Bletchley Circle, The (ITV 2012, Anna Maxwell Martin)

Period crime drama series The Bletchley Circle is a nice counterpoint to the usual code breaking stories surrounding the Bletchley Park British Intelligence unit during world war II. The series initially begins during world war two before moving forward to 1952 when the girls who worked at Bletchley have all returned to their former lives. When Susan Gray though discovers evidence that a serial killer may be at work and the police show a distinct lack of interest in the evidence she has gathered she brings together three of her former Bletchley colleagues, Millie, Lucy and Jean to try and solve the case themselves.

A second series of four episodes saw two further stories. In Blood On Their Hands Susan and Co try to prove that former Bletchley colleague Alice Merren is innocent of the murder that she has been accused of. In final two part story Uncustomed Goods Susan, Lucy and Jean discover that Millie has been kidnapped. She is heavily involved in black market trading and her dodgy business partner owes a large amount of money to Soho gangsters.

production details
UK / ITV – World Productions / 7×60 minute episodes / Broadcast 6 September 2012 – 27 January 2014

Creator: Guy Burt / Music: Nick Green / Executive Producer: Simon Heath / Producer: Jake Lushington

cast
Anna Maxwell Martin as Susan Gray
Rachael Stirling as Millie
Sophie Rundle as Lucy
Julie Graham as Jean
Mark Dexter as Timothy Gray
Ed Birch as Harry
Michael Gould as Deputy Commissioner Wainwright
Simon Sherlock as DCI Compton
Simon Williams as Cavendish
Steven Robertson as Malcolm Crowley
Hattie Morahan as Alice Merren (series 2)
Faye Marsay as Lizzie Lancaster (series 2)