# The Responder

The Responder is a British police drama television series set in Liverpool, written by former Merseyside Police officer Tony Schumacher, with Tim Mielants [nl] as leading director and starring Martin Freeman, Adelayo Adedayo, Ian Hart, and MyAnna Buring. It aired on BBC One on 24 January 2022. Schumacher has said that the character has "a lot to do" with him and the struggles he faced as a police officer but that the storyline is fictional.
In late March 2022, the show was renewed for a second series, consisting of five episodes, which began airing on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on 5 May 2024. The second series marked the final acting performance of Bernard Hill, who died the day of its release.

## Premise

Chris Carson is a police officer in a fictional constabulary covering Liverpool, who has been demoted from his position as an inspector and undertakes a series of night shifts in the city centre. He is a conflicted and compromised man, with somewhat divided loyalties, a desire to do good, but with anger issues brought on by childhood trauma and exacerbated by his experience in the police. Shots of him working are interspersed with scenes at therapy, at home, with his mother in a nursing home, or visiting his estranged father. His partner is Rachel Hargreaves, an inexperienced and idealistic officer who wants to play by the rules but who ultimately dislikes her job.
Series 1
Carl Sweeney is a mid-level drug dealer whose stash of cocaine has been stolen by Casey, a local drug addict. Chris is trying to help Casey and in doing so crosses Carl. Marco is a young friend of Casey's who struggles to meet his daily needs. Chris is pursued by the officer responsible for his demotion, whose motives may not be entirely honest, as part of a corruption probe. The effects of the job and Chris's mental state take a toll on his family.
Series 2

## Cast and characters

Main
* Martin Freeman as Chris Carson
* Adelayo Adedayo as Rachel Hargreaves, a probationary police officer
* Warren Brown as Raymond Mullen, a demoted officer with an axe to grind
* MyAnna Buring as Kate Carson, Chris's wife
* Emily Fairn as Casey, a drug addict
* Josh Finan as Marco, Casey's friend
* Philip S. McGuinness as Ian, Carl's henchman
* Mark Womack as Barry, Carl's henchman
* Ian Hart as Carl Sweeney, a drug dealer
* Rita Tushingham as June Carson, Chris's mother
* Kerrie Hayes as Ellie Mullen, Raymond's wife and Kate's best friend
* Faye McKeever as Jodie Sweeney, Carl's wife
* David Bradley as Davey, a local homeless man
* Christine Tremarco as Diane Gallagher, Greg's sister
* Amaka Okafor as Deborah Barnes, Chris's boss
* James Nelson-Joyce as Greg Gallagher, a drug lord
Recurring
* Elizabeth Berrington as Lynne Renfrew, Chris's therapist
* Philip Barantini as Steve, Rachel's boyfriend
* Philip Whitchurch as Joe, Casey's grandfather
* Romi Hyland-Rylands as Tilly Carson, Chris and Kate's daughter
Guest
* Bernard Hill as Tom Carson
* Victor McGuire as Trevor
* Dominic Carter as Bernie Wilson
* Matthew Cottle as Father Liam Neeson
* Dave Hill as Billy
* Sylvie Gatrill as Mary
* Sonny Walker as Stevo Marsh
* James Ledsham as Enno
* Connor Dempsey as Kyle
* David Ayres as Andy
* Kieron Urquhart as Paul
* Harry Burke as Liam
* Sue Johnston as Madge

## Episodes
### Series 1 (2022)

| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
| 1 | 1 | "Episode 1" | Tim Mielants | Tony Schumacher | 24 January 2022 (2022-01-24) |
| 2 | 2 | "Episode 2" | Tim Mielants | Tony Schumacher | 24 January 2022 (2022-01-24) |
| 3 | 3 | "Episode 3" | Fien Troch | Tony Schumacher | 24 January 2022 (2022-01-24) |
| 4 | 4 | "Episode 4" | Fien Troch | Tony Schumacher | 24 January 2022 (2022-01-24) |
| 5 | 5 | "Episode 5" | Philip Barantini | Tony Schumacher | 24 January 2022 (2022-01-24) |

### Series 2 (2024)

| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
| 6 | 1 | "Episode 1" | Jeanette Nordahl | Tony Schumacher | 5 May 2024 (2024-05-05) |
| 7 | 2 | "Episode 2" | Jeanette Nordahl | Tony Schumacher | 5 May 2024 (2024-05-05) |
| 8 | 3 | "Episode 3" | Mounia Akl | Tony Schumacher | 5 May 2024 (2024-05-05) |
| 9 | 4 | "Episode 4" | Mounia Akl | Tony Schumacher | 5 May 2024 (2024-05-05) |
| 10 | 5 | "Episode 5" | Mounia Akl | Tony Schumacher | 5 May 2024 (2024-05-05) |

## Release

The series premiered on BBC One on 24 January 2022.
In some international territories, the series was broadcast in a re-edited form consisting of two series of six episodes.
The series was shown by Canal Plus in France. In Australia, the first season aired on SBS TV and SBS On Demand.
The first episode was watched 6,164,000 times on iPlayer alone during 2022, making it the third most-viewed individual programme on the platform that year.
The original soundtrack, composed by Matthew Herbert, was released by Accidental Editions in March 2022 and includes eighteen tracks.

## Reception
### Critical response

The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gave the first series a 100% approval rating, with an average rating of 8.8/10, based on 23 reviews. The critics' consensus reads: "The Responder is unrelentingly dark and inescapably absorbing, with Martin Freeman's hangdog performance carrying the drama". On Metacritic, the series has a weighted average score of 87 out of 100, based on 7 reviews.
Rotten Tomatoes gave series 2 a 100% approval rating, with an average rating of 9.6/10, based on 15 reviews. The critics' consensus reads: "Putting Martin Freeman's character through the absolute ringer, this second season proves to be as battered, bruised, and resilient as its compelling antihero". On Metacritic, the series has a weighted average score of 90 out of 100, based on 6 reviews.

### Accolades

| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
| 2022 | Edinburgh TV Awards | Best Drama | The Responder | Won |
| 2023 | Royal Television Society Programme Awards | Drama Series | The Responder | Nominated |
| 2023 | Royal Television Society Programme Awards | Supporting Actor – Female | Adelayo Adedayo | Nominated |
| 2023 | British Academy Television Awards | Best Drama Series | Chris Carey, Laurence Bowen, Tony Schumacher, Tim Mielants, Rebecca Ferguson, Toby Bruce | Nominated |
| 2023 | British Academy Television Awards | Best Actor | Martin Freeman | Nominated |
| 2023 | British Academy Television Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Josh Finan | Nominated |
| 2023 | British Academy Television Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Adelayo Adedayo | Nominated |
| 2023 | British Academy Television Craft Awards | Best Original Music: Fiction | Matthew Herbert | Nominated |
| 2023 | British Academy Television Craft Awards | Best Writer: Drama | Tony Schumacher | Nominated |
| 2023 | International Emmy Awards | Best Actor | Martin Freeman | Won |