Bedlam (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Bedlam is a British
supernatural drama
television series created by David Allison
, Neil Jones
and Chris Parker
for Sky Living. It first aired on February 7, 2011. Series regulars include Theo James
, Will Young
, Charlotte Salt
, Ashley Madekwe
, and Hugo Speer
. The season finale was aired on March 15, 2011. The writers have confirmed that they have started writing series two, though the programme has not been officially renewed. The series is directed by John Strickland.
) possesses the ability to see the ghosts (which are generally not visible to others), and receives visions of their deaths. The hauntings are generally malevolent, and it is up to Jed to determine the spirits' motives and thwart their goals. His flatmates are his cousin, Kate (Charlotte Salt
), who manages the complex; Ryan (Will Young
) who is troubled by the recent violent death of his brother; and Molly (Ashley Madekwe
), a childhood friend of Kate and Jed.
, in Bangor
, North Wales and the former GMB National College in Whalley Range
, Manchester. Other filming locations include the basements of Victoria Baths in Chorlton-On-Medlock
.
The Ghost Driver: The ghost of a man who died in a collision, but was not consciously aware of his death. He had been driving down the same road where he died picking up hitchhikers and murdering them out of subconscious realization that he was dead. He appears as a normal human at first but when Jed confronts him over the fact he is dead he changes in to a full ghost with black eyes, pale skin and loses the ability to speak. He is able to pass on when Jed shows him that he died and that his wife's spirit is waiting for him on the road side where her body was thrown, allowing the two to cross over.
James McAllister: Ryan's younger brother who was drowned in a canal in a prank gone wrong a year prior to the show. He is currently unable to pass on due to his brother's inability to move on from his death. Jed sees him by the canal reading a letter his brother threw in the lake as part of his grief therapy.
The Drowned Woman: One of Bedlam's many abused patients who Jed suspects was sent to the institute by a jealous husband for taking a lover. She was murdered by the doctors in an immersion tank during treatment and her ring was taken by one of the staff. Her spirit is roused when Kate is given the newly discovered ring as a present and the ghost begins to target her and anyone else who comes into possession of it. She has power over water and causes many water appliances to ooze and secrete black liquid. She is put to rest when Jed returns her ring to her.
Bedlam Ghosts: Many other trapped spirits in the hospital that reveal themselves at the windows just before Jed tries to leave and warn him he must be wary of Kate. Originally believing there was only a single ghost Jed soon discovered the building is infested with the tormented souls of former patients who appear to have been roused by the building in the hospital. In episode 2 Jed is suspicious some of the ghosts may have murdered Kate's grandfather in revenge for his abusive behavior toward them.
The Ghost in the walled up room: A spirit that appears to be trapped in a walled up room somewhere inside of Bedlam that is targeting Kate. It is reaching out to Kate in her nightmares and pulling her in to its prison. The ghost also seems to have a weak possession of Kate as her reflection becomes distorted several times through the show.
William Mackay: (played by Philip Broadbent) A man imprisoned in Bedlam because he tried to convince people his wife was mentally unwell, only to have people believe he was the one who was mentally unwell. Mackay's wife eventually took her own life and those of his two young sons by carbon monoxide poisoning in the family car, causing Mackay to slash his own throat in grief and rage. He becomes active as a ghost upon the arrival of new tenant Leah. Appearing as one of the more powerful spirits in Bedlam he can actively leave the grounds and reveals to Jed the shrine of the murdered children. He has the power to manipulate electronics and objects and leaves skid marks around Leah's house to torment her. At first thinking he was just taking his anger out on Leah, Jed and Ryan discover Leah had killed two children who resembled William's children while out drunk driving after an abusive argument and left them there to die. Mackay has now been after her to make up for the death of his own children and violently torments Leah and attempts to kill her several times. He is eventually put to rest when Jed and Ryan get Leah to call the police and admit her crime.
Elizabeth Smith: A young woman sent to Bedlam for having a child out of wedlock, she was killed by the staff in a botched lobotomy. The lobotomy and electrotherapy appear to have made her ghost more erratic than most as she appears unable to take a full corporeal form. She is drawn to Sadie Novak who like her had a child out of wedlock only for it to be still born. She leaves muddy hand-prints around Sadie's apartment and keeps making the box that Sadie buried her child in reappear. Sadie however believes she is hallucinating due to a breakdown and ignores the ghost causing it to become more hostile. The ghost eventually puts a drugged Sadie in a wooden box to be buried by the builders, only for her to be rescued by Jed. Sadie finally realises the awful truth; that her child had actually started breathing when she was burying it. Satisfied she has given her message Elizabeth's ghost moves on.
Alice Barkley: A daughter of one of the staff who was left unattended in a room with a dangerous patient who smothered her to death. She is rare as a ghost as she still has the ability to speak though this is mostly done off screen. Mostly she speaks in a child's singsong voice but when she attempts to kill Ella a second time her voice drops to a deeper older voice. Her spirit is connected to her doll and her face is warped to match the doll's damaged appearance, with smeared make up and cracked teeth. She can draw on the walls with chalk and paint and can move at blinding speeds, covering much of the hospital in a matter of minutes. She can also suspend her self on the ceiling like a bat . She is roused when Ella; one of Molly's child minding charges finds the doll and takes it back to her room causing Alice to label Emma as a new playmate. Appearing benign at first, her behaviour turns dangerous when she tries to kill Ella so that she can have a playmate forever. After saving Ella from a second attempt by Alice, Jed leads her in to the cemetery and tells her that she does have friends she can already play with and reveals the ghosts of other children playing in the cemetery. At this Alice runs over to join them, losing her warped appearance and passing on with the other children.
Isabell Hyde: The lover of one of the hospital owners children who was put inside when she became an inconvenience on his marriage. Her lover continued his affair with her while she was inside and she eventually slit her throat when it became obvious the affair wouldn't continue. She has the standard powers of a ghost. She targets Jed's friend Mark because of his familiarity with her lover. She eventually murders him when he keeps trying to leave. Jed and Ryan put her to rest when they bury her with the body of her lover.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
supernatural drama
Supernatural drama
Supernatural drama is a subgenre of fantasy combining elements of supernatural fiction and the drama genre. This genre deals with ghosts and other paranormal topics, but without the tone and scares associated with the horror genre...
television series created by David Allison
David Allison
David Allison may refer to:*Davey Allison , NASCAR race car driver*David Allison , 2000 Canadian Federal Election Communist Party candidate*David Allison , English Premier League soccer official...
, Neil Jones
Neil Jones
Neil Warren "Jonesy" Jones is a New Zealander collegiate soccer assistant coach who is currently with the University of California, Santa Barbara Men's Soccer team. He is a former member of the New Zealand national team.-Pre-UCSB:Neil Jones saw time with many clubs while in New Zealand...
and Chris Parker
Chris Parker
Christopher Parker may refer to:*Christopher Parker , British Member of Parliament for Clitheroe, Lancashire, 1708-1713*Christopher Parker , English actor and television presenter...
for Sky Living. It first aired on February 7, 2011. Series regulars include Theo James
Theo James
Theo James is an English actor, known for portraying Jed Harper in Bedlam and Kemal Pamuk in Downton Abbey.-Background:James was born in Oxford...
, Will Young
Will Young
William Robert "Will" Young is a British singer-songwriter and actor who came to prominenceafter winning the 2002 inaugural series of the British music contest Pop Idol, making him the first winner of the now-worldwide Idols-format franchise...
, Charlotte Salt
Charlotte Salt
Charlotte Salt is an English actress. She attended St Dominic's Priory School ....
, Ashley Madekwe
Ashley Madekwe
Ashley Madekwe is a mixed Nigerian-Swiss-British actress best known for portraying 'Bambi' on ITV's Secret Diary of a Call Girl and Marissa Delfina on the canceled The CW drama series The Beautiful Life. She has also been seen in programmes such as Drop Dead Gorgeous, Teachers and others...
, and Hugo Speer
Hugo Speer
Hugo Speer is an English actor.He was born in Harrogate, Yorkshire, and educated at Harrogate Grammar School. He studied acting at The Arts Educational School....
. The season finale was aired on March 15, 2011. The writers have confirmed that they have started writing series two, though the programme has not been officially renewed. The series is directed by John Strickland.
Premise
The series focuses on an upscale apartment block called 'Bedlam Heights', renovated from the structure of an abandoned mental asylum, and the strange hauntings that occur there. New arrival Jed Harper (Theo JamesTheo James
Theo James is an English actor, known for portraying Jed Harper in Bedlam and Kemal Pamuk in Downton Abbey.-Background:James was born in Oxford...
) possesses the ability to see the ghosts (which are generally not visible to others), and receives visions of their deaths. The hauntings are generally malevolent, and it is up to Jed to determine the spirits' motives and thwart their goals. His flatmates are his cousin, Kate (Charlotte Salt
Charlotte Salt
Charlotte Salt is an English actress. She attended St Dominic's Priory School ....
), who manages the complex; Ryan (Will Young
Will Young
William Robert "Will" Young is a British singer-songwriter and actor who came to prominenceafter winning the 2002 inaugural series of the British music contest Pop Idol, making him the first winner of the now-worldwide Idols-format franchise...
) who is troubled by the recent violent death of his brother; and Molly (Ashley Madekwe
Ashley Madekwe
Ashley Madekwe is a mixed Nigerian-Swiss-British actress best known for portraying 'Bambi' on ITV's Secret Diary of a Call Girl and Marissa Delfina on the canceled The CW drama series The Beautiful Life. She has also been seen in programmes such as Drop Dead Gorgeous, Teachers and others...
), a childhood friend of Kate and Jed.
Filming locations
Two buildings were used for exterior shots of 'Bedlam Heights', Bangor UniversityBangor University
Bangor University is a university based in the city of Bangor in the county of Gwynedd in North Wales-United Kingdom.It was officially known for most of its history as the University College of North Wales...
, in Bangor
Bangor, Gwynedd
Bangor is a city in Gwynedd, north west Wales, and one of the smallest cities in Britain. It is a university city with a population of 13,725 at the 2001 census, not including around 10,000 students at Bangor University. Including nearby Menai Bridge on Anglesey, which does not however form part of...
, North Wales and the former GMB National College in Whalley Range
Whalley Range
Whalley Range is an area of Manchester, England, about 2 miles southwest of the city centre. It was one of the earliest of the city's suburbs, built by local businessman Samuel Brooks.-History:...
, Manchester. Other filming locations include the basements of Victoria Baths in Chorlton-On-Medlock
Chorlton-on-Medlock
Chorlton-on-Medlock is an inner city area of Manchester, England.Historically a part of Lancashire, the northern border of Chorlton-on-Medlock is the River Medlock which runs immediately south of Manchester city centre. Its other borders roughly correspond to Stockport Road, Hathersage Road, Moss...
.
Series 1 (2011)
| # | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) |
|---|
Cast
- Charlotte SaltCharlotte SaltCharlotte Salt is an English actress. She attended St Dominic's Priory School ....
as Kate Bettany - Will YoungWill YoungWilliam Robert "Will" Young is a British singer-songwriter and actor who came to prominenceafter winning the 2002 inaugural series of the British music contest Pop Idol, making him the first winner of the now-worldwide Idols-format franchise...
as Ryan McAllister - Ashley MadekweAshley MadekweAshley Madekwe is a mixed Nigerian-Swiss-British actress best known for portraying 'Bambi' on ITV's Secret Diary of a Call Girl and Marissa Delfina on the canceled The CW drama series The Beautiful Life. She has also been seen in programmes such as Drop Dead Gorgeous, Teachers and others...
as Molly Lucas - Theo JamesTheo JamesTheo James is an English actor, known for portraying Jed Harper in Bedlam and Kemal Pamuk in Downton Abbey.-Background:James was born in Oxford...
as Jed Harper - Hugo SpeerHugo SpeerHugo Speer is an English actor.He was born in Harrogate, Yorkshire, and educated at Harrogate Grammar School. He studied acting at The Arts Educational School....
as Warren Bettany - Sebastian ShawSebastian ShawSebastian Shaw is the name of:* Sebastian Shaw , film and stage actor* Sebastian Shaw , a character from the X-Men comic books by Marvel Comics...
as Ghost Driver - Lily LovelessLily LovelessLily May Loveless is an English actress, best known for her role as Naomi Campbell in the BAFTA award winning drama Skins.-Career:...
as Sadie Novak - Kara TointonKara TointonKara Louise Tointon is a British actress, best known for playing Dawn Swann in BBC soap opera EastEnders. Tointon was the 2010 winner of BBC television series Strictly Come Dancing.-Early life:...
as Leah - Philip Broadbent as William McKay
Ghosts
The ghosts of Bedlam are invisible to normal people, but they can make themselves visible and corporeal to those they are haunting. Jed is able to see the ghosts all the time and how they died by touching objects or if the ghost reveals something itself. Physically ghosts are pale white humans with solid jet black eyes and are dressed in the clothing they wore upon death. More powerful and violent ghosts have an aura of darkness around them that can make a room dark as they move through it. Few ghosts are capable of human speech and most communicate in a bird like shrieking sound. According to Jed in the finale ghosts hate spiritual mediums like tarot cards; he explains using them in a place like Bedlam is like broadcasting a string of insults through the building and is bound to get the wrong attention. The ghosts in the show include:The Ghost Driver: The ghost of a man who died in a collision, but was not consciously aware of his death. He had been driving down the same road where he died picking up hitchhikers and murdering them out of subconscious realization that he was dead. He appears as a normal human at first but when Jed confronts him over the fact he is dead he changes in to a full ghost with black eyes, pale skin and loses the ability to speak. He is able to pass on when Jed shows him that he died and that his wife's spirit is waiting for him on the road side where her body was thrown, allowing the two to cross over.
James McAllister: Ryan's younger brother who was drowned in a canal in a prank gone wrong a year prior to the show. He is currently unable to pass on due to his brother's inability to move on from his death. Jed sees him by the canal reading a letter his brother threw in the lake as part of his grief therapy.
The Drowned Woman: One of Bedlam's many abused patients who Jed suspects was sent to the institute by a jealous husband for taking a lover. She was murdered by the doctors in an immersion tank during treatment and her ring was taken by one of the staff. Her spirit is roused when Kate is given the newly discovered ring as a present and the ghost begins to target her and anyone else who comes into possession of it. She has power over water and causes many water appliances to ooze and secrete black liquid. She is put to rest when Jed returns her ring to her.
Bedlam Ghosts: Many other trapped spirits in the hospital that reveal themselves at the windows just before Jed tries to leave and warn him he must be wary of Kate. Originally believing there was only a single ghost Jed soon discovered the building is infested with the tormented souls of former patients who appear to have been roused by the building in the hospital. In episode 2 Jed is suspicious some of the ghosts may have murdered Kate's grandfather in revenge for his abusive behavior toward them.
The Ghost in the walled up room: A spirit that appears to be trapped in a walled up room somewhere inside of Bedlam that is targeting Kate. It is reaching out to Kate in her nightmares and pulling her in to its prison. The ghost also seems to have a weak possession of Kate as her reflection becomes distorted several times through the show.
William Mackay: (played by Philip Broadbent) A man imprisoned in Bedlam because he tried to convince people his wife was mentally unwell, only to have people believe he was the one who was mentally unwell. Mackay's wife eventually took her own life and those of his two young sons by carbon monoxide poisoning in the family car, causing Mackay to slash his own throat in grief and rage. He becomes active as a ghost upon the arrival of new tenant Leah. Appearing as one of the more powerful spirits in Bedlam he can actively leave the grounds and reveals to Jed the shrine of the murdered children. He has the power to manipulate electronics and objects and leaves skid marks around Leah's house to torment her. At first thinking he was just taking his anger out on Leah, Jed and Ryan discover Leah had killed two children who resembled William's children while out drunk driving after an abusive argument and left them there to die. Mackay has now been after her to make up for the death of his own children and violently torments Leah and attempts to kill her several times. He is eventually put to rest when Jed and Ryan get Leah to call the police and admit her crime.
Elizabeth Smith: A young woman sent to Bedlam for having a child out of wedlock, she was killed by the staff in a botched lobotomy. The lobotomy and electrotherapy appear to have made her ghost more erratic than most as she appears unable to take a full corporeal form. She is drawn to Sadie Novak who like her had a child out of wedlock only for it to be still born. She leaves muddy hand-prints around Sadie's apartment and keeps making the box that Sadie buried her child in reappear. Sadie however believes she is hallucinating due to a breakdown and ignores the ghost causing it to become more hostile. The ghost eventually puts a drugged Sadie in a wooden box to be buried by the builders, only for her to be rescued by Jed. Sadie finally realises the awful truth; that her child had actually started breathing when she was burying it. Satisfied she has given her message Elizabeth's ghost moves on.
Alice Barkley: A daughter of one of the staff who was left unattended in a room with a dangerous patient who smothered her to death. She is rare as a ghost as she still has the ability to speak though this is mostly done off screen. Mostly she speaks in a child's singsong voice but when she attempts to kill Ella a second time her voice drops to a deeper older voice. Her spirit is connected to her doll and her face is warped to match the doll's damaged appearance, with smeared make up and cracked teeth. She can draw on the walls with chalk and paint and can move at blinding speeds, covering much of the hospital in a matter of minutes. She can also suspend her self on the ceiling like a bat . She is roused when Ella; one of Molly's child minding charges finds the doll and takes it back to her room causing Alice to label Emma as a new playmate. Appearing benign at first, her behaviour turns dangerous when she tries to kill Ella so that she can have a playmate forever. After saving Ella from a second attempt by Alice, Jed leads her in to the cemetery and tells her that she does have friends she can already play with and reveals the ghosts of other children playing in the cemetery. At this Alice runs over to join them, losing her warped appearance and passing on with the other children.
Isabell Hyde: The lover of one of the hospital owners children who was put inside when she became an inconvenience on his marriage. Her lover continued his affair with her while she was inside and she eventually slit her throat when it became obvious the affair wouldn't continue. She has the standard powers of a ghost. She targets Jed's friend Mark because of his familiarity with her lover. She eventually murders him when he keeps trying to leave. Jed and Ryan put her to rest when they bury her with the body of her lover.