Winter on ITV: Gory reason why Richard Armitage crime drama had to be changed for an American audience
Cast and crew had to film it twice
Winter, the chilling crime drama currently airing on ITV, had to be filmed again for a US audience admits Annabel Scholey, who leads the cast.
The actress, who plays DI Lauren Bell in the series, revealed that cast and crew had to film some scenes twice to cater to viewers across the pond.
She made the shocking revelation this week, while appearing on Soundtracking With Edith Bowman. But why was the production team made to change the drama to please American TV viewers? Here’s why Winter was changed for its US channel PBS.
Why was Winter changed for US audiences?
Actress Annabel Scholey leads the cast of ITV crime drama Winter, opposite fan favourite Richard Armitage. They play DI Lauren Bell and Dr Ethan Hunt, a detective and pathologist, both deadly good at what they do. Despite a frosty start, the pair discover they work well as a team.
Which is just as well, as they had to spend several months together filming in Bristol and Antwerp. They even had to film some scenes twice!
Talking to Edith Bowman on her podcast, Annabel Scholey let listeners in to a little-known secret. That cast and crew had to film a different version of the series for the US audience for when it eventually airs on PBS.
She explained: “We had to shoot two different versions of Winter. We shot one for America for PBS, because they don’t want any gore. And then we did the ITV version.”
Annabel continued: “We were slightly worried that ITV would want the PBS version. But they haven’t.”
‘Some of it is quite gruesome’
But if the US audience don’t like the gore in Winter, what does Annabel Scholey think about it? She admitted that it took some getting used to.
She said: “In terms of me and gore, I’ve played a heart surgeon before. And I went into a surgery. I had to go in and see what they do if I was to play a surgeon. How can I play a surgeon properly otherwise? I thought I would be a fainter. I was worried I would faint. But I didn’t. The science kicked in. I stood there wishing I’d gone to med school, because it was so amazing. The surgeons were so relaxed. It didn’t feel gory.”
Talking specifically about Winter, she added: “But then I suppose with the pathology lab, obviously they are dead bodies, and some off it is quite gruesome. There were a few moments with Jamie [who plays Daldry] and I came in the morning and gagged. It was too much just after breakfast. There might be a random foot on the side and they’re trying to take your lunch order.”
When does Winter air in the US?
The UK crime drama Winter has not announced an exact US release date yet, though it is scheduled to air and stream via PBS Masterpiece following its UK debut.
The series centres on Dr Ethan Winter, an “unconventional forensic pathologist whose brilliance, sharp intellect and rule-breaking approach helps the police solve some of the most complex murder cases”.
His methods “perfectly complement” those of DI Lauren Bell, a meticulous, no-nonsense detective who is as driven as Winter when working on a case. Together they make a formidable team, as “Winter’s genius and insight into the victims is invaluable to Bell and her murder squad detectives”.
Yet viewers eventually discover that Winter is harbouring a secret – the unsolved murder of someone close to him still haunts his every move…
