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The Collection | MASTERPIECE | Starting October 8

Posted on: Thursday, September 21, 2017

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Dressed to kill
The Collection
Richard Coyle, Mamie Gummer & Tom Riley star in a high-stakes, high-fashion thriller
on MASTERPIECE
Sundays, October 8 – November 19, 2017 on PBS

World War II is over and stylish clothes are back as Paris recovers from the horrors of the Nazi occupation. Richard Coyle (The Fall), Mamie Gummer (The Good Wife), and Tom Riley (Da Vinci’s Demons) star as a family struggling to build a fashion empire at any cost, on The Collection, airing in seven gripping and gorgeous episodes on MASTERPIECE on PBS Sundays October 8 – November 19, 2017 at the special time of 10pm.

The beautifully shot series won accolades during its UK debut in 2016, with The Telegraph (London) calling it “possibly the most glamorous series on TV,” The Guardian (London) finding it “captivating … glossy and murky at the same time,” and The Huffington Post praising its large cast as “first-rate from top to bottom.”

Focusing on the Sabine family, composed of business-savvy Paul (Coyle), his wealthy American wife, Helen (Gummer), and his brilliant but dissipated designer brother, Claude (Riley), The Collection also stars Frances de la Tour (Harry Potter) as Paul and Claude’s overbearing mother, Yvette, who will stop at nothing to advance her boys’ careers—often to their dismay.

The series also features Jenna Thiam (The Returned) as Nina, the seamstress with a secret and a future in modelling; Max Deacon (Hatfields & McCoys) as Billy, an American photojournalist on a mission to record the vitality of postwar Paris; Alix Poisson (Last Love) as Charlotte, the ambitious head saleswoman at the Sabine studio; and featuring Michael Kitchen (Foyle’s War) as Paul’s mentor, Frederic Lemaire.

Set in 1947, The Collection captures a turbulent era in French history, when partisans hunted down Nazi collaborators and anyone with something to hide shunned the past and embraced the future. Fashion became the perfect expression of this impulse to look ahead. Wartime rationing, drabness, and erotic restraint gave way to alluring displays of color, form, and fabric in women’s clothes—for those who could afford them.

In The Collection, the Sabine family firm is at the forefront of this exciting but ruthless pursuit, and Paul has been chosen by the French government to lead the battle to reclaim the nation’s preeminence in the couture world. Widely regarded as the genius behind his studio’s stunning designs, Paul is in fact purveying the work of his brother, Claude, an unbridled sensualist who can’t restrain his amorous impulses. In free moments, Claude works in a frenzy to sketch new gowns, often consigning them to the wastebasket, where they are retrieved and turned into the Sabine collection’s latest sensations.

Into this superficially elegant universe comes hard-boiled American reporter Stan Rossi (Stanley Townsend, The Tunnel) with suspicions about Paul’s past, but so far little to go on. Assigned to photograph a fashion story for Rossi, Billy soon parts company to become the Sabine studio’s official photographer. In the process, he elevates the worker Nina to be the signature model for the firm—much to the chagrin of the reigning top model, Dominique (Poppy Corby-Tuech, The Royals), who plots revenge.

Adding to the turmoil, police Inspector Bompard (Allan Corduner, Homeland) enters the picture when Yvette’s scheme to get Claude under control goes horribly awry, leading to an investigation that threatens the entire Sabine enterprise.

Who knew that couture could be so cutthroat?

The Collection is a Lookout Point and Artis Pictures Production co-produced with Amazon Studios, Federation Entertainment, MFP and MASTERPIECE with the participation of France Télévisions and BBC Worldwide Ltd. It was producd in Wales and France with the support of Welsh Government, Pinewood Studios and the CNC. The creator is Oliver Goldstick. The directors are Dearbhla Walsh and Dan Zeff. The writers are Maya Goldsmith, Oliver Goldstick and Francesca Rollins. The executive producers are Justine Vaughan, Liam Keelan, Mederic Albouy, Pascal Breton, Toma De Matteis, Rebecca Eaton, Ivan Dunleavy and Robert Norris.

Episode One
Sunday, October 8, 2017 at 10pm
In post-war Paris, Paul Sabine aims for the top in couture, counting on his troubled brother Claude’s brilliant dress designs. American photographer Billy pursues Nina the mysterious seamstress.

Episode Two
Sunday, October 15, 2017 at 10pm
Tormented by demons, Claude goes to dry out in the country, where a terrible secret is unearthed. Paul attempts to bury the past by forcing his mentor to retire. Nina takes control of her life.

Episode Three
Sunday, October 22, 2017 at 10pm
Paul presents his make-or-break collection of gowns. A rival tries to sabotage Nina’s starring moment. The body found at Paul’s cottage makes more trouble. Billy and Nina make up.

Episode Four
Sunday, October 29, 2017 at 10pm
Inspector Bompard tightens the noose on the Sabines. Paul concocts false evidence. Nina gets closer to her child’s identity. Claude has a new lover. Someone steals Billy’s photos of Nina’s triumph.

Episode Five
Sunday, November 5, 2017 at 10pm
On a weekend at his partner’s chateau, Paul expels unwelcome guests. Charlotte makes her move. Nina shames Billy. Claude chastens Caesar. Back in Paris, Victor meets Dominique and tragedy ensues.

Episode Six
Sunday, November 12, 2017 at 10pm
While Dominique is in recovery, Charlotte courts Claude for her renegade fashion house. Nina tells Claude the truth. Marianne reluctantly reveals the past. The inspector spots a crucial clue.

Episode Seven
Sunday, November 19, 2017 at 10pm
Nina is torn between Claude, Billy, and the baby she gave up for adoption. Charlotte’s new business venture hits the rocks. Amid a glittering celebration of high fashion, Inspector Bompard makes a surprise appearance.