Storyline

In the 1750s London’s perilous streets were run by armed gangs, corrupt night watchmen and thief takers. Then two Westminster magistrates, novelist Henry Fielding and his brother, John, obtained a grant from Parliament allowing them to bring some law and order to the crime-ridden boroughs of Central London.

First Aired

2008-01-14
Last Aired

2008-02-11
Creator
Genre

Drama, Crime
Seasons

1
Episodes

5
Status

Ended
Language

English
Network

Channel 4

Keywords:

london, england police blind prostitution period drama historical georgian british history 18th century historical drama 1750s legal

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Season 1

1. Episode 1

The Fielding brothers are dining at a tavern run by Jack Harris, an infamous pimp, when a messenger an...More

The Fielding brothers are dining at a tavern run by Jack Harris, an infamous pimp, when a messenger announces that a woman's body has been found at a nearby bagnio. Despite being raped and horrifically mutilated, the woman, Ann Bell, miraculously survives. Tensions mount as the murderer's identity continues to elude the Runners and they fear embarrassment by failing in their first case…Less

50mins 2008-01-14

2. Episode 2

When the Reverend Erasmus Cavendish is found murdered in his Soho church, his maid informs the Runners...More

When the Reverend Erasmus Cavendish is found murdered in his Soho church, his maid informs the Runners that the reverend was a homosexual (a crime punishable by hanging) and points the finger at a man named William Flynn as the prime suspect. The Runners take their search to Miss Suki's 'Molly House,' an infamous brothel and rendezvous for London's gay men.Less

50mins 2008-01-21

3. Episode 3

A break-in at a sugar merchant's Mayfair home brings the Bow Street Runners into conflict with their p...More

A break-in at a sugar merchant's Mayfair home brings the Bow Street Runners into conflict with their patron, Lord Newcastle. He reminds the Fielding brothers that their prime duty is to protect the property of the rich and yet the number of burglaries has increased under their new police force. Determined to prove him wrong, the brothers search for the Irish suspects in the shanty towns of Covent Garden, known as the Seven Dials.Less

50mins 2008-01-28

4. Episode 4

Tom Jones, an infamous gang leader, is broken out of jail by his Irish gang, who maim several prison g...More

Tom Jones, an infamous gang leader, is broken out of jail by his Irish gang, who maim several prison guards along the way. This high-profile jailbreak questions the authority of the Bow Street Runners and risks making Lord Newcastle look very foolish for supporting them. The Runners travel to the Seven Dials to re-arrest Jones. With Lord Newcastle reviewing the Runners' government allowance, Henry Fielding accompanies them to make sure Jones is apprehended.Less

50mins 2008-02-04

5. Episode 5

Henry looks back on the struggle to fund the Bow Street Runners in the first place, and reflects on ho...More

Henry looks back on the struggle to fund the Bow Street Runners in the first place, and reflects on how close London came to not having a police force at all… As the new magistrates of Westminster, novelist Henry Fielding and his blind half-brother John want to set up a police force to tackle London's soaring crime epidemic. They find a potential patron in Lord Newcastle, the Prime Minister's brother, but he is unsure of such a force's merits. With the help of Saunders Welch, the High Constable of Holborn, the brothers set out to show Newcastle they can rid the streets of the violent criminal gangs.Less