Bedlam (2011 TV series)

Bedlam is a British supernatural drama television series created by David Allison, Neil Jones, and Chris Parker. It was first broadcast on 7 February 2011 on Sky Living and Sky Living HD. The series finale was broadcast on 15 March 2011. In December 2011, it was announced that a second series had been commissioned for broadcasting in early 2012, with an updated cast. The second series was then broadcast from June 2012.

On 11 March 2013, it was announced on Twitter that Bedlam would not be returning for a third season.

Plot
The series focused on an upmarket block of flats called "Bedlam Heights", formerly a mental asylum, and the supernatural activity taking place there. The character Jed Harper (Theo James) possesses the ability to see ghosts, which are generally not visible to others, and receives visions of their deaths. The hauntings are generally malevolent, and it is up to Jed to determine the spirits' motives and thwart their goals. His flatmates are his adopted cousin, Kate (Charlotte Salt), who assists her father, Warren (Hugo Speer), who owns the complex; Ryan (Will Young), who is troubled by the recent violent death of his brother; and Molly (Ashley Madekwe), a childhood friend of Kate and Jed. The asylum was formerly owned and run by Warren's family for generations, and he worked there when his father ran it, before it was closed down after the ill-treatment of patients was revealed.

The second series saw the cast changed, with suspended paramedic Ellie (Lacey Turner) beginning to see ghosts. She travels to Bedlam Heights (now renamed "Brightmoor") in order to seek out Jed Harper. Whilst there, she befriends Max (Jack Roth), the complex's barman; Dan (Nikesh Patel), who has replaced Kate; and Keira (Gemma Chan), a childhood friend of Kate's and now Warren's girlfriend. Warren and, briefly, Kate are the only cast members to return from the first series.

Reception
The TV series was met with mixed reviews from critics. Common Sense Media gave it a rating of 2 out of 5, "thanks to its ultimately ineffective attempts to scare you into caring." Critics praised for the horror, bipolar drama plot, and casting. Some criticized the special effects, calling it "cheesy rather than spooky," as well as the lack of suspense. GamesRadar+ rated Season 2, Episode 1 as 2.4 out of 5, describing it as "Bedlam is back with a bang. Ok, there’s not much bang, but it definitely is back, so I was at least half right... it’s all a bit underwhelming really."