Thirteen is a British drama miniseries written by Marnie Dickens. The series centres on Ivy Moxam (Jodie Comer), a 26-year-old woman who escapes from the cellar where she has been imprisoned for 13 years, and the impact on her family.
The first episode was released on BBC Three in the UK on 28 February 2016. It began airing on BBC America in the United States on 23 June 2016. Each episode was broadcast on BBC Two a week after its release, with the first on 6 March 2016. In Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Middle East, the series began airing in the middle of August 2016.
On 27 March 2016, Dickens stated that there would not be a second series of the show as it was intended to be a one-off.
Contents
Cast
Jodie Comer as Ivy Moxam
Aneurin Barnard as Tim Hobson
Valene Kane as D.S. Lisa Merchant
Richard Rankin as D.I. Elliott Carne
Natasha Little as Christina Moxam
Stuart Graham as Angus Moxam
Peter McDonald as Mark White
Joe Layton as Craig Watts
Katherine Rose Morley as Emma Moxam
Eleanor Wyld as Eloise Wye
Ariyon Bakare as Chief Supt Burridge
Nicholas Farrell as Henry Stone
Kemi-Bo Jacobs as Yazz
Melina Matthews as Sofía Marín
Chipo Chung as Alia Symes
Colin Mace as DSI Harold Winters
Suzette Llewellyn as Angela Hill
Charles Babalola as Jesse
Production
The series was shot on location in Bristol. The finale is set in a house in the Lockleaze suburb of Bristol, featuring the Purdown BT Tower, which is mentioned in the show.
The title music is In Your Dreams from the album Wild Go by Dark Dark Dark. The final episode features a cover of Royal Blood's Out of the Black by Billie Marten.
Reception
The series received generally positive reception, with reviews especially praising Comer's performance. The review aggregator, Rotten Tomatoes, gave the series an 88% favourable rating based on 17 reviews, with an average score of 7.2/10.
Writing in the Boston Herald, Mark Perigard wrote: "Thirteen digs into the rhythms of a family trying to rebuild itself on lies. Comer's performance — as a 26-year-old stunted as a 13-year-old — is beautiful. She can be endearing, mystifying and aggravating, sometimes in the same moment." Robert Lloyd in the Los Angeles Times stated: "For a crime story it is unusually gentle and generous toward its characters; it is not cynical or despairing – indeed, it is in the end a love story, or rather, several interlocking love stories set in contrast to the pathological mockery of one." In The Wall Street Journal, Dorothy Rabinowitz praised Comer's performance: "Ms. Comer delivers a compelling portrayal as Ivy, who, even in the grip of terror, projects an air of dangerousness." Sarah Doran of the Radio Times thought that Valene Kane's scenes "...are among the show's most intriguing, simmering with sexual tension and professional frustration."
DVD release and streaming
Thirteen was released on DVD on Region 2 in the United Kingdom and Ireland from 2 Entertain on 18 April 2016, on Region 1 in the United States and Canada via Acorn DVD and BBC DVD on 2 August 2016, and on Region 4 in Australia on 7 September 2016. The series has also been released on DVD in Germany from distribution company Polyband on 27 January 2017.
The series is also available for streaming or purchase via Amazon Video, and is available for streaming on the BBC iPlayer. Peacock also offers the show in the United States.