The Frankenstein Chronicles
A British period crime drama reimagining Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.
The Frankenstein Chronicles is a British television period crime drama series that first aired on ITV Encore on 11 November 2015. It is a re-imagining of Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. The series follows Inspector John Marlott, a river police officer who uncovers a corpse made up of body parts from eight missing children and investigates who is responsible.
- First aired
- 11 November 2015
- Network
- ITV Encore
- Number of series
- 2
- Lead actor
- Sean Bean
- Genre
- Period crime drama
- Based on
- Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus
Lore & Background
The series was filmed in Northern Ireland in 2015. The first series consists of six episodes which opened to critical acclaim and drew an average of around 200,000–250,000 viewers per episode. A&E subsequently acquired the series for broadcast in the United States, describing it as 'thrilling and terrifying'. On 20 June 2016, ITV announced that it had renewed it for a second six-part series, with production set for January 2017. Filming commenced in March 2017, with Laurence Fox and Maeve Dermody joining the cast. The writing team for the second series consisted of Michael Robert Johnson, Paul Tomalin, Noel Farragher, Colin Carberry, and Glenn Patterson, with all six episodes directed by Alex Gabassi. In December 2017, it was announced that Netflix had struck a deal to carry the programme in the United States and other territories. The series was removed from Netflix in February 2022.
Reader's Guide
The Frankenstein Chronicles reimagines Mary Shelley's classic novel within a historical crime drama framework, blending Gothic horror with police procedural elements. Its significance lies in its integration of real historical figures—such as William Blake, Ada Lovelace, and Charles Dickens under his pseudonym 'Boz'—into a fictional narrative about a serial killer. The series received generally positive reviews, with an 80% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes for its first season. Critics praised its grim tone and originality. The show's legacy includes its brief run on Netflix, which introduced it to a wider international audience before its removal in 2022. It remains a notable example of period television that reinterprets literary classics through a dark, investigative lens.
Reimagining the Monster: Premise and Creative Vision
The Frankenstein Chronicles reinterprets Mary Shelley's 1818 gothic novel as a period crime drama set in Victorian London. Rather than centering on a mad scientist, the series follows Inspector John Marlott, a Thames River Police officer grappling with early secondary stage syphilis, who stumbles upon a grotesque corpse assembled from the body parts of eight missing children. His investigation into who is responsible drives the narrative across six tightly plotted episodes. The show debuted on ITV Encore on 11 November 2015, and Sean Bean, who portrays Marlott, also served as associate producer on the first series, lending the project a personal creative investment. The series drew an average of 250,000 viewers per episode and opened to critical acclaim. By transplanting Shelley's themes of creation, monstrosity, and moral transgression into a procedural framework, the show transforms the Frankenstein myth into a detective story where the true horror lies not in a single assembled creature but in a web of institutional corruption, medical experimentation, and social cruelty that produced one.
A Constellation of Characters: The Ensemble Cast
The series builds its world through a dense ensemble that weaves fictional detectives alongside real historical figures. Sean Bean anchors the cast as the ailing Inspector Marlott, while Tom Ward brings gravitas to Home Secretary Sir Robert Peel and Richie Campbell plays Bow Street Runner Joseph Nightingale. The Hervey siblings—Lord Daniel, an impoverished nobleman running a private charity hospital, and his sister Lady Jemima, portrayed by Ed Stoppard and Vanessa Kirby respectively—add aristocratic intrigue. Anna Maxwell Martin appears as author Mary Shelley herself, alongside Richard Clements as her husband, poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. Steven Berkoff lends his presence to a portrayal of William Blake in the first series, while Samuel West plays Sir William Chester, a surgeon and pioneer of galvanism. The second series introduces Laurence Fox as Frederick Dipple, an automata-obsessed socialite, with Lily Lesser as the mathematician Ada Byron assisting in his mechanical creations. Robbie Gee's Billy Oates, a hardened street criminal, and Ryan Sampson as journalist Boz round out a cast that spans crime, politics, science, and literature.
From Northern Ireland to Netflix: Production and Distribution
Although set in Victorian London, the entire first series was filmed in Northern Ireland in 2015, a practical choice that allowed the production to build period environments without the costs of shooting in England. The show first reached British audiences through ITV Encore before A&E acquired rights for American broadcast, marketing it with language describing it as thrilling and terrifying. On 20 June 2016, ITV confirmed a second six-part series, with filming commencing in March 2017. The writing team for that season included Michael Robert Johnson, Paul Tomalin, Noel Farragher, Colin Carberry, and Glenn Patterson, with Alex Gabassi directing all six episodes. Laurence Fox and Maeve Dermody joined the cast for the new season. In December 2017, Netflix struck a deal to carry the programme in the United States and other international territories, significantly expanding its global reach. However, the streaming platform's tenure with the series was finite; the show was removed from Netflix in February 2022, leaving it available primarily through its original broadcast channels and limited digital availability.
Critical Acclaim and Lasting Impression
Despite a modest average audience of 250,000 viewers per episode, the first series earned strong critical praise. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an 80 percent approval rating based on ten critic reviews. Euan Ferguson of The Guardian called the show genuinely rather good and a creature of wholly different character from Jekyll, setting it apart from other period crime fare. Carl Wilson of The Globe and Mail observed that the season concluded with the same brilliant grimness it opened with, suggesting a consistent tonal commitment throughout. Ben Travers of IndieWire offered a more measured but ultimately positive take, noting that while the series might not linger in public memory for as long as its production cycle, it had certainly earned its extended run on streaming. The critical consensus paints a picture of a well-crafted, atmospheric drama that carved out a distinct niche—neither a straightforward adaptation of Shelley nor a conventional whodunit, but something that blended both traditions into a grim, literary crime narrative.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Frankenstein Chronicles?
It is a British period crime drama that reinterprets Mary Shelley's classic novel for television, blending Victorian-era mystery with gothic horror. The show was broadcast on ITV Encore and stars Sean Bean in the lead role.
Who is the main character in The Frankenstein Chronicles?
Inspector John Marlott, a Thames river police officer played by Sean Bean, anchors the series. He is a grounded, methodical detective who stumbles into a case far darker than anything he has previously handled.
What is the central mystery in The Frankenstein Chronicles?
Marlott uncovers a reassembled corpse assembled from the body parts of eight missing children and must identify the person responsible. The investigation drags him into a web of industrial ambition and moral transgression in 19th-century London.
How many series of The Frankenstein Chronicles were made?
Two seasons were produced, with the first premiering on 11 November 2015 on ITV Encore. The series did not receive a third installment.
What source material inspired The Frankenstein Chronicles?
The show is a television reimagining of Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. Rather than retelling the novel directly, it transposes its themes of creation, responsibility, and hubris into a Victorian detective narrative set along the Thames.
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