Today, Tomorrow & Yesterday

Today, Tomorrow & Yesterday is a 2016 British adaptation of the 1967 novel of the same title. It follows three different families living on the same street in contemporary 1960s England. It aired on BBC One over a 6 episodes and a 5 day period, concluding on Christmas Day 2016. A second series was commissioned on December 28th.

Development & Background
The first adaptation of the novel was a National Theatre production that ran on the West End for 8 years from 1971 to 1979, notable cast members included Sir Ian McKellen and Dame Diana Rigg.

BBC Two produced a two-part adaptation of the stage version in 1982, starring John Pertwee and Audrey Hepburn.

An American Theatrical adaptation by The Walt Disney Company entitled Dreadful Neighbours and Other Stories was released in 1989, starring Tim Curry and Julia Roberts.

After years of speculation and rumours, the BBC confirmed they had acquired the rights to the novel, then Controller of Drama Ben Stephenson commissioned a new adaptation in early 2014 and was expected to serve as producer on the programme, but he left his post in May 2015.

Newly appointed controller Polly Hill handed the producer post to author JK Rowling in June 2015 and in turn she brought aboard friend and frequent collaborator Sarah Phelps to write and co-produce the drama. Polly Hill further suggested a third producer for the series, acclaimed TV writer Russell T Davies. He joined the producing team that July. The trio then were joined by British director of Les Miserables and The King's Speech, Tom Hooper.

In an interview at the Emmy's in September, Phelps revealed that she had completed the 6 commissioned scripts and principal photography would commence in the new year, after an intense casting search for the six lead characters.

JK Rowling revealed the first round of casting in October 2015, revealing that former Doctor Who actress Jenna Coleman and Happy Valley star James Norton would be portraying married couple Beverly and Timothy Cutfield. Two weeks later, Mark Gatiss revealed that himself and Fiona Shaw had been cast as fraternal twins Victor and Victoria Cunningham in the drama. The final two to be cast were Joanna Lumley and Robert Pattinson and mother and son Jane and Daniel Cross. Added to the recurring cast were Elizabeth Hurley, Jessica Lange and Rob Brydon.

Principal photography began in February 2016 and was completed in May. The series was shot in Kent, which served as a stand in for the fictional town of Clattersworth.

Main
Jenna Coleman as Beverly Cutfield, a school teacher.

James Norton as Timothy Cutfield, a police officer.

Joanna Lumley as Jane Cross, a retired cook.

Robert Pattinson as Daniel Cross, an artist.

Mark Gatiss as Victor Cunningham, an undertaker.

Fiona Shaw as Victoria Cunningham, a florist.

Recurring
Elizabeth Hurley as Maggie Wallace, a greengrocer.

Jessica Lange as Kimberley, an American tourist.

Rob Brydon as Jeff Wikins, a postman.

Episode 1
When Beverly and Timothy Cutfield move into their new terraced house in the town of Clattersworth, they get to know their neighbours, and their secrets, very quickly.

Episode 2
When Maggie Wallace, the local greengrocer, arrives on the undertakers' doorstep accusing them of murder, the whole street goes into a frenzy.

Episode 3
Timothy is put onto the murder case and grows suspicious of a visiting American tourist. Victor asks Beverly for some assistance and Jane attempts to cover up Daniel's wrongdoings.

Episode 4
Victoria and Jeff's secret is exposed, Daniel crosses paths with Timothy, Beverly helps Kimberley and Jane with a difficult conundrum.

Episode 5
As the murder case puts more pressure on the community, Timothy is a step closer to finding the culprit. Elsewhere, Victor causes further damage to Jane and Daniel's relationship and Beverly discovers something exciting.

Episode 6
Timothy witnesses another murder first hand, but will he be able to arrest the culprit? Jane and Daniel come to blows and something fatal happens. Victoria learns the truth about Jeff at the hands of Kimberley. Victor tells Maggie a horrifying home truth.

Reception
The series was acclaimed by critics and the public alike. The performances of Mark Gatiss, Joanna Lumley and Jessica Lange were particularly praised, with Jessica Lange appearing as the top trend on Twitter on Christmas Day. The final episode was the highest rated individual programme of the holiday period, peaking at 14 million viewers. It was also the most successful BBC iPlayer show of the year, beating both Doctor Who and the Great British Bake Off. The Guardian's Boxing Day edition gave the series a five star rating, calling it "the best book-to-screen adaptation of it's time."

Joanna Lumley picked up the BAFTA and Emmy awards for Leading Actress in a Drama, Jessica Lange did the same for Supporting Actress in a Drama. The show itself won Best Drama at the BAFTAs, NTAs, TV Choice Awards, Emmys and Golden Globes, showing a successful run on both sides of the Atlantic.

Future
A second series was commissioned by the BBC on December 28th, much to the delight of the crew and fans alike. JK Rowling revealed in an interview that she has read early drafts of Phelps' scripts and the series is set to be a joy. The cast of the first series, plus new additions, are expected to appear in some capacity.