Season 1
The Children is a British crime drama mini-series written by Lucy Gannon and produced for ITV in which an eight-year-old girl is found dead on the patio of her home and any one of the adults who care for her could have killed her.
The series aired in the UK on ITV from 1-15 September, 2008. There are three hour-long episodes in the series.
The Children aired in South Africa on DStv's BBC Entertainment channel from Monday 2 August to Wednesday 4 August, 2010, daily at 20h30.
Synopsis
When eight-year-old Emily is murdered in her home, suspicion falls on those closest to her.
Following the build-up to her death, a tangled web of family relationships torn apart by love and hate is revealed.
As Emily's step-father Cameron is driving home, he turns into his street and realises the police are stopping at his house and running towards his door. Something terrible has happened...
Rewind six months.
Emily's mother Sue has asked Cameron to move in with her and her daughter. Sue's husband Paul left her for another woman. Paul has set up home with his young girlfriend who is struggling to cope with her new-born baby in a tiny flat.
Cameron divorced Anne, leaving her with their 14-year-old son, Jack. But Anne wants her youth back. Finding it difficult to cope with his mother's party lifestyle and stay on the rails himself, Jack moves in with his dad.
In the middle of all this is Emily. She wants to be part of her dad's new family. She's struggling to cope with her new step brother. And when she abandons her baby sister, her behaviour becomes difficult to explain.
Then, something dreadful happens, ensuring that things will never be the same again.
Envy, jealousy, fear and anger constantly threaten the delicate happiness Sue and Cameron have built up. As this emotional drama unfolds, it becomes clear that some wounds may be too deep to heal.