Series synopsis
The Passing Bells is a British drama war & politics television series that premiered on BBC One on November 3, 2014. It ended on November 7, 2014. It was created by Tony Jordan. It stars Patrick Gibson, Jack Lowden, Felix Auer and Adam Long.
At the outbreak of World War I, two teenage boys - one German and one British - defy their parents to sign up. An epic historical drama spanning the five years of the First World War, as seen through the eyes of two ordinary young soldiers.
Premise
At the outbreak of World War I, two teenage boys - one German and one British - defy their parents to sign up. An epic historical drama spanning the five years of the First World War, as seen through the eyes of two ordinary young soldiers.
Premise: Shared hopes. Shared sorrows.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Patrick Gibson as Thomas
- Jack Lowden as Michael
- Felix Auer as Lanzo
- Adam Long as Anthony
- Wilf Scolding as Freddie
- Charles Furness as Stefan
- Johnny Gibbon as Rudi
- Sabrina Bartlett as Katie
Supporting cast
- Jennifer Hennessy as Susan
- Brian Fletcher as Derek
Guest cast
- Jordan Murphy as Ben
- Erika Kaar as Joanna
- Izabela Dąbrowska as Helen
- Wenanty Nosul as Peter
- Ewelina Zawistowska as Sarah
- Karolina Margalska as Faith
- Oliwer Proctor as John
- Lech Łotocki
- Stanisław Biczysko as Clerk
- Redbad Klijnstra-Komarnicki as Biermann
- Julian Świeżewski as German Corporal
- Bartosz Bielenia as Lucas
Episodes
This series spans 1 season with 5 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 5 | November 3, 2014 | November 7, 2014 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Episode 1 At the outbreak of war, two teenage boys - one German and one British - defy their parents to sign up. But their enthusiasm is tested when they get their first taste of battle. |
November 3, 2014 |
| 2 |
Episode 2 1915. On the eastern front, Michael is forced to make a terrible choice, while on the western front Tommy's regiment experiments with a dangerous new weapon. When Tommy is immersed in battle – only to receive unexpected help while collecting the wounded – while Michael and his comrades engage in hand-to-hand combat after being ambushed by Russian soldiers on the Eastern Front. Returning home on leave, he is overjoyed to marry Katie, but struggles to reconcile his old life with the terrible things he has seen and done. Meanwhile, Tommy sustains a serious injury and recovers in an army hospital, where he takes a shine to x-ray assistant Joanna |
November 4, 2014 |
| 3 |
Episode 3 1916. Tommy and Michael's regiments face one another on opposite sides of the Somme battlefield. The war reaches a stalemate, although both sides are fighting harder than ever. Despite this, the men’s hearts are elsewhere, and while Michael can only dream of his wife back home, the lads arrange for lovelorn Tommy to spend time at the hospital with Joanna. Back in the trenches, British and German troops gather at the Somme – and as the shelling begins, Michael’s hopes of getting out of there alive secretly dwindle. |
November 5, 2014 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | BBC One |
|---|---|
| First aired | November 3, 2014 |
| Last aired | November 7, 2014 |
| Runtime | 30 minutes |
| Status | ended |
| Schedule | Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday at 19:00:00 |