Truelove Press Pack

Category: Press Pack

14 December 2023

Truelove is a unique spin on a cat and mouse thriller, centring on a gang of older friends who make a pact that, if and when the time comes, rather than let each other suffer a dreadful decline they will engineer a more dignified death as a sign of ‘Truelove’. But when an intrepid young police officer discovers that there is more to this group of retirees than meets the eye, events soon take a surprising and dangerous turn…

With a core cast in their 70s, Truelove offers a refreshingly different take on older age, with its thrilling twists, wry sense of humour, and a passionate love story at its heart, celebrating second chances and the idea that it’s never too late. Meanwhile underpinning all of this is the knottiest of moral questions – is it ever right to help end of life?

Produced by Clerkenwell Films, the team behind BAFTA award-winning series The End of the F***ing World, Truelove has been commissioned by Channel 4’s Head of Drama, Caroline Hollick and Commissioning Editor, Rebecca Holdsworth. The series is written by Iain Weatherby (Humans) and co-created with Charlie Covell (The End of the F***ing World). The executive producers at Clerkenwell Films are Emily Harrison, Andy Baker, Petra Fried and Charlie Langdell. Charlie Covell and Iain Weatherby also executive produce.

Chloë Wicks (The Flatshare, On the Edge: Cradled) and Carl Tibbetts (The Tunnel, Black Mirror) will direct and Alex Walsh-Taylor (Cheaters, Lovesick) will produce. BBC Studios, which wholly owns Clerkenwell Films, is distributing the series internationally.

Filming took place across Bristol, Somerset and Wales with support from local Film Offices.

Publicity Contact: Harriet Wilson, Publicity Lead Drama, Channel 4: hwilson@channel4.co.uk

Images: picturepublicity@channel4.co.uk

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14 Dec 23 Press Pack Article

Cast & crew credits and character biographies

CAST & CREW CREDITS Lindsay Duncan – Phil Clarke Peters – Ken Sue Johnston – Marion Phil Davis – Nigel Peter Egan – David Karl Johnson – Tom Fiona Button – Kate Kiran Sonia Sawar – Ayesha Chloe Wicks – Director, Eps 1-3 Carl Tibbetts – Director, Eps 4-6 Iain Weatherby – Writer , Co-Creator &

14 Dec 23 Press Pack Article

Truelove episode synopses

Episode One Phil (Philippa) had a long and distinguished career in the police, but is thirteen years retired and very, very bored. Meanwhile Ken, a solitary SAS veteran, feels similarly at sea. They reunite for the first time in years at a friend ’ s funeral, and – at the drunken wake – they and

14 Dec 23 Press Pack Article

Interview with Lindsay Duncan - Phil

Can you tell us a little bit about Phil? Phil was Deputy Chief Constable and has been retired for years. She's highly regarded in the police force but frustrated by the fact that she didn't make it to the top rank because of the sexism at the time. Although she's retired, mentally she hasn't. She

14 Dec 23 Press Pack Article

Interview with Clarke Peters – Ken

What is ‘true love’ ? That’s a very good question. I think that’s a question that will only be answered by seeing this aspect of what love is. Love is difficult to define. In this instance, true love is taking care of the desires of the people you grew up with and with whom you were in love. How has

14 Dec 23 Press Pack Article

Interview with Sue Johnston - Marion

What can you tell us about Marion? Marion is a housewife and hasn’t worked for many years. She’s married to David, who’s a doctor. Very middle class, slightly ordinary, but she's very kind. She's described as vague by one of the characters, but she's very sweet. She's the peacemaker amongst the

14 Dec 23 Press Pack Article

Interview with Peter Egan – David

What can viewers expect from the show? First of all, you can expect a fantastically written narrative. The scripts are absolutely fantastic. They're very exciting. All of the characters are very interesting, and the story is fascinating to follow. It's a dark thriller with comedy elements and it's

14 Dec 23 Press Pack Article

Interview with Karl Johnson – Tom

Tell us a little bit about Tom. Tom is a man of a certain age. He had a colourful background and a colourful career. Last job he had as an accountant, he enjoyed. He’s very outgoing, a social animal, and is now retired and enjoys life immensely. I enjoyed playing Tom. When I read the part, I thought

14 Dec 23 Press Pack Article

Interview with Kiran Sonia Sawar – Ayesha

Could you tell us a little bit about Ayesha? Ayesha is a very front footed, strong minded and passionate young constable who really wants to make her mark in the industry. She moves through the world with a strong sense of right and wrong, black and white, justice driven thinking and her number one

14 Dec 23 Press Pack Article

Interview with Charlie Covell - Co-Creator and Executive producer

What inspired you to create this show? Iain and I had a coffee about ten or eleven years ago, after a pitch I think, and I mentioned an elderly family member who ’ d rather forcefully told us that she ’ d rather we “ take [her] out the back and shoot [her]” were she ever to become terminally ill. It

14 Dec 23 Press Pack Article

Interview with Iain Weatherby – Writer, Co-Creator and Executive producer

What inspired you to write the show and create these five individuals? When you're writing characters, it's always an amalgam of people you've known. Charlie and I did that process, we told each other stories about our parents and our grandparents, and we borrowed facets and aspects of them to