Exile (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Exile is a British
psychological thriller television series dealing with the topic of Alzheimer's disease
against a background of corruption
. It stars John Simm
and Jim Broadbent
and was broadcast on BBC One
. The series received varyingly positive reviews.
With nothing to stay for in London, Tom moves to the home he used to live in, in Ramsbottom, Lancashire, where his sister Nancy (Olivia Colman) cares for their dad Samuel (Jim Broadbent), who has Alzheimer’s disease. Nancy explains to Tom that Samuel, a former newspaper journalist, mostly lives his life as if it is still the early 90s, for example often calling out for Wendy, the secretary that he had then.
It then emerges that Tom has had very little contact with his dad since he left home in the early 90s, because Samuel severely beat him when he caught Tom rummaging through his files. The only thing Tom found of note in the files at the time were a series of negative photographs with the name 'Metzler' on them - and the surname of the leader of the local council today is Metzler. (Tom knows this because his old friend Mike tells him this, and Tom has had a one night stand with Mike's wife, Mandy). Keen to find out what Samuel had been hiding, Tom discovers that Samuel has a bank account with over £150,000 in it - even though Nancy has been struggling financially; the money paid in monthly by 'J Cleaver' from the 90s up to 2002. (During his first visit to the bar where Mandy works, the television in the background is showing Nick Griffin on Question Time
, so the series can be assumed to be set in winter 2009)
Tom finds an old tape of his with 90s music on it to play so that he can question his dad about his old job. However, having only found out that Samuel didn't like his old boss, the tape cuts to an interview between Samuel and another man, in which Samuel is told that he will bring the both of them down if he publishes whatever information he has discovered. Samuel reacts angrily at hearing this, and pulls the tape out of the player and destroys it. When Tom peels back the music label on the tape he finds another label underneath, stating 'Metzler'.
Tom discloses to Nancy that the last time Samuel was happy was when his wife (and Tom's mother), who died in the early 90s, was still alive, which was shortly before Samuel's violent outburst against Tom which he now blames for the problems in his own life.
As Tom continues to dig for information, it becomes clear that some people do not want him to find what he is looking for. While walking on his own at night, the police beat, threaten and detain him, while Nancy finds Samuel distressed because he believes he caught an intruder in their home. Tom decides to take Samuel to a football match to see if a day out will jog his memory, and in the car journey home this appears to work. Samuel states that Metzler knew that he couldn't 'buy' him, so he approached Samuel's wife instead, and she 'let him into our home'. At that point a car drives into Tom's car and the driver runs off. The incident upsets Samuel and he is unable to finish his story.
With Nancy caring for a distraught Samuel, Tom wanders through the house and finds a letter addressed to him. He opens it to discover a note stating 'something you ought to know' and a copy of his own birth certificate, in which his birth name was 'Tom Cleaver'.
In mostly positive reviews, script and performances were praised, with criticism directed toward cliched elements of the story. Reviewing the first episode, Amol Rajan of The Independent found the storytelling "glorious", and that "it engaged very directly with highly topical issues." He stated that Broadbent confirmed "his position alongside Ian McKellen, John Hurt and Michael Gambon as one of the greatest English actors of his generation", and praised the "outstanding performances, from a bewitching John Simm (playing his son Tom) and the reliably wonderful Olivia Colman (his daughter Nancy)."
The Daily Telegraph referred to the series as "a powerful family drama trapped inside a clichéd tabloid thriller", and "so close to being brilliant. Instead, it was more of the same." But the review praised the "magnificent performances by Broadbent as a man in the grip of Alzheimer's, and Olivia Colman as the daughter left alone to cope with it, seeing her life passing before her, and Simm's Tom driving back into their lives cursing the emptiness of his London media career [...]".
The Guardian review found "only a few missteps in Danny Brocklehurst's otherwise impeccable script", and part of the series "too pat", with "by-numbers triumphalism", but praised "the ingenious conceit of a mystery story in which the quest for the truth is foiled by an Alzheimer's sufferer catalysed a well-plotted drama, executed without exploitativeness and, in Simm's case, played more tenderly than I'd have thought him capable."
Radio Times' Alison Graham wrote, "A tremendous piece of drama; subtle, intelligent, powerful and adult. Writer Danny Brocklehurst and creator Paul Abbott have achieved something wonderful by blending a touching human story with a riveting thriller. This is as good as TV drama can be.. On every level Exile delivers."
The ingeniously plotted Exile is over - steel yourself for a Hollywood remake,The Guardian,4-May-2011, page 25; "The ingenious conceit of a mystery story in which the quest for the truth is foiled by an Alzheimer's sufferer catalysed a well-plotted drama, executed without exploitativeness and, in Simm's case, played more tenderly that I'd have thought him capable".
Caitlin Moran, The Times, May 7th, On TV. "Danny brocklehurst's script shamed most of his peers - keeping the dialogue real, yet without pouring out the can marked Genuine Real Northern Dialogue. Minute by minute this was exhilaratingly good television. It's hard to know at whom to throw the greatest plaudits. There wasn't a single thing wrong with this programme."
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...
psychological thriller television series dealing with the topic of Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
against a background of corruption
Corruption
Corruption usually refers to spiritual or moral impurity.Corruption may also refer to:* Corruption , an American crime film* Corruption , a British horror film...
. It stars John Simm
John Simm
John Simm is an English stage and screen actor. In recent years he is best known for his roles as Sam Tyler in the detective drama Life on Mars and as The Master in the revival of the science fiction series Doctor Who, but he has also starred in many highly acclaimed award-winning television...
and Jim Broadbent
Jim Broadbent
James "Jim" Broadbent is an English theatre, film, and television actor. He is known for his roles in Iris, Moulin Rouge!, Topsy-Turvy, Hot Fuzz, and Bridget Jones' Diary...
and was broadcast on BBC One
BBC 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...
. The series received varyingly positive reviews.
Cast
- John SimmJohn SimmJohn Simm is an English stage and screen actor. In recent years he is best known for his roles as Sam Tyler in the detective drama Life on Mars and as The Master in the revival of the science fiction series Doctor Who, but he has also starred in many highly acclaimed award-winning television...
as Tom - Jim BroadbentJim BroadbentJames "Jim" Broadbent is an English theatre, film, and television actor. He is known for his roles in Iris, Moulin Rouge!, Topsy-Turvy, Hot Fuzz, and Bridget Jones' Diary...
as Sam - John Paul Hurley as Kevin
- Olivia ColmanOlivia ColmanOlivia Colman is an English actress, best known for her supporting roles in various comedy shows, such as Sophie Chapman in Peep Show and Harriet Schulenburg in Green Wing. She trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, and has appeared in radio, television and theatre.-Personal life:Colman...
as Nancy - Nico MirallegroNico MirallegroNico Cristian Mirallegro is a British actor who played the role of Barry "Newt" Newton in the British soap opera Hollyoaks between 22 October 2007 and 25 June 2010....
as Teenage Tom - Claire GooseClaire GooseClaire Goose is a British actress. She is best known for her role as nurse Tina Seabrook in the BBC television drama Casualty and later as DS Mel Silver in Waking the Dead.-Life and career:...
as Mandy - Timothy WestTimothy WestTimothy Lancaster West, CBE is an English film, stage and television actor.-Career:West's craggy looks ensured a career as a character actor rather than a leading man. He began his career as an Assistant Stage Manager at the Wimbledon Theatre in 1956, and followed this with several seasons of...
as Metzler - 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....
as Mike - Daryl Fishwick as Wendy
- Sarah Jayne DunnSarah Jayne DunnSarah Jayne Dunn is an English actress best known for playing Mandy Richardson in Hollyoaks.-Biography:Dunn was born in Leigh, Lancashire and educated at Lowton High School, excelling in drama and performing arts, and a part time career as a model...
as Metzler's PA
Episode 1
The first episode, aired on 1 May 2011, begins with Tom Ronstadt (John Simm) being escorted from his media job in London, which he hates anyway as his role has drifted away from real journalism and towards malicious, hatchet-job sensationalism. Although it is not explained why he has been sacked, Tom is a heavy user of cocaine and is having an affair with the wife of his boss, who makes it clear to him that their relationship is purely sexual (which results in Tom striking her).With nothing to stay for in London, Tom moves to the home he used to live in, in Ramsbottom, Lancashire, where his sister Nancy (Olivia Colman) cares for their dad Samuel (Jim Broadbent), who has Alzheimer’s disease. Nancy explains to Tom that Samuel, a former newspaper journalist, mostly lives his life as if it is still the early 90s, for example often calling out for Wendy, the secretary that he had then.
It then emerges that Tom has had very little contact with his dad since he left home in the early 90s, because Samuel severely beat him when he caught Tom rummaging through his files. The only thing Tom found of note in the files at the time were a series of negative photographs with the name 'Metzler' on them - and the surname of the leader of the local council today is Metzler. (Tom knows this because his old friend Mike tells him this, and Tom has had a one night stand with Mike's wife, Mandy). Keen to find out what Samuel had been hiding, Tom discovers that Samuel has a bank account with over £150,000 in it - even though Nancy has been struggling financially; the money paid in monthly by 'J Cleaver' from the 90s up to 2002. (During his first visit to the bar where Mandy works, the television in the background is showing Nick Griffin on Question Time
Question Time British National Party controversy
The Question Time British National Party controversy in early September 2009 followed an invitation by the British Broadcasting Corporation to Nick Griffin, leader of the far-right British National Party , to be a panellist on Question Time, one of its flagship television programmes on current...
, so the series can be assumed to be set in winter 2009)
Tom finds an old tape of his with 90s music on it to play so that he can question his dad about his old job. However, having only found out that Samuel didn't like his old boss, the tape cuts to an interview between Samuel and another man, in which Samuel is told that he will bring the both of them down if he publishes whatever information he has discovered. Samuel reacts angrily at hearing this, and pulls the tape out of the player and destroys it. When Tom peels back the music label on the tape he finds another label underneath, stating 'Metzler'.
Episode 2
The second episode, aired on 2 May 2011 sees Tom trying to find out more about Metzler. At a charity fundraiser in which Tom reintroduces his dad with Metzler (and both act as if they can barely remember the other), he speaks to Samuel's old editor and discovers that Samuel was obsessed with Metzler for years, and that Metzler was a doctor at a local mental institution in the 1970s that has now shut down. Using a source at the Inland Revenue, Tom then tracks down Wendy, and although she seems too frightened to reveal anything about Metzler, she does disclose that a 'Jonathan Cleaver' was a patient at the mental institution at the time Metzler was a doctor there.Tom discloses to Nancy that the last time Samuel was happy was when his wife (and Tom's mother), who died in the early 90s, was still alive, which was shortly before Samuel's violent outburst against Tom which he now blames for the problems in his own life.
As Tom continues to dig for information, it becomes clear that some people do not want him to find what he is looking for. While walking on his own at night, the police beat, threaten and detain him, while Nancy finds Samuel distressed because he believes he caught an intruder in their home. Tom decides to take Samuel to a football match to see if a day out will jog his memory, and in the car journey home this appears to work. Samuel states that Metzler knew that he couldn't 'buy' him, so he approached Samuel's wife instead, and she 'let him into our home'. At that point a car drives into Tom's car and the driver runs off. The incident upsets Samuel and he is unable to finish his story.
With Nancy caring for a distraught Samuel, Tom wanders through the house and finds a letter addressed to him. He opens it to discover a note stating 'something you ought to know' and a copy of his own birth certificate, in which his birth name was 'Tom Cleaver'.
Episode 3
The final episode, aired on 3 May 2011, a shock revelation led Nancy to help with Tom's search for answers.Reception
In mostly positive reviews, script and performances were praised, with criticism directed toward cliched elements of the story. Reviewing the first episode, Amol Rajan of The Independent found the storytelling "glorious", and that "it engaged very directly with highly topical issues." He stated that Broadbent confirmed "his position alongside Ian McKellen, John Hurt and Michael Gambon as one of the greatest English actors of his generation", and praised the "outstanding performances, from a bewitching John Simm (playing his son Tom) and the reliably wonderful Olivia Colman (his daughter Nancy)."
The Daily Telegraph referred to the series as "a powerful family drama trapped inside a clichéd tabloid thriller", and "so close to being brilliant. Instead, it was more of the same." But the review praised the "magnificent performances by Broadbent as a man in the grip of Alzheimer's, and Olivia Colman as the daughter left alone to cope with it, seeing her life passing before her, and Simm's Tom driving back into their lives cursing the emptiness of his London media career [...]".
The Guardian review found "only a few missteps in Danny Brocklehurst's otherwise impeccable script", and part of the series "too pat", with "by-numbers triumphalism", but praised "the ingenious conceit of a mystery story in which the quest for the truth is foiled by an Alzheimer's sufferer catalysed a well-plotted drama, executed without exploitativeness and, in Simm's case, played more tenderly than I'd have thought him capable."
Radio Times' Alison Graham wrote, "A tremendous piece of drama; subtle, intelligent, powerful and adult. Writer Danny Brocklehurst and creator Paul Abbott have achieved something wonderful by blending a touching human story with a riveting thriller. This is as good as TV drama can be.. On every level Exile delivers."
The ingeniously plotted Exile is over - steel yourself for a Hollywood remake,The Guardian,4-May-2011, page 25; "The ingenious conceit of a mystery story in which the quest for the truth is foiled by an Alzheimer's sufferer catalysed a well-plotted drama, executed without exploitativeness and, in Simm's case, played more tenderly that I'd have thought him capable".
Caitlin Moran, The Times, May 7th, On TV. "Danny brocklehurst's script shamed most of his peers - keeping the dialogue real, yet without pouring out the can marked Genuine Real Northern Dialogue. Minute by minute this was exhilaratingly good television. It's hard to know at whom to throw the greatest plaudits. There wasn't a single thing wrong with this programme."