The Children (2008 miniseries)

infobox television
show_name = The Children
format = Drama
runtime = 60 minutes
creator = Lucy Gannon
starring = David Maybrick
Lesley Sharp
Geraldine Somerville
Kevin Whately
executive_producer =
country = UK
network = ITV
director = David Evans
first_aired = 1 September, 2008
last_aired = 15 September, 2008
num_episodes = 3

The Children is a three part 2008 drama miniseries written by Lucy Gannon and produced for ITV1. It stars David Maybrick, Lesley Sharp, Geraldine Somerville and Kevin Whately, and premiered on ITV1 at 9pm on Monday 1 September, 2008.

The plot centred around the dysfunctional lives of Cameron (Whately), Sue (Somerville) and Sue's child Emily (Sinead Michael).Sue's ex-husband was DJ Paul (Ian Puleston-Davies) and his new girlfriend Natasha (Kate Ashfield), and Cameron's ex-wife Anne (Sharpe) and their son Jack (Freddie Boathe).

The main plot is surrounding the family life at home living as a step family, and is told in a backwards flashback mode.

Arguments and tension rise throughout the 3 episodes and eventually following her strange and naughty behaviour, little Emily is killed. Anyone of the adults could have been responsible and were placed at the scene.

As the show reaches it's climax, Cameron is shown hitting Emily and accidently smashing her through a glass patio door, however there is a twist to the tale as all the suspects are then seen killing her one by one, all except one of them.

The show's ending, which showed Natasha (the only character not seen killing Emily) crying and sobbing "I'm sorry," was panned by critics, due to the fact viewers were not shown how or indeed why Natasha killed her.

External links

*