The Take (TV series)

The Take is a four-part British television crime drama series, adapted by Neil Biswas from the novel by Martina Cole, that first broadcast on Sky1 on 17 June 2009. Directed by David Drury, The Take follows the activities of criminal sociopath Freddie Jackson (Tom Hardy), who has recently been released from prison, only to find that his cousin Jimmy (Shaun Evans) is attempting to make a name for himself on the back of his reputation. The series also stars Brian Cox, Kierston Wareing, Margot Leicester and Charlotte Riley among others. Principal shooting for the series took place in Dublin. As well as original music by Ruth Barrett, the series also makes use of Kasabian's "Club Foot" as its opening theme. The Take was the first of two Cole novels to be adapted by Company Pictures for Sky1, the other being The Runaway, starring Jack O'Connell and Joanna Vanderham, that followed in 2011. The Take was released on Region 2 DVD on 6 July 2009 by ITV Studios Home Entertainment. The series aired in the United States between 2 and 23 December 2009 on Encore. The first episode gathered 180,000 viewers, while the second attracted 152,000. The series was also released on Region 1 DVD on 28 August 2012, via BFS Entertainment. The series received critical acclaim for Hardy's portrayal of Freddie Jackson. Notably, Hardy and Charlotte Riley, who first met whilst working together on the series, later married.