United (TV film)

United
Title screen, featuring the Manchester United home changing rooms.
Genre	Drama
Written by	Chris Chibnall
Directed by	James Strong
Starring	David Tennant Jack O'Connell Sam Claflin Dougray Scott
Theme music composer	Clint Mansell
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language(s)	English
Production
Producer(s)	Julia Stannard
Running time	90 minutes
Budget	£2 million
Release
Original network	BBC Two / BBC HD
Original release	24 April 2011 (2011-04-24)
External links
Website

United is a British television film directed by James Strong and written by Chris Chibnall. It is based on the true story of Manchester United's "Busby Babes" and the aftermath of the 1958 Munich air disaster, with the film's events taking place between August 1956 and May 1958. In particular, the film focuses on the experiences of assistant manager Jimmy Murphy, played by David Tennant, and Bobby Charlton, played by Jack O'Connell.

Largely filmed around the North East of England, the film was first broadcast on 24 April 2011 on BBC Two and BBC HD, but is being sold internationally as a theatrical picture by Content Media Corp. The series gained a 14.3% rating in its time slot and was generally well received by television critics.

The drama primarily focuses on the relationship between assistant manager Jimmy Murphy and the young player Bobby Charlton. The film begins in the autumn of 1956 as Murphy gives Charlton his first chance to play a match with Manchester United's first team, nicknamed the "Busby Babes" due to their unique pedigree as an almost entirely club-nurtured team of players, with the exception of a few slightly older players who have been purchased from other clubs.

The other players to come through the ranks and who feature greatly in the film include centre-half Mark Jones, left-half Duncan Edwards and right-half Eddie Colman. A rare signing is then made when Busby signs Northern Irish goalkeeper Harry Gregg in late 1957.

Meanwhile, manager Matt Busby has persuaded Football League administrator Alan Hardaker to allow his team to play in the European Cup with the proviso that they are back in time for each scheduled fixture. They first compete for this title in the 1956-57 campaign after winning the league title, and are able to compete in the cup again the following season after retaining their domestic title.