In Houdini & Doyle famed escapologist and spiritualist skeptic joins up with author Dr Arthur Conan Doyle (creator of Sherlock Holmess and a firm believer in the paranormal and spiritualism in particular) to tackle various intriguing cases in the early part of the twentieth century.
The cases are all somewhat on the strange side and Houdini is keen to prove the investigations belong to the realm of natural causes whilst Conan Doyle is the opposite. Like Holmes and Watson the duo were helped/hindered by a police officer – in this case female Constable Adelaide Stratton.
There was a slim kernel of truth in the basis of the series – Doyle and Houdini were firm friends for many years but Houdini’s increasing obsession with debunking spiritualism and paranormal activity of all kinds cost them their friendship. Doyle was convinced that spiritualism was real (he had been a member of the Society for Psychical Research for years) and became even more obsessed following the death of his wife and and then his son in WWI. Doyle in fact even believed that Houdini actually used real magic to enable his illusions.
production details
UK – US – Canada / ITV – Fox – Global – Sony – Big Talk – Shore Z / 10×60 minute episodes / Broadcast 13 March – 12 May 2016
Creators: David Hoselton, David Titcher / Music: James Jandrisch / Executive Producers: Stephen Hopkins, Kate Garwood, Christina Jennings, Scott Garvie, Maggie Murphy, Kenton Allen, Luke Alkin, Matthew Justice, David Titcher, David Hoselton, David Shore / Producer: Adrian Sturges
cast
Michael Weston as Harry Houdini
Stephen Mangan as Arthur Conan Doyle
Rebecca Liddiard as Adelaide Stratton
Adam Nagaitis as George Gudgett
Tim McInnerny as Horace Merring
Emily Carey as Mary Conan Doyle
Noah Jupe as Kingsley Conan Doyle
Diana Quick as Cecelia Weiss
