The Loch (TV series)

The Loch
Also known asLoch Fyne
GenreCrime drama
Created byStephen Brady
Written byStephen Brady
Chris Hurford
Directed byBrian Kelly
Cilla Ware
Starring
ComposerBen Bartlett
Country of originUnited Kingdom
No. of series1
No. of episodes6 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producersRoss McKenzie
Tim Haines
Natalie Usher
ProducerAlan J. Wands
Production locationsLoch Fyne, Inveraray, Scotland
CinematographyDenis Crossan
EditorColin Monie
Running time45 minutes
Production companyITV Studios
Original release
NetworkITV
Release11 June (2017-06-11) –
16 July 2017 (2017-07-16)

The Loch (also known as Loch Fyne, and as Loch Ness on Acorn TV in America) is a six-part British television drama series, created by screenwriter Stephen Brady, that first broadcast on ITV on 11 June 2017.[1] The series follows DS Annie Redford (Laura Fraser), a small town police officer with the Scottish Highland Police as she investigates the murder of piano teacher Niall Swift, who is found dead at the bottom of a cliff in the picturesque village of Lochnafoy, Loch Fyne, Inveraray. When it becomes apparent that part of Swift's brain has been removed, and a human heart belonging to another victim is found close by, Annie's team realise they are searching for a serial killer. In response, Glasgow based major investigation detective DCI Lauren Quigley (Siobhan Finneran) is brought in to lead the enquiry.[2]

Supporting cast includes Don Gilet as psychological profiler Blake Albrighton, John Sessions as Annie's boss DCI Frank Smilie, Gray O'Brien as Alan Redford, Annie's husband, and William Ash as local tourist operator Leighton Thomas. The series was filmed in the summer of 2016 and was shown in full in the Netherlands and Australia before its British broadcast. The Netherlands also released the series on DVD in May 2017, a month before the series premiered in the UK.[3] In both countries, the series was aired under its original title of Loch Ness.[citation needed]

The series received mixed reviews, featuring a Metacritic score of 67 out of 100, indicating "generally favorable reviews". On another review aggregator website, Rotten Tomatoes, the series shows an average critic score of 64 per cent. It was released on DVD in the United Kingdom on 17 July 2017.[4]

Cast

Laura Fraser and Siobhan Finneran discuss Loch Ness with Moobys in 2017

Episodes

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions) [5]
11"Episode 1"Brian KellyStephen Brady11 June 2017 (2017-06-11)8.18
Piano teacher Niall Swift, who had been fired by local doctor Simon Marr just hours earlier, is found dead at the bottom of a cliff by local schoolteacher Craig Petrie. Swift's tragic end is initially deemed as suicide, until pathologists discover that part of his brain was removed while he was still alive. Meanwhile, a human heart is discovered amongst the animal bones and offal used in a prank undertaken by a group of local students, including Annie's daughter, to recreate 'Nessie's corpse'. Realising that the team are dealing with a serial killer, DCI Lauren Quigley is seconded in to lead the investigation, alongside psychological profiler Blake Albrighton.
22"Episode 2"Brian KellyStephen Brady18 June 2017 (2017-06-18)6.98
Blake oversteps the mark by announcing to the media that the team are certain that a serial killer is operating in Lochnafoy.
33"Episode 3"Brian KellyStephen Brady25 June 2017 (2017-06-25)6.54
Quigley organises a village meeting in an attempt to flush out the killer. Annie continues the search for Jonjo.
44"Episode 4"Cilla WareChris Hurford2 July 2017 (2017-07-02)6.29
Tench unwittingly reveals the truth about Leighton to Alan.
55"Episode 5"Cilla WareStephen Brady9 July 2017 (2017-07-09)6.67
The team finally believe they have uncovered the identity of the killer, and Annie discovers evidence which seemingly backs up their theory – but Blake isn't convinced, and continues to dig for clues.
66"Episode 6"Cilla WareStephen Brady16 July 2017 (2017-07-16)6.42
As the real killer remains at large, Annie realises that Evie could be the next victim.

Broadcast

The Loch aired on 11 June 2017 on ITV. Internationally, broadcast under the title Loch Ness, the series premiered in Australia on 20 April 2017 on BBC First[6] and in the United States on 19 June 2017 on subscription streaming service Acorn TV.[7] The series aired in October and November 2017 on CBC in Canada and 13 ulica in Poland. The series premiered in the Netherlands on 5 November 2017 on RTL 4.[8]

References

  1. ^ "ITV Media – The Loch". itvmedia.co.uk. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  2. ^ Kettley, Sebastian (23 June 2017). "Where is the Loch filmed? Location of ITV's serial killer drama revealed". Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  3. ^ "The Loch". Amazon UK. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  4. ^ "The Loch". Amazon UK. 17 July 2017. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  5. ^ "Top 30 Programmes". barb.co.uk. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  6. ^ "Loch Ness | BBC First". BBC First. Archived from the original on 30 April 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  7. ^ "British Crime Series Loch Ness To Make Exclusive U.S. Premiere on Acorn TV". mysterytribune.com. 7 May 2017. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  8. ^ "The Loch". Veronica Magazine (in Dutch). Retrieved 5 November 2017.