Thorne (TV series)

''Thorne'' is a British crime drama television series, based on the novels of author Mark Billingham, that was first broadcast on Sky One on 10 October 2010.''The Guardian'', 9 October 2010
"The weekend's TV highlights"
/ref> A single six-episode series, starring David Morrissey in the title role of Detective Inspector Tom Thorne, was broadcast at 21:00 on Sundays until 14 November. As well as Morrissey, the series also stars Aidan Gillen, Eddie Marsan, O-T Fagbenle and Lorraine Ashbourne in supporting roles. The series comprises two three-part dramatisations of the first two ''Thorne'' novels, ''Sleepyhead'' and ''Scaredycat''. ''Sleepyhead'', directed by Stephen Hopkins, previewed in full at the BFI Southbank in London on 4 October 2010, followed by a Q&A session featuring writer Mark Billingham and actors David Morrissey and Eddie Marsan.BFI, 4 October 2010
TV preview: thorne: sleepyhead + Q&A
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Although directly adapted from the novels, there are notable differences in the series, including: Brigstocke's gender has been changed; Dave Holland's ethnicity has been changed; and Phil Hendricks is portrayed as a short, partly tattooed Irishman with a full head of hair, a juxtaposition of the tall, bald, heavily pierced, heavily tattooed Mancunian described in Billingham's novels. In the United States, Encore broadcast all six episodes of the series across two nights. ''Sleepyhead'' and ''Scaredycat'' aired on 12 and 13 June 2012 respectively. The series is also available as a complete box set from Netflix. All six episodes were released on Region 2 DVD and Blu-ray on 10 January 2011.

Production

Prior to filming, David Morrissey commented on how he became involved with the role: "I was doing a film in New Zealand, on my own, in winter. I really needed a book. I stumbled across a Thorne novel, liked it, and then I looked up Mark online and found a question-and-answer session where he said that if his books ever made it to the screen, he’d like me to play the lead. I thought, that’s a good start".Ed Cumming, 8 October 2010, ''The Daily Telegraph''
David Morrissey on Thorne: a British copper, in a US style
/ref> The first two novels adapted for the series were ''Sleepyhead'', in which Thorne has to track down and stop a serial killer who aims to leave his victims alive but unable to communicate because of locked-in syndrome; and ''Scaredy Cat'', in which two serial killers, Martin Palmer and Stuart Nicklin, begin to work in tandem to pick off their victims.

Billingham later expressed a desire to film all ten Thorne novels. Likewise, Morrissey confirmed in February 2011 that a second series had gone into production.''BBC
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