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Apparitions (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Apparitions is a BBC
drama about a priest, played by Martin Shaw
, who examines evidence of miracles to be used in canonisation but also carries out exorcisms.
The series is written by Joe Ahearne
.
and BBC HD
, 13 November 2008 at 21:00
The story begins with the retelling of an old story of a real incident, where a priest prayed for Mother Teresa of Calcutta when she was acting strangely, believing that she was under attack by demons at the time of her hospitalization before her death. Here it is the chief Vatican exorcist, Monsignor Vincenzo, praying for her at her deathbed. The story moves forward to the present day and focuses on an English priest, Father Jacob, who is charged with evaluating the veracity of miracles for the Vatican. There is a congregation - a meeting - in Rome - about the reported miracles supporting the canonization of Mother Teresa, in which testimony from a young seminarian regarding a miracle that occurred in his childhood. A homeless man approaches Jacob as he leaves, saying strange things, then disappearing. The story then shifts to a seminary in London, where a young girl has persisted in asking Father Jacob to perform an exorcism on her father, whom she thinks is possessed by a demon. Her father, a divorced atheist, refuses to admit that he is possessed and agrees to a few prayers with Jacob to placate his daughter, only after much coaxing. As Jacob prays, with Vincenzo assisting over the phone, her father becomes increasingly agitated and angry, physically attacking Jacob, who finally flees, the exorcism incomplete. The father is then confronted by Jacob and Vincenzo in the park and they complete the exorcism, while the demon comments that they "take our miracle with us." Meanwhile, the seminary student, Vimal, a student of Jacob, is haunted by a demon, the same vagrant who spoke to Jacob in Rome, who refers to himself as "we" and keeps threatening to take back Vimal's skin, unless he "uses it". Vimal was spontaneously cured of leprosy, when he was a child, while saying the prayer of Mother Teresa just as she died, (a miracle he had offered as proof of he right to sainthood). But he is visited by the apparition of this demon, and comes to realize that it was, in fact, demons who restored his flesh (the miracle attributed to Mother Teresa). The guilt that he feels over his homosexuality preys on him - despite being a virgin. Eventually, Cardinal Bukovak, the top dog in the British Church and the boss of Jacob, discovers this and expels him from the priesthood. Filled with despair, rejecting Jacob's imprecations to remain and study and talk, Vimal goes right down the tubes, first swilling back lots of wine to build up his courage - and to chat with the demon pal who incites him to "use" his skin or have his leprosy restored, - to visit a cliché bath house, where the demon appears and skins him alive in vengeance as the girl's father is freed of his possession by Jacob and Vincenzo at the same spot in Kensington Gardens where the girl had been conceived at the moment of Mother Teresa's death.
This episode immediately follows the first episode. The father of the girl has been freed from his possession. However, Father Jacob now realizes that people close to him are being deliberately targeted by demons. The homeless man appears repeatedly, challenging Jacob to a kind of exorcism duel - they shall battle each other for supremacy and see who comes out on top, God or Lucifer. There are puzzles and clues that lead to some amalgam of the Holocaust, hell, heaven, the next Vatican exorcist, the usual stuff. This mystery leads Father Jacob into the past of Monsignor Vincenzo. Meanwhile, Cardinal Bukovak begins to prevent Father Jacob from practicing future exorcisms.
Father Jacob is called in by Father Daniel to investigate reports of demonic possession in a prison. Father Jacob thinks it may be a case of possession by a saint and not a demon; the first in all of recorded church history. Cardinal Bukovak begins to take a more active role in stopping Father Jacob's pursuit of performing exorcisms.
Father Jacob investigates two mysterious pregnancies at an abortion clinic. One is a seventy year old woman and the other is a young girl that shows signs of demonic possession.
Father Jacob investigates when a teenager claims to have visions of the Virgin Mary and sweats blood. The boy's family is Muslim and he is convinced that his father is in Hell and only by forcing someone to do a reverse exorcism can his father be freed from Hell. Father Jacob also learns more about Michael's mysterious past. Meanwhile, Cardinal Bukovak arrives to reign in Father Jacob.
Now possessed himself and unable to pray, and stalked by Michael (in a reflection of Vimal's haunting in episode 1, only Jacob can see or hear him), Jacob is dragged before an atheist psychologist Dr. Elaine Errison, who believes that his religious beliefs (Christianity not just exorcism) are a kind of mental illness, he flees to prevent those close to him from being hurt. While lying low in a hotel, Jacob is informed by a mysterious woman (evidently a Satan worshipper) that if Father Daniel and/or Sister Ruth (or indeed anyone) attempts to exorcise him they will be killed. In response to this Jacob challenges Satan to have him exorcised so that Satan may destroy Jacob's faith rather than merely blocking his prayers (Jacob uses his continuing love of God as proof that Satan has not beaten him). Rising to the challenge, Satan arranges for Vincenzo to escape prison so that the former chief exorcists may attempt and fail to exorcise Jacob thus destroying Jacob's faith in God's power. However, as this goes on Jacob is possessed by Vincenzo's father and proves that he and Vincenzo's mother and sister are in fact in Heaven, rather than in hell like Satan told him. Now as angry at Satan as he is at God, Vincenzo exorcises Jacob and is struck down by Satan for his defiance. Sister Ruth and Father Daniel meanwhile have studied Bukovak's computer and discover a plot to attack a major ceremony with the Pope present, and now believing in the power of exorcism, they study the prayer of Saint Michael (The most powerful prayer of exorcism available). Now free of his demonic possessor Jacob heads to stop Michael’s plan. Having consumed a Bible Michael enters the church unimpeded. The woman who threatened Jacob previously, reappears wearing a white version of a nuns outfit and attacks Ruth in the catacombs under the church. Ruth is saved when Jacob appears and in the struggle the woman is set on fire. Dr Errison meanwhile appears to disrupt Daniel’s attempt to speak the Prayer of St Michael to aid Jacob in his struggle, claiming Jacob is insane and attempting to use knowledge of the sexual vision of the Virgin Mary Daniel had in episode 3 to break his focus. Despite this he rises above it and throws her out of the chapel. As the flaming demon worshipper enters the church and collapses, havoc ensues and Michael levitates above the room, aiming his pistol at the Pope. With Jacob, Daniel and Ruth speaking the prayer, Michael is vanquished, and in his final moments puts a bullet into Cardinal Bukovak (who’s behaviour beforehand suggests he is in on it), who is subsequently promoted for apparently attempting to defend the Pope. As he departs he makes it clear that he will continue to work to destroy the practice of exorcism, and Jacob implies that he is ready for Bukovak’s efforts.
for the first showing on BBC 1 (who use Attentional for their ratings
data) are as below:
Average for all 6: 3.23 million (14.4%) - down around 25% on the average viewing figures for this time slot (for example, the previous week's concluding episode of Silent Witness
got 6.1 million viewers in the same time slot)
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
drama about a priest, played by Martin Shaw
Martin Shaw
Martin Shaw is an English actor. He is best known for his roles in shows such as The Professionals, The Chief, Judge John Deed and Inspector George Gently.-Theatrical background:...
, who examines evidence of miracles to be used in canonisation but also carries out exorcisms.
The series is written by Joe Ahearne
Joe Ahearne
Joe Ahearne is a British television writer and director, best known for his work on several fantasy-based programmes including Ultraviolet and Doctor Who...
.
Episode 1
First Broadcast simultaneously on BBC OneBBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
and BBC HD
BBC HD
BBC HD is a high-definition television network provided by the BBC. The service was initially run as a trial from 15 May 2006 until becoming a full service on 1 December 2007...
, 13 November 2008 at 21:00
The story begins with the retelling of an old story of a real incident, where a priest prayed for Mother Teresa of Calcutta when she was acting strangely, believing that she was under attack by demons at the time of her hospitalization before her death. Here it is the chief Vatican exorcist, Monsignor Vincenzo, praying for her at her deathbed. The story moves forward to the present day and focuses on an English priest, Father Jacob, who is charged with evaluating the veracity of miracles for the Vatican. There is a congregation - a meeting - in Rome - about the reported miracles supporting the canonization of Mother Teresa, in which testimony from a young seminarian regarding a miracle that occurred in his childhood. A homeless man approaches Jacob as he leaves, saying strange things, then disappearing. The story then shifts to a seminary in London, where a young girl has persisted in asking Father Jacob to perform an exorcism on her father, whom she thinks is possessed by a demon. Her father, a divorced atheist, refuses to admit that he is possessed and agrees to a few prayers with Jacob to placate his daughter, only after much coaxing. As Jacob prays, with Vincenzo assisting over the phone, her father becomes increasingly agitated and angry, physically attacking Jacob, who finally flees, the exorcism incomplete. The father is then confronted by Jacob and Vincenzo in the park and they complete the exorcism, while the demon comments that they "take our miracle with us." Meanwhile, the seminary student, Vimal, a student of Jacob, is haunted by a demon, the same vagrant who spoke to Jacob in Rome, who refers to himself as "we" and keeps threatening to take back Vimal's skin, unless he "uses it". Vimal was spontaneously cured of leprosy, when he was a child, while saying the prayer of Mother Teresa just as she died, (a miracle he had offered as proof of he right to sainthood). But he is visited by the apparition of this demon, and comes to realize that it was, in fact, demons who restored his flesh (the miracle attributed to Mother Teresa). The guilt that he feels over his homosexuality preys on him - despite being a virgin. Eventually, Cardinal Bukovak, the top dog in the British Church and the boss of Jacob, discovers this and expels him from the priesthood. Filled with despair, rejecting Jacob's imprecations to remain and study and talk, Vimal goes right down the tubes, first swilling back lots of wine to build up his courage - and to chat with the demon pal who incites him to "use" his skin or have his leprosy restored, - to visit a cliché bath house, where the demon appears and skins him alive in vengeance as the girl's father is freed of his possession by Jacob and Vincenzo at the same spot in Kensington Gardens where the girl had been conceived at the moment of Mother Teresa's death.
Cast (in order of appearance)
- Father Jacob: Martin ShawMartin ShawMartin Shaw is an English actor. He is best known for his roles in shows such as The Professionals, The Chief, Judge John Deed and Inspector George Gently.-Theatrical background:...
- Vimal: Elyes GabelElyes GabelElyes Gabel is a British Asian actor who played Dr Gupreet "Guppy" Sandhu in the BBC medical drama, Casualty. He starred as PE teacher Rob Cleaver in BBC drama, Waterloo Road and appeared in the ITV Drama Identity...
- Cardinal Bukovak: John ShrapnelJohn ShrapnelJohn Shrapnel is an English actor.Shrapnel was born in Birmingham, Warwickshire, the son of Mary Lillian Myfanwy and journalist/author Norman Shrapnel....
- Monsignor Vincenzo: Luigi Diberti
- Michael/Astaruth: Rick WardenRick WardenRichard George Warden is an English television and movie actor.Warden studied at Dr Challoner's Grammar School and received a B.A. Honours in History at Churchill College, Cambridge, 1994. He married actress Lucy Barker on 1 May 2004.He is probably best known for his appearances in the HBO...
- Donna: Romy Irving
- Sister Anne: Michelle JosephMichelle Joseph-Acting career:Joseph is most famous for playing Walford's first lesbian resident, Della Alexander, in the BBC soap opera EastEnders from 1994 - 1995.Other acting credits include:*As Time Goes By *The Bill *So What Now?...
- Sarah: Sarah-Jayne Steed
- Liam: Shaun DooleyShaun DooleyShaun Dooley is a British actor who regularly appears on television and in British Films.-Biography:Shaun Dooley was born in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. He studied at the Arden School of Theatre in Manchester between 1992 and 1995....
- Police Officer: Adam Zane
Episode 2
First Broadcast simultaneously on BBC One and BBC HD, 20 November 2008 at 21:00This episode immediately follows the first episode. The father of the girl has been freed from his possession. However, Father Jacob now realizes that people close to him are being deliberately targeted by demons. The homeless man appears repeatedly, challenging Jacob to a kind of exorcism duel - they shall battle each other for supremacy and see who comes out on top, God or Lucifer. There are puzzles and clues that lead to some amalgam of the Holocaust, hell, heaven, the next Vatican exorcist, the usual stuff. This mystery leads Father Jacob into the past of Monsignor Vincenzo. Meanwhile, Cardinal Bukovak begins to prevent Father Jacob from practicing future exorcisms.
Cast (in order of appearance)
- Father Jacob: Martin Shaw
- Sister Ruth: Siobhan FinneranSiobhan FinneranSiobhan Finneran is an English television and film actress from Oldham in Lancashire, England.-Career:Siobhan's first major role was as Rita in the 1986 film, Rita, Sue and Bob Too. Since 2007 she has played Janice in ITV's popular comedy drama Benidorm, appearing in all 4 series and both specials...
- Cardinal Bukovak: John Shrapnel
- Michael/Astaruth: Rick Warden
- Monsignor Vincenzo: Luigi Diberti
- Donna: Romy Irving
- Sister Anne: Michelle Joseph
- Sarah: Sarah-Jayne Steed
- Liam: Shaun Dooley
- DI Rachel: Stephanie Street
Episode 3
First Broadcast simultaneously on BBC One and BBC HD, 27 November 2008 at 21:00Father Jacob is called in by Father Daniel to investigate reports of demonic possession in a prison. Father Jacob thinks it may be a case of possession by a saint and not a demon; the first in all of recorded church history. Cardinal Bukovak begins to take a more active role in stopping Father Jacob's pursuit of performing exorcisms.
Cast (in order of appearance)
- Father Jacob: Martin Shaw
- Cardinal Bukovak: John Shrapnel
- Sister Ruth: Siobhan Finneran
- Michael/Astaruth: Rick Warden
- Father Daniel: David Gyasi
- Cory Wardell: Stephen WightStephen WightStephen Wight is a British actor, who trained at the Drama Centre London.-Career:Wight's television career dates back to 2003 with a minor part in Casualty....
- Governor Lassiter: Neil PearsonNeil PearsonNeil Joshua Pearson is a British actor best known for his work on television.-Biography:Pearson grew up in Battersea, London, the son of a panel beater, who left home when he was five, and a legal secretary, and was educated at Woolverstone Hall School, Suffolk, a boarding school, where he first...
- Kim Portman: Elizabeth Berrington
- Mrs. Wardell: Linda Holmes
- Fiona: Mia Fernandez
- Alessandro Serenelli: Federico Natoli
Episode 4
First Broadcast simultaneously on BBC One and BBC HD, 4 December 2008 at 21:00Father Jacob investigates two mysterious pregnancies at an abortion clinic. One is a seventy year old woman and the other is a young girl that shows signs of demonic possession.
Cast (in order of appearance)
- Father Jacob: Martin Shaw
- Sister Ruth: Siobhan Finneran
- Michael/Astaruth: Rick Warden
- Dr. Janice Greely: Claudia HarrisonClaudia HarrisonClaudia Harrison is an English actress. She was educated at Bradfield College and Birmingham University, from where she graduated with a 1st class honours degree...
- Zoe Dayton: Karen Bryson
- Craig: Andy Dear
- Simon: Adrian BowerAdrian BowerAdrian Bower is an English actor, best known for his role as physical education and geography teacher Brian Steadman in the first three series of the British comedy series Teachers...
- Lisa Sengrath: Jo WoodcockJo WoodcockJo Woodcock is an English television, film and stage actress. Whilst active since 2000, Woodcock has recently come into prominence following her critically acclaimed performances as Alice in the television drama Torn in 2007, and as Liza-Lu Durbeyfield in the television series Tess of the...
- Pietro Fonti: Vernon DobtcheffVernon DobtcheffVernon Dobtcheff is a French and British actor.Dobtcheff was born in Nîmes, France, to a family of Russian descent. He attended Ascham Preparatory School in Eastbourne, Sussex, England, in the 1940s, where he won the Acting Cup...
- Rosa Fonti: Ruth Posner
Episode 5
First Broadcast simultaneously on BBC One and BBC HD, 11 December 2008 at 21:00Father Jacob investigates when a teenager claims to have visions of the Virgin Mary and sweats blood. The boy's family is Muslim and he is convinced that his father is in Hell and only by forcing someone to do a reverse exorcism can his father be freed from Hell. Father Jacob also learns more about Michael's mysterious past. Meanwhile, Cardinal Bukovak arrives to reign in Father Jacob.
Cast (in order of appearance)
- Father Jacob: Martin Shaw
- Cardinal Bukovak: John Shrapnel
- Sister Ruth: Siobhan Finneran
- Michael/Astaruth: Rick Warden
- Monsignor Vincenzo: Luigi Diberti
- Zaid Kopavic: Jamie Blackley
- Imam Ahmed: Hassani Shapi
- Misal Kopavic: Patrick Knowles
- Sana Kopavic: Brana BajicBrana BajicBrana Bajic is a Bosnian actress who appears on British television.She has appeared in The Bill, Randall & Hopkirk and Trial and Retribution. Her most recent role was as Sofija Katic in All the Small Things...
Episode 6
First Broadcast simultaneously on BBC One and BBC HD, 18 December 2008 at 21:00Now possessed himself and unable to pray, and stalked by Michael (in a reflection of Vimal's haunting in episode 1, only Jacob can see or hear him), Jacob is dragged before an atheist psychologist Dr. Elaine Errison, who believes that his religious beliefs (Christianity not just exorcism) are a kind of mental illness, he flees to prevent those close to him from being hurt. While lying low in a hotel, Jacob is informed by a mysterious woman (evidently a Satan worshipper) that if Father Daniel and/or Sister Ruth (or indeed anyone) attempts to exorcise him they will be killed. In response to this Jacob challenges Satan to have him exorcised so that Satan may destroy Jacob's faith rather than merely blocking his prayers (Jacob uses his continuing love of God as proof that Satan has not beaten him). Rising to the challenge, Satan arranges for Vincenzo to escape prison so that the former chief exorcists may attempt and fail to exorcise Jacob thus destroying Jacob's faith in God's power. However, as this goes on Jacob is possessed by Vincenzo's father and proves that he and Vincenzo's mother and sister are in fact in Heaven, rather than in hell like Satan told him. Now as angry at Satan as he is at God, Vincenzo exorcises Jacob and is struck down by Satan for his defiance. Sister Ruth and Father Daniel meanwhile have studied Bukovak's computer and discover a plot to attack a major ceremony with the Pope present, and now believing in the power of exorcism, they study the prayer of Saint Michael (The most powerful prayer of exorcism available). Now free of his demonic possessor Jacob heads to stop Michael’s plan. Having consumed a Bible Michael enters the church unimpeded. The woman who threatened Jacob previously, reappears wearing a white version of a nuns outfit and attacks Ruth in the catacombs under the church. Ruth is saved when Jacob appears and in the struggle the woman is set on fire. Dr Errison meanwhile appears to disrupt Daniel’s attempt to speak the Prayer of St Michael to aid Jacob in his struggle, claiming Jacob is insane and attempting to use knowledge of the sexual vision of the Virgin Mary Daniel had in episode 3 to break his focus. Despite this he rises above it and throws her out of the chapel. As the flaming demon worshipper enters the church and collapses, havoc ensues and Michael levitates above the room, aiming his pistol at the Pope. With Jacob, Daniel and Ruth speaking the prayer, Michael is vanquished, and in his final moments puts a bullet into Cardinal Bukovak (who’s behaviour beforehand suggests he is in on it), who is subsequently promoted for apparently attempting to defend the Pope. As he departs he makes it clear that he will continue to work to destroy the practice of exorcism, and Jacob implies that he is ready for Bukovak’s efforts.
Cast (in order of appearance)
- Father Jacob: Martin Shaw
- Cardinal Bukovak: John Shrapnel
- Sister Ruth: Siobhan Finneran
- Michael/Astaruth: Rick Warden
- Father Daniel: David Gyasi
- Monsignor Vincenzo: Luigi Diberti
- Dr. Elaine Errison: Claire PriceClaire PriceClaire Price is an English actress. She is best known for her current portrayal as DS Siobhan Clarke in the TV drama Rebus broadcast on the ITV Network...
- Girl: Antonia Whillans
- Woman: Cherie LunghiCherie LunghiCherie M. Lunghi is an English film, television and theatre actress. She is probably best known for her role as Guinevere in the 1981 film Excalibur, as football manageress Gabriella Benson in the 1990s television series The Manageress and for starring in a series of adverts for Kenco coffee. She...
- Soprano: Josephine Amankwah
Ratings
The figures quoted on Digital SpyDigital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
for the first showing on BBC 1 (who use Attentional for their ratings
Audience measurement
Audience measurement measures how many people are in an audience, usually in relation to radio listenership and television viewership, but also in relation to newspaper and magazine readership and, increasingly, web traffic on websites...
data) are as below:
- Episode 1 (Thursday 13 November 2008): 4.62 million (20.6% of audience share for the time slot)
- Episode 2 (Thursday 20 November 2008): 2.88 million (12.6%)
- Episode 3 (Thursday 27 November 2008): 2.71 million (11.6%)
- Episode 4 (Thursday 4 December 2008): 3.12 million (13.2%)
- Episode 5 (Thursday 11 December 2008): 3.01 million (14.1%)
- Episode 6 (Thursday 18 December 2008): 3.08 million (14.5%)
Average for all 6: 3.23 million (14.4%) - down around 25% on the average viewing figures for this time slot (for example, the previous week's concluding episode of Silent Witness
Silent Witness
Silent Witness is a BBC crime thriller series focusing on a team of forensic pathology experts and their investigations into various crimes. First broadcast in February 1996, the series is still airing to the present day, with a fifteenth series expected to air in January 2012. The series was...
got 6.1 million viewers in the same time slot)