"Birdsong" (2012) TV series 2012-

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

22 April 2012 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | Romance | War

Plot:

As an English soldier fights in the horrific trenches of northern France, he is haunted by the memories of his forbidden love affair with a French woman.

Plot Keywords:

France | Soldier | World War One | Based On Novel | Based On Book

Awards:

2 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Eddie Redmayne	...	Stephen Wraysford (2 episodes, 2012)
Clémence Poésy	...	Isabelle / ... (2 episodes, 2012)
Matthew Goode	...	Captain Gray (2 episodes, 2012)
Rory Keenan	...	Private Brennan (2 episodes, 2012)
Thomas Turgoose	...	Private Tipper (2 episodes, 2012)
Richard Madden	...	Captain Weir (2 episodes, 2012)
Joseph Mawle	...	Jack Firebrace (2 episodes, 2012)
Simon Nehan	...	Evans (2 episodes, 2012)
Daniel Cerqueira	...	Shaw (2 episodes, 2012)
Nicholas Moss	...	RSM Price (2 episodes, 2012)
Marie-Josée Croze	...	Jeanne (2 episodes, 2012)
Matthew Aubrey	...	Private Byrne (2 episodes, 2012)
Paul Rattray	...	Tyson (2 episodes, 2012)
Misi Dunai	...	Riley (2 episodes, 2012)
Piroska Molnár	...	Marguerite (2 episodes, 2012)
David Monteath		(2 episodes, 2012)

Series Directed by
Philip Martin		(2 episodes, 2012)

Series Writing credits
Sebastian Faulks		(2 episodes, 2012)
Abi Morgan		(2 episodes, 2012)

Series Produced by
Tim Bevan	....	executive producer (2 episodes, 2012)
Veronica Castillo	....	co-producer (2 episodes, 2012)
Rebecca Eaton	....	executive producer: Masterpiece (2 episodes, 2012)
Sebastian Faulks	....	executive producer (2 episodes, 2012)
Eric Fellner	....	executive producer (2 episodes, 2012)
Lynn Horsford	....	producer (2 episodes, 2012)
Juliette Howell	....	executive producer (2 episodes, 2012)
Simon Relph	....	executive producer (2 episodes, 2012)
Lucy Richer	....	executive producer: BBC (2 episodes, 2012)
Ann Skinner	....	executive producer (2 episodes, 2012)

Series Original Music by
Nicholas Hooper		(2 episodes, 2012)

Series Cinematography by
Julian Court		(2 episodes, 2012)

Series Film Editing by
Kristina Hetherington		(2 episodes, 2012)

Series Casting by
Lucy Bevan		(1 episode, 2012)

Series Production Design by
Grant Montgomery		(1 episode, 2012)

Series Art Direction by
Nicole Northridge		(1 episode, 2012)
János Szabolcs		(1 episode, 2012)
Katie Tuxford		(1 episode, 2012)

Series Set Decoration by
Ussal Smithers		(unknown episodes)

Series Costume Design by
Charlotte Walter		(unknown episodes)

Series Makeup Department
Márta Antal	....	prosthetic make up artist (2 episodes, 2012)
Jemma Carballo	....	makeup artist (unknown episodes)
Peta Dunstall	....	key hair stylist (unknown episodes)
Krisztina Fehér	....	hair stylist / makeup artist (unknown episodes)
Iván Pohárnok	....	prosthetic makeup designer (unknown episodes)
Charlotte Rogers	....	hair and make-up supervisor (unknown episodes)
Emma Scott	....	makeup designer (unknown episodes)

Series Production Management
Katalin Baranyi	....	unit manager (2 episodes, 2012)
Sophie Treacher	....	production manager: UK (2 episodes, 2012)
Tania Blunden	....	post-production supervisor (unknown episodes)
Ágoston Félegyházy Megyesy	....	location production manager (unknown episodes)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Laura Coggan-Hulmes	....	second assistant director (2 episodes, 2012)
Dan Winch	....	first assistant director (2 episodes, 2012)
Roxana Szarisz	....	co-second assistant director (unknown episodes)

Series Art Department
József Kiss	....	construction manager (2 episodes, 2012)
Norbert Nagy	....	stand-by prop (2 episodes, 2012)
Géza Kerti	....	assistant art director (unknown episodes)
Dora Nagy	....	graphic designer (unknown episodes)
Piroska Szabady	....	stand-by art director (unknown episodes)
István Tímár	....	props (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Robert Brazier	....	foley recordist (2 episodes, 2012)
Paul Cotterell	....	sound re-recording mixer (2 episodes, 2012)
Lee Crichlow	....	sound effects editor (2 episodes, 2012)
Rob Hughes	....	sound re-recording mixer (2 episodes, 2012)
Nick Roberts	....	adr mixer / loop group recordist (2 episodes, 2012)
Ian Wilkinson	....	dialogue and adr editor (2 episodes, 2012)
Tim Atkins	....	post-sound assistant (unknown episodes)
Nick Baldock	....	adr recordist (unknown episodes)
Sue Harding	....	foley artist (unknown episodes)
Rowena Wilkinson	....	foley artist (unknown episodes)

Series Special Effects by
Bence Arik	....	special effects crew (unknown episodes)
Béla Buzgó	....	special effects crew (unknown episodes)
Furedi Csaba	....	special effects technician (unknown episodes)
Bence Füredi	....	special effects trainee (unknown episodes)
Attila Góczán	....	special effects crew (unknown episodes)
Gabor Kiszelly	....	special effects supervisor (unknown episodes)
Gyula Krasnyánszky	....	pyro supervisor (unknown episodes)
Norbert Orosz	....	special effects technician (unknown episodes)
László Pintér	....	floor special effects supervisor (unknown episodes)

Series Visual Effects by
Antonio Rodríguez Díaz	....	digital compositor (2 episodes, 2012)
Lucy Tanner	....	visual effects coordinator (2 episodes, 2012)
Thomas Baber	....	cg supervisor (unknown episodes)
Antony Bluff	....	visual effects producer (unknown episodes)
Emma Braney	....	visual effects artist (unknown episodes)
Sam Cox	....	visual effects artist (unknown episodes)
Stefan Drury	....	head of visual effects (unknown episodes)
James Elster	....	digital compositor (unknown episodes)
Sean Farrow	....	executive visual effects supervisor (unknown episodes)
Glen Pratt	....	visual effects supervisor (unknown episodes)
Harry Wormald	....	digital matte painter (unknown episodes)
Lenka Zuckova	....	visual effects artist (unknown episodes)

Series Stunts
Andrea Barat	....	assistant horse master (1 episode, 2012)
Attila Mora	....	horse master (1 episode, 2012)
Gabor Piroch	....	stunt coordinator (1 episode, 2012)
Gábor Piroch	....	stunt coordinator (1 episode, 2012)
Levente Tamási	....	stunt performer (1 episode, 2012)
Gergely Bíró	....	stunt performer (unknown episodes)
Kinga Gavalda	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Orsányi Iván	....	stunt performer (unknown episodes)
Tamás Molnár	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Gábor Pesta	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Gyorgy Szanto	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Ildikó Szücs	....	assistant stunt coordinator (unknown episodes)
Gyula Tóth	....	stunt performer (unknown episodes)
László Ujvári	....	stunts (unknown episodes)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
László Bille	....	camera operator (2 episodes, 2012)
János Steili	....	rigging electrician (2 episodes, 2012)
Zoltán Bók	....	electrician (unknown episodes)
Attila Csoboth	....	camera operator (unknown episodes)
Péter Faludi	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera (unknown episodes)
Posztos György	....	studio key rigger (unknown episodes)
Joe Jamieson	....	digital imaging technician (unknown episodes)
Tamás Jánossa	....	b camera focus puller (unknown episodes)
Károly Kamerda	....	assistant camera (unknown episodes)
Giles Keyte	....	stills photographer (unknown episodes)
Futo Laszlo	....	rigger (unknown episodes)
Csaba Nemesházi	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera (unknown episodes)
Viktor Racsek	....	rigging gaffer (unknown episodes)
Szabolcs Sitkei	....	camera trainee (unknown episodes)
Szabolcs Sitkei	....	camera trainee (unknown episodes)
Murren Tullett	....	digital imaging technician (unknown episodes)

Series Casting Department
Jina Jay	....	principals casting (unknown episodes)
Ruth Key	....	casting associate (unknown episodes)
Zsolt Ferenc Maier	....	extras casting (unknown episodes)
Nicolas Ronchi	....	casting: France (unknown episodes)
Veronika Varjasi	....	extras casting (unknown episodes)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Gabor Szabo	....	dresser (2 episodes, 2012)
Brigitta Barkó	....	costumer (unknown episodes)
Doina Raducut	....	key costumer (unknown episodes)
Hannah Walter	....	costume supervisor (unknown episodes)

Series Editorial Department
Tamás Albert	....	post-production engineer (2 episodes, 2012)
Benedek Kabán	....	qc coordinator (2 episodes, 2012)
Connan McStay	....	on-line editor (2 episodes, 2012)
Áron Mezei	....	dailies (2 episodes, 2012)
Mandy Miller	....	scripts (2 episodes, 2012)
Anya Dillon	....	assistant editor (unknown episodes)
Matyas Fekete	....	assistant editor (unknown episodes)
Stuart Fyvie	....	digital colourist (unknown episodes)
Tamás Szabó	....	bones operator (unknown episodes)
Mátyás Vándor	....	post-production coordinator: dailies (unknown episodes)

Series Music Department
Amy Ashworth	....	music researcher (2 episodes, 2012)
Andrew Dudman	....	music recording engineer / music scoring mixer (2 episodes, 2012)
Alastair King	....	conductor (unknown episodes)

Series Transportation Department
Márton Ivanov	....	transportation captain (unknown episodes)
Zsolt Somogyi	....	transportation supervisor (unknown episodes)

Series Other crew
Csaba Benedek	....	head of security (2 episodes, 2012)
Alison Carpenter	....	script editor (2 episodes, 2012)
Kate Fasulo	....	production executive: Working Title Television (2 episodes, 2012)
Nicholas Hatton	....	UK production team: WTTV (2 episodes, 2012)
Marcsi Tóth	....	assistant production coordinator (2 episodes, 2012)
Attila Barczay	....	videoassist (unknown episodes)
Ferenc Béres	....	location manager (unknown episodes)
Patricia D'Intino	....	cast production assistant (unknown episodes)
Gábor Gajdos	....	armourer (unknown episodes)
Barnabas Kiraly	....	location manager (unknown episodes)
Ferenc Kondor	....	security coordinator (unknown episodes)
János Papp	....	health & safety advisor (unknown episodes)
Sanjay Sharma	....	production coordinator: uk (unknown episodes)
Richard Szabó	....	security head (unknown episodes)
Carmen Tabanyi	....	script supervisor (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• Working Title Television (co-production)
• Masterpiece (co-production)
• NBC Universal Television (in association with) (as NBCUniversal)
• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (for)

Distributors

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Television (2012) (UK) (TV)

Special Effects

• Lip Sync Post (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Art4noise  adr recording
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies
• Concorde Film Trust  funding
• HireWorks  Avid Nitris DX rental
• Origo Digital Film  post-production facilities
• Videoassist.hu  HD video/DIT equipment provided by

Also Known As:

Runtime:

165 min (2 parts)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Filming Locations:

Raleigh Studios Budapest- Felsokert utca 9, Budapest, Hungary

Company:

Working Title Television

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The Wright Stuff: Episode #17.10" (2012)

The BBC drop the ball again

You know, the Great War is the one I find most moving in all of history. Just the thought of those young men, trapped in mires of mud, being shot to pieces and blasted to bits is enough to get my chest heaving. So when I heard the BBC were adapting the Sebastian Faulks novel BIRDSONG for a two-part adaptation, I was looking forward to it.

Oh dear. Like the Christmastime version of GREAT EXPECTATIONS, they've dropped the ball again with a production that has too many flaws to be taken seriously. Firstly, the three hour running time is far too long. Important passages are condensed (no doubt due to the budgetary constraints of the battle sequences) and other scenes are s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d out so that they become endlessly dull.

Eddie Redmayne is a superb actor given the right role - see him in THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH for an example of this. But he's utterly miscast here, far too young to be playing a world-weary guy, and he just doesn't have the gravitas to pull it off. Maybe in a decade's time, but certainly not now. I can't really fault the lovely Clemence Poesy playing opposite him, but Redmayne alone is enough to put you off.

It's all about characters quietly staring at each other for minutes on end interspersed with mad, passionate sex. But the central character is so selfish and conceited that that's what it is - just sex, not romance. The other half of the running time concerns the battle scenes, and boy are these bad. Not only are they repetitive - how many times does Redmayne supposedly die only to come back? - but they ring hollow. Hurried scenes of soldiers scribbling letters to loved ones the night before a battle does not make their later deaths emotional, it just reeks of contrivance and an artificial attempt to make the viewer care. Oh, and it turns out Redmayne's a coward, too.

It says something when a supporting actor (Joseph Mawle) gives by far the best performance of them all. I've actually had the Faulks novel sitting on my shelf unread for years - like so many books - but I'm going to be in no hurry to dig it out until memories of this have long faded. As for Abi Morgan, the scriptwriter, who previously brought the above-average miniseries THE HOUR to our screens - what went wrong?