# Gunpowder (2017)

> In 1605 London, a Warwickshire gentleman and his band of Catholic conspirators plot to blow up Parliament and kill the King.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/63995

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 3
- Episode runtime: 59 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: drama, history
- Created by: Ronan Bennett, Daniel West
- Network: BBC One
- Cast: Kit Harington, Mark Gatiss, Edward Holcroft, Tom Cullen, Peter Mullan, Liv Tyler, Derek Riddell, Shaun Dooley
- TMDB rating: 6.5/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6128262/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: tense, claustrophobic, grim, dread-filled, serious

## What critics say

Viewers broadly find the series a dark, meticulously detailed dramatisation of the 1605 plot, with its atmosphere of Catholic persecution and terror widely admired, though its audience reception is mixed.

## Synopsis

Gunpowder (2017) is a British miniseries created by Ronan Bennett and Daniel West for BBC One. Set in 1605 London, the three-episode period drama follows Warwickshire gentleman Robert Catesby (Kit Harington), who devises a plot to blow up Parliament and kill King James I. Kit Harington anchors the story as a man driven by religious grievance, while Mark Gatiss plays the shrewd Sir Robert Cecil, whose agents close in on the conspirators. Edward Holcroft as Thomas Wintour and Tom Cullen as Guy Fawkes carry the plot's inner circle, and Peter Mullan plays the Jesuit Father Henry Garnet. The engine of the series is secrecy: the plotters must keep their scheme hidden while the state hunts for signs of it, and each episode tightens the net around them. Its atmosphere is tense, dark and oppressive, shaped by Catholic persecution and the grim textures of early modern England. Fans of Wolf Hall and The Tudors will find resonance in its court intrigue, religious conflict and historical stakes. Viewers who want a compact, serious British historical drama will find it gripping from start to finish.

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