The Great Train Robbery (2013 TV series)
The Great Train Robbery is a two-part British television historical drama, written by Chris Chibnall, that was first broadcast on BBC One on 18 and 19 December 2013. The series is distributed worldwide by Kew Media.
It tells the story of the Great Train Robbery on 8 August 1963, first from the perspective of the robbers, and then from the perspective of the police. Episode one, A Robber's Tale, details the organisation of and successful completion of the robbery. Episode two, A Copper's Tale, follows the police investigation into the crime and subsequent arrest of many of the perpetrators. Coincidentally, the first part, A Robber's Tale, was shown on the same day that train robber Ronnie Biggs died.
Plot
A Robber's Tale is set between November 1962 and the aftermath of the Great Train Robbery on 8 August 1963. It begins in November 1962 at London Heathrow Airport where an earlier robbery took place, Bruce Reynolds then gathered a group of men to target the Royal Mail train heading between Glasgow and London.A Copper's Tale begins in the early morning of 8 August 1963 after the train robbery took place. Six of the best police officers from Scotland Yard are called to help with the investigation, with DCS Tommy Butler in charge.
Cast
- Luke Evans as Bruce Reynolds
- Jim Broadbent as DCS Tommy Butler
- Paul Anderson as Gordon Goody
- Jack Roth as Charlie Wilson
- Martin Compston as Roy James
- Neil Maskell as Buster Edwards
- Del Synnott as Brian Field
- Nicholas Murchie as Roger Cordery
- Jordan Long as Tommy Wisby
- Jack Gordon as Ronnie Biggs
- George Ward as Nick Reynolds
- Eric Hulme as Jack Mills
- James Bye as John Daly
- Robert Glenister as DI Frank Williams
- Bethany Muir as Franny Reynolds
- Olivia K Williams as Daughter of Charlie Wilson
A Robber's Tale
- John Voce as Billy Still
- Bill Thomas as Alf
- Nigel Collins as Bert Turner
- Dean Smith as David Whitby
- Mark Stratton as Mr Wyatt
A Copper's Tale
- Ken Bones as Com. George Hatherill
- Richard Hope as DCS Malcolm Fewtrell
- George Costigan as DCS Ernie Millen
- John Salthouse as DCI Sid Bradbury
- Tim Pigott-Smith as DS Maurice Ray
- Nick Moran as DS Jack Slipper
- Tom Chambers as DS Steve Moore
- Matthew Jure as DS Stanley Davies
- James McGregor as DC Tommy Thorburn
- Tommy McDonnell as DC Keith Milner
- Tom Beard as Dr Ian Holden
- Christine Cox as Emily Clarke
- Gwyneth Strong as Dorothy
- James Wilby as John Wheater
- James Fox as The Rt Hon Henry Brooke MP
Production
The two films were first due to be broadcast in August 2013, on the 50th anniversary of the train robbery, but was postponed to December 2013 because of scheduling issues. The production was inspired by the book Signal Red by Robert Ryan.
An arrangement of "Keep On Running", performed by Louise Mitchell, was played at the beginning and end of "A Robber's Tale". This song's chart-topping version, performed by The Spencer Davis Group, was used as the opening theme to Buster, the 1988 dramatisation of the Great Train Robbery.
Filming
Filming began in Yorkshire in March 2013. Various parts of Leeds city centre were used, such as the Adelphi public house, the Calls, Briggate, Hyde Park Picture House and other parts of Hyde Park. The Keighley and Worth Valley Railway was used as Sears Crossing, where the actual robbery took place.At Keighley, a British Rail Class 37, number 37 075 was used to represent a British Rail Class 40, D326, the real locomotive involved.
Other scenes were filmed at Bradford, Shipley, Haworth and Goole. Filey was used instead of Torquay for the scenes involving Reynolds' hideout. According to the BBC, Yorkshire was the "most cost-effective and realistic alternative".