BBC drama series Two Weeks in August premieres with mixed viewer response

The BBC’s new drama series “Two Weeks in August” premiered on Saturday evening, May 23, on BBC One and iPlayer, drawing a mixed response from viewers. The eight-part series, written and created by Catherine Shepherd, follows a group of friends who reunite for a summer holiday on a Greek island, only to see their idyllic getaway unravel after an illicit kiss.

The series stars Jessica Raine as Zoe, a teacher and mother who travels with her husband Dan, played by Damien Molony, and their children to meet longtime friends. The cast also includes Antonia Thomas, Nicholas Pinnock, Leila Farzad, Hugh Skinner, Dolly Wells, and Tom Goodman-Hill, who is married to Raine in real life. According to the official synopsis, Zoe begins to act on her deepest desires, and the holiday becomes a reckoning for a group of adults who refuse to grow up. When they discover they are trapped on the island and face life-or-death situations, the group turns on each other.

Although the series is set in Greece, filming took place in Malta and the island of Gozo. Creator Catherine Shepherd said the decision was driven by cost and the need for a rugged, deserted landscape. The production team constructed a...