Run (British TV series)

Run is a British drama serial created by Jonathan Pearson, Marlon Smith, and Daniel Fajemisin-Duncan, and written by Marlon Smith and Daniel Fajemisin-Duncan for Channel 4.^[1][2] The series premiered on 15 July 2013 and ended on 18 July 2013, and was broadcast on Hulu on 20 August 2013.^[3] The series comprises four episodes, each focused on one character among the four leads - Carol (Olivia Colman), Ying (Katie Leung), Richard (Lennie James) and Kasia (Katharina Schüttler) - and shows how each character's decisions affect that character and the others.^[4][5]

Run
Region 2 DVD cover
Genre	Drama
Starring	Jaime Winstone Olivia Colman Lennie James Katie Leung
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
No. of series	1
No. of episodes	4
Production
Executive producer	Jaimie D’Cruz
Producer	Chris Carey
Production location	London
Running time	42 minutes
Production company	Acme Films
Original release
Network	Channel 4
Release	15 July (2013-07-15) – 18 July 2013 (2013-07-18)

Plot

The series reveals the interconnectedness of apparently separate lives, through the stories of four people faced with choices in a world where survival is never a given.

Cast

• Tara - Jaime Winstone
• Carol - Olivia Colman
• Richard - Lennie James
• Ying - Katie Leung
• Kasia - Katharina Schüttler
• Jimmy - Nav Sidhu
• Jamal - Gershwyn Eustache Jnr
• Tomek - Levan Doran
• DC Holt - Marie Critchley
• Zak - Vincenzo Nicoli
• Jon Jon - Brad Damon
• DC Burgess - Chris Jarman
• Lin - Tina Chiang

Episodes

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	UK Viewers (in millions) final ratings are sourced from BARB[6]
1	"Carol"	Charles Martin	Daniel Fajemisin-Duncan, Marlon Smith	15 July 2013 (2013-07-15)	1.99
Carol is a tough single mother striving to keep her family together. When her teenage sons commit an act of random violence that ends in a stranger's death, Carol faces the impossible choice of protecting her children or doing the right thing.[7]
2	"Ying"	Charles Martin	Daniel Fajemisin-Duncan, Marlon Smith	16 July 2013 (2013-07-16)	1.71
Ying is an illegal immigrant from the Fujian province of China, who sells unlicensed DVDs and stolen mobile phones at barbershops, cafés, and pubs around Brixton.[7]
3	"Richard"	Jonathan Pearson	Daniel Fajemisin-Duncan, Marlon Smith	17 July 2013 (2013-07-17)	1.39
Richard is a recovering heroin addict who spends every day struggling to stay clean. Only one thing spurs him on: the possibility of re-establishing contact with his teenage daughter.[7]
4	"Katrina"	Jonathan Pearson	Daniel Fajemisin-Duncan, Marlon Smith	18 July 2013 (2013-07-18)	1.11
Kasia is a young Polish woman who originally came to London filled with hope. Years later, she is still working as a cleaner, struggling to make ends meet, and contending with a gambling-addicted boyfriend.[7]

DVD releases

Name	Region 1	Region 2	Region 4	Discs
Series One	—	22 July 2013	—	2

Reception

The Express has praised Run, calling it "inventive" and citing Jaime Winstone as a highlight.^[8] The Scotsman was slightly more mixed in their review, commenting that: "This gritty, grim drama will win awards but, perhaps, be too hard-going for many."^[9]