The State (2017 TV series)

''The State'' is a four-part British television drama serial, written and directed by Peter Kosminsky, that dramatises the experiences of four young British Muslims to join Islamic State. The series was originally broadcast in the UK by Channel 4, with all four parts airing on successive nights between 20 and 23 August 2017. The series was green-lit in July 2016, following extensive research by Kosminsky.

Ony Uhiara, Sam Otto, Shavani Cameron and Ryan McKen were later cast as the four principal characters, Shakira, Jalal, Ushna and Ziyad. Most of the series's location filming was undertaken in Spain later that autumn. The series was broadcast worldwide by National Geographic, airing in Australia from 23 August, and premiering in the United States as a two-night special event on 18 and 19 September,Stewart Clarke
First Look at Channel 4 and Nat Geo’s ISIS Drama ‘The State’
''Variety'', 13 July 2017The State
National Geographic channel. Retrieved 22 August 2017. In France, the series was broadcast by Canal+ from 4 September. The series was released on DVD in the United States on 28 November 2017.

Reception

The first episode was watched live by 1.4 million viewers, which was described by ''Broadcast'' magazine as a "solid start". However, Channel 4 is unlikely to make money from the series; according to outgoing chief creative officer Jay Hunt, the channel needs to cross-subsidise such dramas with more populist programmes such as ''Great British Bake Off''. The figure increased to 2.33 million taking into account catch-up viewing over the next seven days, and 2.49 million after a month.

The series was widely praised by viewers and critics. ''The Guardian'' wrote that "this Isis drama is ... gripping and genuinely enlightening", and ''The Telegraph'' noted that "viewers on Twitter praised its stars and creators for 'capturing how barbaric and evil ISIS are'." Before the drama aired, Richard Kemp, a former advisor to the UK government on counter-terrorism, warned that it would be a "recruiting sergeant" for ISIS, a view prominently reported by several tabloid newspapers. However, the idea that the drama made ISIS glamorous or attractive was rejected by most reviewers.

Most reviewers found the drama powerful, immersive, and compelling, with both its direction and acting widely praised. However, many questioned the portrayal of the protagonists' apparent initial ignorance and naivety, and of their subsequent antipathy to brutality and hatred, and doubted that either were representative of real jihadis. Although a few references were made to IS's online engagement and misinformation, the decision not to present detailed back-stories for the characters led some critics to suggest that the series failed to explore ''why'' people might become radicalised, and that such apparently reasonable people would never have gone to Syria to support it.Rachel Cooke
Isis drama The State shows the sheer stupidity of these young fanatics
''New Statesman'', 24 August 2017

Jasper Rees
The State, Channel 4 review – dishonest portrait of British jihadis
''The Arts Desk'', 21 August 2017

Peter Crawley
The State review: What has driven 1,000 UK people to fight with Isis?
''Irish Times'', 24 August 2017

Stuart Jeffries
The State review – Peter Kosminsky’s disillusionment dramas fail to satisfy
''The Guardian'', 24 August 2017

Chris Harvey
The State, C4 — drama grows in depth and power
''Financial Times'', 18 August 2017

Phil Harrison
The State: a meticulous, human examination of radicalisation
''The Guardian'', 20 August 2017

David Patrikarakos
How new drama The State 'captures the essence of IS'
BBC Global News Ltd, 19 September 2017 On the other hand, as former Conservative minister Baroness Warsi commented, "There are many proud parents who cannot understand why their children find an affiliation with Isil... So often we have lazily defined those attracted to violent ideologies promulgated in far-off countries as mad, bad misfits and yet the reality is far more complicated."

Cast

Main cast

* Ony Uhiara as Shakira Boothe; a British doctor and single mother to nine-year-old Isaac who travels to Syria in the hope of working in a state hospital.
* Sam Otto as Jalal Hossein; a teenager who follows his deceased elder brother to Syria, wanting to understand what he had experienced.Character biogs for ''The State''
Channel 4, 8 August 2017
* Shavani Cameron as Ushna Kaleel; a teenager seeking to be a "lioness for lions".
* Ryan McKen as Ziyad Kader; Jalal's closest friend, who accompanies him hoping for adventure.Interview with Ryan McKen who plays Ziyaad Kadar
Channel 4, 8 August 2017

Supporting cast

* Hiam Abbass as Umm Salamah; educator and spiritual leader
* Jessica Gunning as Umm Walid; leader of the new arrivals house
* Nana Agyeman-Bediako as Isaac Boothe; Shakira's nine-year-old son
* Ali Suliman as Abu Omar; Jalal and Ziyad's unit commander
* Haaz Sleiman as Dr. Rabia; a colleague of Shakira's
* Amir El-Masry as Sayed; a Syrian pharmacist and suspected CIA spy
* Nitin Ganatra as Munir Hossein; Jalal's estranged father
* Yannick de Waal as Abu Abbas Al-Hollandi
* Yasen Atour as Abu Issa
* Samer Bisharat as Abu Sahl
* Karim Kassem as Abu Akram
* Sebastian Griegel as Abu Lut Al-Almani
* Jack Greenlees as Abu Ibrahim Al-Brittani
* Charles Mnene as Abu Ayoub Al-Brittani
* Fayez Bakhsh as Abu Jihad Al-Brittani
* Zafer El-Abedin as Maqqir Amir

Episodes

References

External links

*

Teaser trailer
YouTube

National Geographic trailer
YouTube

{{DEFAULTSORT:State, The
Films directed by Peter Kosminsky
2010s British drama television series
2017 British television series debuts
2017 British television series endings
Works about the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
Channel 4 original programming
National Geographic (American TV channel)
2010s British television miniseries