Fans are rediscovering a fantastic BBC series made by iconic director Shane Meadows, known for his incredible British film This Is England. The filmmaker’s first foray into period dramas, it’s set in West Yorkshire the period drama is set in the early 1760s. The filming locations were in a sleepy village in West Yorkshire, Heptonstall, near Hebden Bridge.
Based on the true story of a gang of 18th-century counterfeiters who came to be known as the Cragg Vale Coiners, the drama highlights a fascinating period in Yorkshire history. It became the biggest fraud in British history, which damaged the national economy. Centring around David Hartley, played by Michael Socha, Thew Gallows Pole was released back in 2023.
The BBC series is a fictionalised version, based on the book by Benjamin Myers, of a real moment in history – and we think it is going to be an incredibly popular series for the BBC and Shane Meadows.
The BBC series The Gallows Pole is made up of three hour-long episodes featuring Michael Socha from This Is England alongside Thomas Turgoose. Other names included 1917’s George MacKay, Sophie McShera, Tom Burke, Cara Theobold, Yusra Warsama, and Eve Burley.
The Express reports that the reviews for the show were five out of five stars with one reviewer saying: “I loved this show. It may not be up everybody’s street, but it was certainly up mine. Brilliantly written, directed, cast and acted. It was enthralling and even enchanting. I’ve read that the actors are encouraged to improvise and it shows, making the whole experience seem even more real. And the soundtrack was outstanding!”
If this looks like a bit of you, you can binge the series via BBC iPlayer here.
Read More: BBC Is Looking For Yorkshire Folk For Next Series Of ‘Race Across the World’
Feature Image Credit: BBC
