Run is a British drama serial created by Jonathan Pearson, Marlon Smith, and Daniel Fajemisin-Duncan, and written by Marlon Smith and Daniel Fajemisin-Duncan for Channel 4.[1][2] The series premiered on 15 July 2013 and ended on 18 July 2013, and was broadcast on Hulu on 20 August 2013.[3] The series comprises four episodes, each focused on one character among the four leads - Carol (Olivia Colman), Ying (Katie Leung), Richard (Lennie James) and Kasia (Katharina Schüttler) - and shows how each character's decisions affect that character and the others.[4][5]
| Run | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Drama |
| Starring | |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 4 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer |
|
| Producer |
|
| Production location | London |
| Running time | 42 minutes |
| Production company | Acme Films |
| Distributor | Channel 4 Television Corporation |
| Release | |
| Original network | Channel 4 |
| Picture format | 576i (16:9 SDTV) 1080i (HDTV) |
| Original release | 15 July (2013-07-15) – 18 July 2013 (2013-07-18) |
The series reveals the interconnectedness of apparently separate lives, through the stories of four people faced with choices in a world where survival is never a given.
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK Viewers (in millions) final ratings are sourced from BARB[6] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Carol" | Charles Martin | Daniel Fajemisin-Duncan, Marlon Smith | 15 July 2013 (2013-07-15) | 1.99 | |
| Carol is a tough single mother striving to keep her family together. When her teenage sons commit an act of random violence that ends in a stranger's death, Carol faces the impossible choice of protecting her children or doing the right thing.[7] | ||||||
| 2 | "Ying" | Charles Martin | Daniel Fajemisin-Duncan, Marlon Smith | 16 July 2013 (2013-07-16) | 1.71 | |
| Ying is an illegal immigrant from the Fujian province of China, who sells unlicensed DVDs and stolen mobile phones at barbershops, cafés, and pubs around Brixton.[7] | ||||||
| 3 | "Richard" | Jonathan Pearson | Daniel Fajemisin-Duncan, Marlon Smith | 17 July 2013 (2013-07-17) | 1.39 | |
| Richard is a recovering heroin addict who spends every day struggling to stay clean. Only one thing spurs him on: the possibility of re-establishing contact with his teenage daughter.[7] | ||||||
| 4 | "Katrina" | Jonathan Pearson | Daniel Fajemisin-Duncan, Marlon Smith | 18 July 2013 (2013-07-18) | 1.11 | |
| Kasia is a young Polish woman who originally came to London filled with hope. Years later, she is still working as a cleaner, struggling to make ends meet, and contending with a gambling-addicted boyfriend.[7] | ||||||
| Name | Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4 | Discs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Series One | — | 22 July 2013 | — | 2 |
The Express has praised Run, calling it "inventive" and citing Jaime Winstone as a highlight.[8] The Scotsman was slightly more mixed in their review, commenting that: "This gritty, grim drama will win awards but, perhaps, be too hard-going for many."[9]