Dancing on the Edge (miniseries)
Dancing on the Edge is a British television drama written and directed by Stephen Poliakoff and produced by the BBC about a black jazz band in London in the early 1930s. The series aired on BBC Two between 4 February and 10 March 2013. It was nominated for three awards at the 71st Golden Globe Awards.[1]
| Dancing on the Edge | |
|---|---|
 Cover for the published screenplay | |
| Genre | Drama |
| Created by | Stephen Poliakoff |
| Written by | Stephen Poliakoff |
| Directed by | Stephen Poliakoff |
| Starring | Jacqueline Bisset Angel Coulby Chiwetel Ejiofor Matthew Goode John Goodman Anthony Head Tom Hughes Janet Montgomery Wunmi Mosaku Miles Richardson Mel Smith Joanna Vanderham |
| Composer(s) | Adrian Johnston |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| Production | |
| Running time | 360 minutes |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC Two BBC HD |
| Original release | 4 February – 10 March 2013 |
| Chronology | |
| Preceded by | Glorious 39 |
| External links | |
| Website | |
Plot
The series follows a black jazz band's experiences in London in the 1930s. Made up of talented musicians and managed by the compassionate yet short-tempered Wesley Holt, the band gets a gig at the Imperial Hotel, by way of cunning journalist Stanley Mitchell. They prove to be a hit, and become a success at the hotel. Countless aristocrats—and the Royal Family—ask the band to play at parties. The media rush to interview and photograph the band—including the ambitious American businessman Walter Masterson and his enthusiastic British employee Julian. The band's success spirals, being offered record deals. But tragedy strikes, setting off a chain of events that may wreck the band's career.
Cast
The Louis Lester Band
- Chiwetel Ejiofor as Louis Lester: The band leader of the Louis Lester Band. Born in London, Louis travelled the world as a merchant seaman before returning to the UK.
- Angel Coulby as Jessie Taylor: The lead singer with the Louis Lester Band. Beautiful and with an amazing voice, she fascinates even royalty.
- Wunmi Mosaku as Carla: The shy backing vocalist for the Louis Lester Band and Jessie's best friend.
- Ariyon Bakare as Wesley Holt: The irascible manager of the Louis Lester Band. Although born in Cardiff, he has lived in Chicago for most of his life and lost his British birth certificate.
Music Express magazine
- Matthew Goode as Stanley Mitchell: A music journalist at Music Express magazine, who helps bring notice to the band.
- Jenna Coleman as Rosie Williams: Stanley's assistant at the magazine.
- Sam Hoare as Eric: A new journalist at the magazine.
- Allan Corduner as Mr Wax: The owner of Music Express, who has little to do with the day-to-day operations.
The Elite
- Jacqueline Bisset as Lavinia, Lady Cremone: A wealthy aristocrat who has become a recluse after the death of her sons.
- John Goodman as Walter Masterson: An American real estate mogul and one of the richest men in the world.
- Tom Hughes as Julian Luscombe: A charismatic and debonair young man, who works as Mr Masterson's aide.
- Joanna Vanderham as Pamela Luscombe: Julian's sister and a playful, beautiful society girl.
- Janet Montgomery as Sarah Peters: A photographer and Pamela's best friend. She is the daughter of a Russian immigrant.
- Anthony Head as Arthur Donaldson: A wealthy and influential businessman.
- John Hopkins as Prince George, Duke of Kent: Son of the British King.
Non-elite
- Mel Smith as Nathan Schlesinger: The manager of the Imperial Hotel.
- Miles Richardson as Harry Thornton: Mr Schlesinger's right-hand man at the Imperial.
- Maggie McCarthy as Mrs Mitchell: Stanley's mother.
- Caroline Quentin as Deirdre: The owner of a small music club.
- David Dawson as D.I. Horton: A police detective investigating a murder.
- Gerard Horan as D.I. Gunson: A police detective investigating a murder
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers inc.HD (million)[2] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Episode 1" | Stephen Poliakoff | Stephen Poliakoff | 4 February 2013 | 3.00 |
| 2 | "Episode 2" | Stephen Poliakoff | Stephen Poliakoff | 5 February 2013 | 2.48 |
| 3 | "Episode 3" | Stephen Poliakoff | Stephen Poliakoff | 11 February 2013 | 2.35 |
| 4 | "Episode 4" | Stephen Poliakoff | Stephen Poliakoff | 18 February 2013 | 2.52 |
| 5 | "Episode 5" | Stephen Poliakoff | Stephen Poliakoff | 25 February 2013 | 2.61 |
| 6 | "Interviewing Louis" | Stephen Poliakoff | Stephen Poliakoff | 10 March 2013 | 0.39 (overnight) |
Locations
Filming took place on location at the Grand Hotel and Council House in Birmingham, where the hotel scenes were shot, the Black Country Living Museum was used to shoot a scene set in a mining village and Ragley Hall in Warwickshire was used as Lady Cremone's home.[3] The headquarters of Music Express are located at No. 4 Princelet Street, Spitalfields[4] and later at Somerset House. The railway scenes in the first episode were shot on the preserved Bluebell Railway. Wilton's Music Hall was used as the club. Fenton House, Hampstead, stands for the house of Donaldson. Some scenes for Donaldson's house were also shot at Upton House, Warwickshire. Kidderminster, on the Severn Valley Railway, was used as "Folkestone" in the fifth episode. Manze's Eel, Pie and Mash shop in Walthamstow also makes an appearance in that episode.
International broadcast
| Country | Channel | Premiere date | Timeslot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greece | NET | 1 March 2013[5] | Friday 22:05 |
| United States | Starz | 19 October 2013[6] | Saturday 22:00 |
| United States | PBS | 26 June 2016[7] | Sunday 20:00 |
| Sweden | SVT1 | 4 January 2014 | Saturday 22:00 |
| Iceland | RUV | 11 May 2014 | Sunday 21:00 |
| Finland | YLE TV1 | 24 June 2014 | Tuesday 21:00 |
| Mexico | Canal 22 | 27 July 2014 | Sunday 21:00 |
| France | France Ô | 7 November 2014 | Friday 20:45 |
Accolades
| Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Satellite Awards | Best Miniseries or Television Film | Dancing on the Edge | Won |
| Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film | Matthew Goode | Nominated | |
| Chiwetel Ejiofor | Nominated | ||
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Miniseries or Television Film | Dancing on the Edge | Nominated |
| Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film | Chiwetel Ejiofor | Nominated | |
| Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries, or Television Film | Jacqueline Bisset | Won | |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie | Chiwetel Ejiofor | Nominated |
| Black Reel Award | Outstanding Actor, TV Movie or Mini-Series | Chiwetel Ejiofor | Won |
| Broadcasting Press Guild Award | Best Actor | Chiwetel Ejiofor | Won |
| Image Award | Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series, or Dramatic Special | Chiwetel Ejiofor | Nominated |
References
- Messer, Lesley (12 December 2013). "Golden Globe Nominees 2014, the Complete List". Retrieved 4 January 2014.
- "Weekly Viewing Summary (see relevant week)". BARB. Archived from the original on 18 April 2007.
- "Birmingham is the star of major new TV drama". Birmingham Mail. 3 February 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
- "4 Princelet Street". Retrieved 3 December 2014.
- Viewing Summary of the program, 1 March 2013, archived from the original on 12 April 2013
- Munn, Patrick (27 July 2013). "Starz Picks Up US Rights To Stephen Poliakoff's 'Dancing On The Edge', Sets October Premiere". TVWise. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
- McLennan, Cindy (2 June 2016). "Dancing on the Edge: PBS Previews Jazz Drama Series".
External links
- Dancing on the Edge at BBC Programmes
- Dancing on the Edge on IMDb
- The Guardian, 4 February 2013: "Dancing on the Edge: what was life really like for black jazz bands in 1930s Britain?" Retrieved 2013-02-06