Place of Execution 

A young girl mysteriously vanishes from her English village home. 45 years later, a journalist's attempts to make a documentary on the case threaten to shatter the lives of all involved.

Stars:

Lee Ingleby, Emma Cunniffe, Philip Jackson

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Lee Ingleby	...	DI George Bennett 3 episodes, 2008
Emma Cunniffe	...	Ruth Hawkin 3 episodes, 2008
Philip Jackson	...	Old George Bennett 3 episodes, 2008
Juliet Stevenson	...	Catherine Heathcote 3 episodes, 2008
Elizabeth Day	...	Sasha Heathcote 3 episodes, 2008
Tony Maudsley	...	DS Tommy Clough 3 episodes, 2008
Greg Wise	...	Philip Hawkin 3 episodes, 2008
Poppy Goodburn	...	Alison Carter 3 episodes, 2008
Mikey North	...	Charlie Lomas 3 episodes, 2008
Danny Tennant	...	PC Swindells 3 episodes, 2008
Sheila Reid	...	Ma Lomas 3 episodes, 2008
Danny Sapani	...	Keith Slocombe 3 episodes, 2008
Joy Blakeman	...	Kathy Lomas 3 episodes, 2008
Zoe Telford	...	Nicola Curry 3 episodes, 2008
Liz Moscrop	...	Laura 3 episodes, 2008
Philip Whitchurch	...	DCI Culver 2 episodes, 2008
Romy Baskerville	...	Margaret Bennett 2 episodes, 2008
Dave Hill	...	Old Tommy Clough 2 episodes, 2008
Peter Cartwright	...	Judge Sampson 2 episodes, 2008
Chris Brailsford	...	Dan Crowther 2 episodes, 2008
Leena Dhingra	...	Dr. Panaseer 2 episodes, 2008
Miranda Williams	...	Young Catherine 2 episodes, 2008
Paul Wyett	...	Don Smart 2 episodes, 2008
Dirk Smith	...	PC Dawson 2 episodes, 2008

Storyline

In 1963, Alison Carter left her home in the small English village of Scardale and vanished. The mystery devastated the community and captivated police officer George Bennett. In modern day London, journalist Catherine Heathcote is putting the finishing touches on a documentary about the case. However, the previously helpful Bennett, now in his seventies, suddenly pulls out of the film. What makes him hesitant to discuss the case that made him a hero? The past and present interweave as both Bennett and Heathcote attempt to unravel the mysteries.

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Plot Keywords:

village | police officer | policewoman | old woman | rural setting | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 September 2008 (UK)

Also Known As:

A tett helyszíne

Company Credits

Production Co:

Coastal Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

137 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Aired in the USA as a two-part movie on PBS, November 1 and 8, 2009.

User Reviews

Mostly good!

Alternating timelines - the 'go to' plot device that the people who make TV love - and people who watch TV hate! But in this case, it works well and actually makes sense. Also - it's not too confusing for the viewer!

Some well-known faces from every other TV drama are wheeled out in this above average drama. Some will find their faces reassuring - others (like me) will find them annoying... especially Juliet Stevenson who is just too overexposed to the point where I can no longer see past the face of an actress into the soul of a character.

But that aside, this is still a pretty captivating addition to the library of British commercial television drama... even though the ending is pretty silly and very implausible.

The story is about a documentary maker (Stevenson) who delves back half a century into the mystery of a missing child for which her step-father was hung for murder.

Greg Wise who plays the stepfather is the stand out here. He's another seemingly never out of work actor who shows up several times a year on TV in something or other. But this role is a true masterclass. His expressions of initially evil and eventually fear are worth a thousand words.

There are themes of family skeletons and police evidence tampering played out against a backdrop of domestic friction. The investigator is having a tough time ignoring her daughter as she seems to be a wannabe goth! But she plows on with her important work anyway.

Meanwhile, in another life, a young detective on his first missing persons case, struggles with his colleagues as he is determined to hang a man for murder despite having no body. The court scenes are very intimidating and the hanging is also very dramatic.

So - if you can stomach seeing the same old faces on your TV and you're willing to put up with a rather convoluted final act then it's worth your time.