Us (British TV series)
{{Short description|2020 British TV comedy-drama series}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox television
| genre = Comedy drama
| image =
| creator =
| developer =
| writer = David Nicholls
| director = Geoffrey Sax
| creative_director =
| presenter =
| starring = {{Plainlist|
}}
| country = United Kingdom
| language = English
| num_series = 1
| num_episodes = 4
| producer = {{Plainlist|
- Roanna Benn
- Greg Brenman
- Tom Hollander
}}
| company =
| first_aired = {{Start date|df=yes|2020|09|20}}
| last_aired = {{end date|df=yes|2020|10|11}}
| runtime = {{Duration|m=55}}
| network = BBC
}}
Us is a 2020 British television comedy-drama series based on the book Us by English author David Nicholls and adapted by him for the screen. The series stars Tom Hollander{{cite web |title=Tom Hollander to star in Us, David Nicholls' adaptation of his bestselling novel for BBC One, 17 July 2019 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2019/tom-hollander-david-nicholls-us |website=BBC |access-date=19 September 2020}} and Saskia Reeves{{cite web |title=Meet the cast of David Nicholls drama Us, 15 September 2020 |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2020-09-15/us-cast-bbc-david-nicholls/ |website=Radio Times |access-date=19 September 2020}} as a married couple, the Petersens.
The series is directed by Geoffrey Sax and has original music composed by Oli Julian.{{cite web |title=Soundtrack Album for BBC Series 'Us' Released |url=https://filmmusicreporter.com/2020/09/20/soundtrack-album-for-bbc-series-us-released/ |publisher=Film Music Reporter |access-date=11 October 2020}}
Synopsis
As their son, Albie, is about to leave home for university, married couple, Douglas and Connie Petersen (Tom Hollander and Saskia Reeves), have made plans to go on a "holiday of a lifetime", touring Europe. Connie, frustrated after 24 years together, tells her inhibited, orderly and risk-averse biochemist husband, Douglas, that now that Albie is leaving home, she no longer wants to stay married to him. The story follows Douglas and the family over the course of the holiday as he tries to win back the love of Connie. As their holiday progresses, the series alternates between the present day and flashbacks that show how the young Douglas (Iain De Caestecker) and Connie (Gina Bramhill) met.
Cast
- Tom Hollander{{cite web |title=Tom Hollander on new BBC1 comedy drama Us: 'Douglas is quite annoying' |url=https://www.whatsontv.co.uk/news/tom-hollander-on-new-bbc1-comedy-drama-us-douglas-is-quite-annoying-634667/ |website=what'sontv}} as Douglas Petersen
- Saskia Reeves{{cite web |title=Saskia Reeves: 'My character in Us could do with some help', 14 September 2020 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/sep/14/saskia-reeves-us-david-nicholls-bbc-adaptation-interview |website=The Guardian |date=14 September 2020 |access-date=19 September 2020}} as Connie Petersen
- Tom Taylor as Albie Petersen
- Iain De Caestecker as young Douglas
- Gina Bramhill as young Connie
- Thaddea Graham as Kat
- Sofie Gråbøl as Freja
- Charlotte Spencer as Karen Petersen
Production
The series was filmed between July and October 2019.{{cite web |last= Sulcas |first= Roslyn |title='Us' Offers Marital Angst and a Trip to Europe |work= New York Times |date= June 18, 2021 |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/18/arts/television/us-masterpiece-pbs.html |accessdate= June 20, 2021}}
Compared with the novel there was a reduction in the overall number of destinations due to budgetary and logistical reasons. Even so four crews were employed with over 162 sets with filming undertaken in London, Buckinghamshire, Paris, Amsterdam, Venice, and Barcelona.{{cite web|title= Where was BBC One comedy drama Us filmed? |publisher= Radio Times |date= September 15, 2020 |url= https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2020-09-15/bbc-one-us-filming-locations/ |accessdate= September 19, 2020}} For economic reasons many train scenes were filmed in real time on real trains.
Reception
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 93% based on 15 reviews, with an average rating of 7.01/10.{{cite web |title=Us: Series 1 (2020) |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/us/s01|website=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date= June 22, 2021}}
Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 76 out of 100 based on 8 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".{{cite web |title= Us Reviews |url=https://www.metacritic.com/tv/us |website=Metacritic|access-date= June 22, 2021}}
Episodes
{{Episode table |background=#91B4CA |overall= |season= |title= |director= |writer= |airdate= |viewers= |viewersR={{cite web|url=https://www.barb.co.uk/viewing-data/four-screen-dashboard/|title=Weekly top programmes on four screens (from Sept 2018)|website=BARB|access-date=2 February 2021}}|episodes=
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=1
|EpisodeNumber2=1
|Title=Episode 1
|DirectedBy=Geoffrey Sax
|WrittenBy=David Nicholls
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2020|09|20|df=y}}
|Viewers= 6.58
|ShortSummary=Douglas Petersen is looking forward to a tour of Europe with his wife Connie and his son Albie. It is meant to be the trip of a lifetime and the last chance for some quality time together as a family. But in spite of Douglas's meticulous preparation and planning, things do not work out quite as planned.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p08qfb0y/us-series-1-episode-1|title= Us - Series 1: Episode 1|via=bbc.co.uk}}
|LineColor=91B4CA
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=2
|EpisodeNumber2=2
|Title=Episode 2
|DirectedBy=Geoffrey Sax
|WrittenBy=David Nicholls
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2020|09|27|df=y}}
|Viewers= 5.85
|ShortSummary=Despite a rocky start in Paris, the European tour continues. Next stop: Amsterdam, where it seems that nothing can prevent the family from getting into the holiday spirit.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p08qfbh2/us-series-1-episode-2|title=Us - Series 1: Episode 2|via=bbc.co.uk}}
|LineColor=91B4CA
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=3
|EpisodeNumber2=3
|Title=Episode 3
|DirectedBy=Geoffrey Sax
|WrittenBy=David Nicholls
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2020|10|04|df=y}}
|Viewers= 5.38
|ShortSummary= As Douglas scours the streets of Venice for Albie, Connie does some detective work of her own. But as Douglas gets more desperate, things spiral out of control in the Italian heat.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p08qfbvy/us-series-1-episode-3|title=Us - Series 1: Episode 3|via=bbc.co.uk}}
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=4
|EpisodeNumber2=4
|Title=Episode 4
|DirectedBy=Geoffrey Sax
|WrittenBy=David Nicholls
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2020|10|11|df=y}}
|Viewers= 5.27
|ShortSummary= Now he has found Albie, Douglas’s dogged determination to keep his family together must be enough to win his son back, and change Connie’s feelings.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p08qfbw8/us-series-1-episode-4|title=Us - Series 1: Episode 4|via=bbc.co.uk}}
|LineColor=91B4CA
}}
}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|id=10669608|title=Us}}
- [https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/sep/20/us-review-divorce-drama-offers-warmth-and-wanderlust Us review – divorce drama offers warmth and wanderlust].
- [https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/us-review-bbc-one-watch-tom-hollander-saskia-reeves-book-b482733.html Us review, BBC One: Tom Hollander shines in this funny and acutely observed Sunday night drama].
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Us (British TV series)}}
Category:BBC television dramas
Category:2020s British comedy-drama television series
Category:2020 British television series debuts
Category:2020 British television series endings
Category:British comedy-drama television shows
Category:2020s British LGBTQ-related comedy television series
Category:Television series about families
Category:Television shows based on British novels
Category:Television shows filmed in France
Category:Television shows filmed in the Netherlands
Category:Television shows filmed in Italy
Category:Television shows set in Paris