# Patrick Melrose (miniseries)

Patrick Melrose is a drama television miniseries starring Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role. The show is based on a series of semi-autobiographical novels by Edward St Aubyn.

## Premise

Over five decades from the 1960s to the early 2000s, wealthy Englishman Patrick Melrose attempts to overcome his addictions and demons rooted in abuse by his cruel father and negligent mother.

## Cast

* Benedict Cumberbatch as Patrick Melrose
** Sebastian Maltz as young Patrick Melrose
* Jennifer Jason Leigh as Eleanor Melrose
* Hugo Weaving as David Melrose
* Jessica Raine as Julia
* Pip Torrens as Nicholas Pratt
* Prasanna Puwanarajah as Johnny Hall
* Holliday Grainger as Bridget Watson Scott
* Indira Varma as Anne Moore
* Anna Madeley as Mary Melrose
* Blythe Danner as Nancy
* Celia Imrie as Kettle
* Harriet Walter as Princess Margaret
* Allison Williams as Marianne
* Morfydd Clark as Debbie Hickman
* Marcus Smith as Robert Melrose

## Production

It was announced in February 2017 that Benedict Cumberbatch would star in and produce a television adaptation of Edward St Aubyn’s Patrick Melrose book series, that would air on Showtime in the United States and Sky Atlantic in the United Kingdom. David Nicholls wrote the five episodes of the series, with Edward Berger directing. In July, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Hugo Weaving joined as Patrick’s mother and father, and Anna Madeley was cast as Patrick’s wife. Allison Williams and Blythe Danner joined in August 2017, with filming begun by October in Glasgow.

## Release

The first trailer debuted in April 2018, and the series premiered on May 12 on Showtime. The series consecutively streamed new episodes on CraveTV in Canada. It was shown on Sky Atlantic in the UK, and Sky Vision handled international sales of the series.

## Episodes

| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | U.S. viewers (millions) |
| 1 | "Bad News" | Edward Berger | David Nicholls | May 12, 2018 (2018-05-12) | 0.219 |
| In 1982, Englishman Patrick Melrose is dispatched to New York City to retrieve the ashes of his estranged father David. During his time in New York, Patrick decides to quit his longtime addiction but finds himself unable to do so as he recollects memories of his father's abuse and encounters many of David’s associates. Patrick resorts to using heroin, alcohol, and other drugs before he finally breaks down with a botched suicide attempt. Patrick places a call to his friend Johnny telling him he wishes to finally give up and go through with a withdrawal. ||||||
| 2 | "Never Mind" | Edward Berger | David Nicholls | May 19, 2018 (2018-05-19) | 0.186 |
| While going through withdrawal, Patrick recalls a traumatic day in 1967 he experienced as a young boy while on holiday in France with his parents. David is manipulative and cruel while his mother Eleanor, an alcoholic, shows signs of neglect towards Patrick and is terrified of her husband's behavior. It is revealed through a series of flashbacks that Patrick was sexually assaulted by his father while his mother was away. ||||||
| 3 | "Some Hope" | Edward Berger | David Nicholls | May 26, 2018 (2018-05-26) | 0.236 |
| It's 1990 and Patrick has been invited to a party where Princess Margaret will be present. Patrick is trying to put his substance abuse in the past and has help from his friend Johnny who is in a therapy group. At the party, Princess Margaret behaves unpleasantly due to her social status and humiliates the French ambassador. She also dismisses the hostess' daughter from meeting her and this reminds Patrick of himself as a boy when his father wouldn't allow his mother to talk to him during dinner in France. Patrick later reveals to Johnny that he was sexually abused by his father for a number of years as a young boy. The episode ends with Patrick meeting Chilly Willy, who sold him drugs during his stay in New York, and is now leaving after playing in the band at the party. ||||||
| 4 | "Mother's Milk" | Edward Berger | David Nicholls | June 2, 2018 (2018-06-02) | 0.264 |
| In 2003, Patrick is now fully sober and has become a lawyer. He brings his wife Mary and two children to South France where they visit his gravely ill mother, who has suffered a stroke. Eleanor has been taken in by a shady guru named Seamus, who has convinced her to sign the deed to the house over to the "foundation" which he leads. Being disinherited conjures up Patrick's buried resentment toward his mother, causing him to begin drinking and using prescription drugs again. His marriage to Mary is also in trouble, which he makes worse by engaging in an affair with his old girlfriend Julia when she visits. Patrick comes to terms with the loss of his childhood home and gives his blessing to his mother's plans, offering to arrange for her to be brought to London. Before leaving, Patrick is asked a favour by his ailing mother. Thereafter Patrick brings his family to Connecticut to see his snobbish aunt Nancy, where his drinking spirals out of control. After an angry confrontation with Nancy, Mary confronts Patrick and gives him an ultimatum: sober up or leave. ||||||
| 5 | "At Last" | Edward Berger | David Nicholls | June 9, 2018 (2018-06-09) | 0.197 |
| By 2005, Eleanor has died and Patrick presides over her funeral. There are flashbacks of Patrick's life over the past two years, in which his drinking problem continued unabated after separating from Mary and his children. Eventually he returns to a rehab center, and after initially resisting the process and even escaping, he returned to focus on his recovery. His mother, bedridden in a London nursing home, insisted on being euthanised, so Patrick petitioned the British government to allow her to be brought to Switzerland. After gaining approval, Eleanor changes her mind at the last minute. There is also a flashback to years earlier, when Mary and Patrick realize that his father was a child molester, and Patrick for the first time confronts his mother about the abuse; Eleanor claims to have suffered domestic violence at the hands of David. In the present day, Eleanor's funeral and wake turn into a bizarre show as old faces converge. Patrick struggles to reconcile the positive portrait of Eleanor which others knew to his own experience of her as a neglectful mother. ||||||

## Reception
### Critical response

The series currently has a 90% score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, based on 69 critic reviews with an average rating of 7.9 out of 10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Patrick Melrose is a scathing indictment of British high society's inherited dysfunction, cruelty, and the wealth that enables them. The Crown this ain't." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, gave the film a score of 80 out of 100 based on 32 critics. In 2019, the series was ranked 51st on The Guardian newspaper's list of the 100 best TV shows of the 21st century.

### US ratings

Viewership and ratings per episode of Patrick Melrose :
| No. | Title | Air date | Rating (18–49) | Viewers (millions) |
| 1 | "Bad News" | May 12, 2018 | 0.03 | 0.219 |
| 2 | "Never Mind" | May 19, 2018 | 0.03 | 0.186 |
| 3 | "Some Hope" | May 26, 2018 | 0.04 | 0.236 |
| 4 | "Mother's Milk" | June 2, 2018 | 0.04 | 0.264 |
| 5 | "At Last" | June 9, 2018 | 0.03 | 0.197 |

### Accolades

| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
| 2018 | British Screenwriters' Awards | Best British TV Drama Writing | David Nicholls | Won | |
| 2018 | British Society of Cinematographers | Best Cinematography in a Television Drama | James Friend (for "Bad News") | Won | |
| 2018 | British Society of Cinematographers | Operators Award – Television Drama | Daniel Bishop | Nominated | |
| 2018 | International Online Cinema Awards | Best Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie | Benedict Cumberbatch | Nominated | |
| 2018 | National Film and Television Awards | Best Actor | Benedict Cumberbatch | Nominated | |
| 2018 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Limited Series | Best Limited Series | Nominated | |
| 2018 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Actor in a Motion Picture or Limited Series | Benedict Cumberbatch | Runner-up | |
| 2018 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture or Limited Series | Jennifer Jason Leigh | Nominated | |
| 2018 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Direction of a Motion Picture or Limited Series | Best Direction of a Motion Picture or Limited Series | Nominated | |
| 2018 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Writing of a Motion Picture or Limited Series | Best Writing of a Motion Picture or Limited Series | Nominated | |
| 2018 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Ensemble in a Motion Picture or Limited Series | Best Ensemble in a Motion Picture or Limited Series | Nominated | |
| 2018 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Limited Series | Rachael Horovitz, Michael Jackson, Adam Ackland, Benedict Cumberbatch, Helen Flint, and Stephen Smallwood | Nominated | [25] [26] |
| 2018 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie | Benedict Cumberbatch | Nominated | [25] [26] |
| 2018 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie or Dramatic Special | Edward Berger | Nominated | [25] [26] |
| 2018 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie or Dramatic Special | David Nicholls | Nominated | [25] [26] |
| 2018 | Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Casting for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Nina Gold and Martin Ware | Nominated | [25] [26] |
| 2018 | Television Critics Association Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries and Specials | Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries and Specials | Nominated | |
| 2018 | World Soundtrack Awards | Television Composer of the Year | Hauschka | Nominated | |
| 2019 | American Society of Cinematographers Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Motion Picture, Miniseries, or Pilot Made for Television | James Friend (for "Bad News") | Won | |
| 2019 | Artios Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Limited Series | Nina Gold | Nominated | |
| 2019 | British Academy Television Awards | Best Mini-Series | Michael Jackson, Rachael Horovitz, Edward Berger, Helen Flint, and David Nicholls | Won | |
| 2019 | British Academy Television Awards | Best Leading Actor | Benedict Cumberbatch | Won | |
| 2019 | British Academy Television Craft Awards | Best Writer – Fiction | David Nicholls | Won | |
| 2019 | British Academy Television Craft Awards | Best Original Music | Hauschka | Nominated | |
| 2019 | British Academy Television Craft Awards | Best Production Design | Tom Burton | Won | |
| 2019 | British Academy Television Craft Awards | Photography & Lighting – Fiction | James Friend | Nominated | |
| 2019 | Broadcast Awards | Best Drama Series or Serial | Best Drama Series or Serial | Nominated | |
| 2019 | Broadcasting Press Guild Awards | Best Single Drama | Best Single Drama | Nominated | [34] [35] |
| 2019 | Broadcasting Press Guild Awards | Best Actor | Benedict Cumberbatch | Nominated | [34] [35] |
| 2019 | Broadcasting Press Guild Awards | Best Writer | David Nicholls | Nominated | [34] [35] |
| 2019 | Broadcasting Press Guild Awards | Best of Multichannel | Best of Multichannel | Nominated | [34] [35] |
| 2019 | Camerimage | First Look Award | James Friend | Won | |
| 2019 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Actor in a Limited Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television | Benedict Cumberbatch | Nominated | |
| 2019 | Golden Reel Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Sound Effects and Foley for Episodic Long Form Broadcast Media | Tony Gibson, Glen Gathard, Lewis Todd, Lilly Blazewicz, Peter Burgis, Zoe Freed, and Jason Swanscott (for "Bad News") | Nominated | |
| 2019 | Music + Sound Awards | Best Sound Design – Television Programme | Tony Gibson, Filipa Príncipe, Claire Ellis, Lewis Todd, Louisa Kearns, Stephen Smallwood, Nigel Squibbs, Jason Swanscott, Zoe Freed, and Peter Burgis | Won | |
| 2019 | Royal Television Society Awards | Best Writer – Drama | David Nicholls | Nominated | |
| 2019 | Royal Television Society Craft & Design Awards | Best Sound – Drama | Nigel Squibbs, John Mooney, Filipa Principe, and Tony Gibson | Nominated | |
| 2019 | Satellite Awards | Best Miniseries & Limited Series | Best Miniseries & Limited Series | Nominated | |
| 2019 | Satellite Awards | Best Actor in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television | Benedict Cumberbatch | Nominated | |
| 2019 | Satellite Awards | Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television | Hugo Weaving | Won | |
| 2019 | Satellite Awards | Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television | Jennifer Jason Leigh | Nominated | |
| 2019 | USC Scripter Awards | Television | David Nicholls; Based on the series of novels by Edward St Aubyn | Nominated | |
| 2020 | IMAGO International Awards | Best Cinematography in TV Drama | James Friend (for "Bad News") | Won | |