Series synopsis
WPC 56 is a British drama television series that premiered on BBC One on March 18, 2013. It ended on March 13, 2015. It was created by Dominique Moloney. It stars Jennie Jacques, Claudia Jessie, Charles De'Ath and Oliver Rix.
Drama following WPC Gina Dawson, the first Woman Police Constable to join Brinford Constabulary, a fictional police force in the West Midlands, in 1956. The show focuses on WPC Gina Dawson's struggle to gain acceptance in the male-dominated police station whilst having to deal with the sexist attitudes that were commonplace at the time.
Premise
Drama following WPC Gina Dawson, the first Woman Police Constable to join Brinford Constabulary, a fictional police force in the West Midlands, in 1956. The show focuses on WPC Gina Dawson's struggle to gain acceptance in the male-dominated police station whilst having to deal with the sexist attitudes that were commonplace at the time.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Jennie Jacques as WPC Gina Dawson
- Claudia Jessie as WPC Annie Taylor
- Charles De'Ath as Sgt Sidney Fenton
- Oliver Rix as DI Harry Sawyer
- James Barriscale as Desk Sergeant Swift
- Mark Healy as Chief Inspector Walter Briggs
- Liam Jeavons as PC Tommy Perkins
- Martha Howe-Douglas as Abigail Fenton
Supporting cast
- Danny Szam as Chris Hutton
- Daniel Brocklebank as Carl Saunders
- Chris Overton as PC Eddie Coulson
- John Light as Chief Inspector Roger Nelson
- Gerard Horan as Desk Sgt Peter Pratt
- John Bowler as Asst Chief Constable Arthur Coulson
- Justine Michelle Cain as Cathy Sinclair
- Philip Hill-Pearson as Frank Marshall
- Marianne Oldham as Deborah Burns
- Ben Turner as DI Max Harper
- Rachel Leskovac as Susie Nightingale
- Jessica Duncan as Rebecca Jones
Guest cast
- Gemma Arrowsmith as Mrs Pemberton
- Sophie Ellerby as Irene Miller
- Andrea Mason as Gladys Campbell
- Jo Cassidy as Anna Pearce
- Jacqueline Defferary as Julie Nelson
- Rolan Bell as Rufus Jones
- Kelly Hotten as Mary Cook
- Lynne Verrall as Valerie Parker
- Shaun Prendergast as Henry Fuller
- Mary Jo Randle as Grace Fuller
- Tom Thompson as Young Pratt
- Luke Williams as Kevin Dodds
Episodes
This series spans 3 seasons with 15 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 5 | March 18, 2013 | March 22, 2013 |
| Season 2 | 5 | February 10, 2014 | February 14, 2014 |
| Season 3 | 5 | March 9, 2015 | March 13, 2015 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Sink or Swim Determined to prove her mettle, WPC Gina Dawson's resolve is tested on her first day. |
March 18, 2013 |
| 2 |
Memories are Made of This When another woman is attacked, Gina risks her career to prove Donald's innocence. |
March 19, 2013 |
| 3 |
Great Pretenders Jack has a new suspect and an attack at the cafe leaves an officer's life in danger. |
March 20, 2013 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Cry, Cry, Cry The travelling fair comes to town, and WPC Dawson searches for a runaway girl. |
February 10, 2014 |
| 2 |
Dead Man Dancing Max and Fenton investigate a flood of counterfeit notes, and Lenny shows his true colours. |
February 11, 2014 |
| 3 |
Eye of the Storm An undercover operation threatens to expose a secret that could ruin Inspector Briggs. |
February 12, 2014 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
A Different Beat A predator has been targeting contestants in a beauty contest and new WPC, Annie Taylor, is soon on his trail. Briggs and DI Sawyer are shocked when some old foes and wrong-doings come back to haunt them. |
March 9, 2015 |
| 2 |
Walk the Line Annie's involvement in a murder case results in conflict with her father. Briggs finds it hard to be a good husband, while Susie continues to anger a lovesick Swift. |
March 10, 2015 |
| 3 |
From the Shadows Events end up taking a sinister turn after DI Sawyer’s missing suspect makes a sudden violent reappearance. Coulson recruits Fenton to do his dirty work. Annie and Tommy try and play cupid to Susie and Swift. |
March 11, 2015 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | BBC One |
|---|---|
| First aired | March 18, 2013 |
| Last aired | March 13, 2015 |
| Runtime | 45 minutes |
| Status | canceled |
| Schedule | Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday at 14:15:00 |