will come after him and decides to go and find Casey himself. Chris responds to a report of a deceased woman in a house, who turns out to be a grandmother to a local boy. He guards the house until the medical officer arrives to inspect the body. Chris also decides to look after Casey when he learns that she is in debt to Sweeney after stealing his drugs. With drug dealer Marco's help, he eventually finds Casey and asks her to leave town for her own good. It takes him one more attempt, when he decides to drive her to the train station himself after learning what Sweeney might do to her. Chris also struggles with his family life and sees a therapist. He confides in her about wanting a good life and being honest with his wife, but that he finds it difficult with his line of work and not knowing how to express himself. | ||||||
| 2 | 2 | "Episode 2" | Tim Mielants | Tony Schumacher | 24 January 2022 | |
|
Sweeney arrives at Chris's house and calls him, threatening to put his family's lives in danger if he doesn't find Casey. Chris insists that she has left town, but Sweeney doesn't believe it. Marco arrives home after a failed attempt to earn money, to find Casey on his couch. He messages Sweeney, informing him of her location. Officers Rachael Hargreaves and Phil O'Rourke stop a car whose driver jumps out and starts beating Hargreaves; O'Rourke intervenes, only to be beaten up himself. Chris responds as backup and has the man arrested. Chris's boss, Bernie Wilson, assigns him to be partnered with Hargreaves for the night while O'Rourke recovers from his injuries. Though reluctant, Chris agrees to it but demands Hargreaves follow his lead. On their patrol, they encounter a man named Davey, who has reported that his bed was torched by local teens. Chris and Hargreaves find them, and Chris threatens them into behaving and leaving Davey alone, in exchange for information about Casey. Chris and Hargreaves are unaware that Raymond Mullen, the man who brought Chris down initially, is tailing them, looking for an opportunity to get him behind bars. Sweeney and his goons, along with Marco, bring Casey to an undisclosed location, where they attempt to pry information about her sale of Sweeney's drugs. She points them towards someone dubbed Smiggy, who has organised a party. Concurrently, Chris and Hargreaves arrive at the location of the party, also in search of Smiggy, albeit for Chris's own benefit. While waiting for Chris, Hargreaves encounters Sweeney and later goes inside and tries to stop some teens from taking drugs. Chris arrives to break up the ensuing fight, facing an angered Hargreaves, who calls him out for his incompetence and insinuates his corruption. Chris decides to leave without her. | ||||||
| 3 | 3 | "Episode 3" | Fien Troch | Tony Schumacher | 24 January 2022 | |
|
Chris returns to Casey's hideout but doesn't find her, before leaving and taking her stash with him. When she approaches him, he declines to help her again and decides to put a price on returning the stash to Sweeney, who is revealed to be working for his doctor, Dianne Gallagher. Sweeney attempts to ease down on his approach to Chris, but he refuses to return the stash without getting paid, something Sweeney for the moment is unable to do. Chris's mental health continues to deteriorate, and he grows angry when his therapist doesn't remember his appointment. Mullen reaches out to Hargreaves and attempts to persuade her to work with him against Chris. However, after he opens up to her, she begins to doubt his intentions and whether or not she wants to help. Chris's wife asks him to leave the house. Chris and Hargreaves respond to a call about young men who supposedly took drugs at a bar, one of whom is revealed to be Hargreaves's boyfriend, Steve. Chris does her a favour of not taking Steve and his friends to prison. | ||||||
| 4 | 4 | "Episode 4" | Fien Troch | Tony Schumacher | 24 January 2022 | |
|
Hargreaves informs Mullen about Chris's purchase of a burner phone. Gallagher reaches out to him, telling him where to drop off the stash and warning him if he doesn't deliver. He meets Sweeney at the drop-off alongside Gallagher's enforcers, who check the stash, only to learn that it's washing powder. Sweeney is killed as a consequence, and Gallagher demands that Chris and Casey be found. Kate Carson is confronted by her friend, Ellie, who is Mullen's wife, about having an affair with him, which she acknowledges; Mullen is later assaulted by Ellie for it. Chris increases his pill usage and becomes increasingly paranoid. Sweeney's wife reports him missing and demands the 30,000 pounds from him. Casey and Marco meet her grandfather, a former burglar, who sets up a meeting with a potential buyer for the stash. However, the buyer isn't convinced. Chris and Hargreaves respond to a car fire, which they both quickly realise belongs to Sweeney. | ||||||
| 5 | 5 | "Episode 5" | Philip Barantini | Tony Schumacher | 24 January 2022 | |
|
With detectives arriving on the scene, Hargreaves learns from Chris's former partner Deborah Barnes that Mullen's unit was shut down and that he blamed Chris for it. Chris and Hargreaves inform Sweeney's wife about his death. Barnes approaches Mullen and encourages him to stop his investigation, to no avail. He manages to clone Chris's phone and calls Gallagher, who immediately realises it's not Chris and alerts her brother Greg, who's in prison and for whom she works. Chris returns to his family and tells his wife the truth, who although shocked at his revelations, asks him to avoid prison at all costs. Chris revisits a house he lurked around earlier but is cornered by Gallagher and her goons. She helps him through a panic attack before allowing him to talk to her brother. He orders Chris to find his stolen stash and Casey. In the meantime, Marco steals the stash and decides to hide it at Davey's. Hargreaves rebels against her abusive boyfriend, who shuts her in a closet before going to work. | ||||||
| 6 | 6 | "Episode 6" | Philip Barantini | Tony Schumacher | 24 January 2022 | |
|
Hargreaves calls Chris and informs him of her predicament, and he arrives to let her out. He also encourages her to take a stand against Steve once and for all. Marco stumbles upon Casey and Davey, and she demands the stash back. They both run when Gallagher's goons arrive and chase them. Chris and Hargreaves arrive and drive them to safety. Chris asks Casey to give him the stash, which she reluctantly does. Hargreaves makes her stand against Steve at his workplace. While waiting for Chris on a phone call, she discovers the stash in the bag and confronts him about it. Their relationship becomes strained, and she decides to report Steve's abuse but ultimately decides against it. Chris retrieves a piece of paper documenting the stash be seized, proving to Dianne Gallagher that her brother will not be harmed in prison. He then gives the stash to Jodie, Carl's wife. Barnes inquires about Chris to Kate, forcing her to lie about Gallagher. Having sorted out his problems, Chris returns to his family and agrees with Kate that they should do their best to be better. | ||||||
Series 2 (2024)
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 1 | "Episode 1" | Jeanette Nordahl | Tony Schumacher | 5 May 2024 |
| 8 | 2 | "Episode 2" | Jeanette Nordahl | Tony Schumacher | 5 May 2024 |
| 9 | 3 | "Episode 3" | Mounia Akl | Tony Schumacher | 5 May 2024 |
| 10 | 4 | "Episode 4" | Mounia Akl | Tony Schumacher | 5 May 2024 |
| 11 | 5 | "Episode 5" | Mounia Akl | Tony Schumacher | 5 May 2024 |
| 12 | 6 | "Episode 6" | Charlotte Regan | Tony Schumacher | 5 May 2024 |
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The series premiered on BBC One on 24 January 2022.[2] It aired in Australia in six episodes on SBS from 16 March 2022.[8]
The series was shown by Canal Plus in France.[9][10] In Australia, the first season aired on SBS TV and SBS On Demand.[citation needed]
The first episode was watched 6,164,000 times on iPlayer alone during 2022, making it the third most-viewed individual programme on the platform that year.[11]
The original soundtrack, composed by Matthew Herbert, was released by Accidental Editions in March 2022 and includes eighteen tracks.[12]
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Critical response
The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gave the first series a 100% approval rating, with an average rating of 8.8/10, based on 23 reviews. The critics' consensus reads: "The Responder is unrelentingly dark and inescapably absorbing, with Martin Freeman's hangdog performance carrying the drama".[13] On Metacritic, the series has a weighted average score of 87 out of 100, based on 7 reviews.[14]
Rotten Tomatoes gave series 2 a 100% approval rating, with an average rating of 9.6/10, based on 15 reviews. The critics' consensus reads: "Putting Martin Freeman's character through the absolute ringer, this second season proves to be as battered, bruised, and resilient as its compelling antihero".[15] On Metacritic, the series has a weighted average score of 90 out of 100, based on 6 reviews.[16]
Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022 |
Edinburgh TV Awards | Best Drama | The Responder | Won | [17] |
2023 |
Royal Television Society Programme Awards | Drama Series | Nominated | [18] | |
| Supporting Actor – Female | Adelayo Adedayo | Nominated | |||
| British Academy Television Awards | Best Drama Series | Chris Carey, Laurence Bowen, Tony Schumacher, Tim Mielants, Rebecca Ferguson, Toby Bruce | Nominated | [19] | |
| Best Actor | Martin Freeman | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actor | Josh Finan | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actress | Adelayo Adedayo | Nominated | |||
| British Academy Television Craft Awards | Best Original Music: Fiction | Matthew Herbert | Nominated | ||
| Best Writer: Drama | Tony Schumacher | Nominated | |||
| International Emmy Awards | Best Actor | Martin Freeman | Won | [20] |
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