The Sleeper (2000 film)

The Sleeper is a single British television crime drama film, written by Gwyneth Hughes and directed by Stuart Orme, that first broadcast on BBC1 on 26 December 2000.[1] The film was initially broadcast in two parts,[2] and is based on the novel by Gillian White.[3]

The Sleeper
GenreCrime drama
Created byGillian White
Written byGwyneth Hughes
Directed byStuart Orme
Starring
ComposerColin Towns
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes2
Production
Executive producerPippa Harris
ProducerJoy Spink
CinematographyDerek Suter
EditorArdan Fisher
Running time60 minutes
Production companyBBC Worldwide
Original release
NetworkBBC1
Release26 December (2000-12-26) –
27 December 2000 (2000-12-27)

The film was commissioned as part of the BBC's £42 million-pound Christmas schedule line-up for 2000.[4] Neither part of the film attracted more than 6.4 million viewers, placing it outside of the Top 30 most watched programmes that week.[5] Although the film remains unreleased on VHS or DVD, both parts are available to watch on YouTube.[6]

Plot

edit

The Sleeper focuses on the Moon family, headed by Violet (Eileen Atkins), who descend into conflict when Fergus (Ciarán Hinds) and Claire (Annabelle Apsion), Violet's son and daughter-in-law, decide to sell the family farm from beneath her.

In Part One, as the family gather in the farmhouse to spend one last family Christmas together, a figure from Violet's past, determined to exact revenge, makes her way up to the farm amidst a rain and hail storm which cuts off power in the area, leaving the farm in pitch darkness.[1]

In Part Two, suspicious are raised amongst the family when Cath goes missing, forcing Lillian and George to mount a search party. Claire also begins to suspect her mother's motives for bringing the family together.[2]


Cast

edit

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ a b "The Sleeper – BBC One London – 26 December 2000". BBC Genome. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  2. ^ a b "The Sleeper – BBC One London – 27 December 2000". BBC Genome. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  3. ^ "The Sleeper [Part One] (2000)". BFI. Archived from the original on 29 January 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  4. ^ "BBC One unveils Christmas lineup". Digital Spy. 6 December 2000. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  5. ^ "BARB – Weekly Top 30 Programmes". BARB. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  6. ^ "2000-12 Sleeper (Part 1)". 13 October 2013. Retrieved 28 January 2019 – via YouTube.
edit