Season 1

The first season of Pennyworth began airing in the United States July 28, 2019 on TV network Epix. The season is set in the 1960s London, before Bruce Wayne is born. In Canada, the series premiered on Showcase on September 4, six weeks behind the Epix schedule.^[1] Sometime later, the series then received its UK premiere on StarzPlay on Friday, October 25 the same year.^[2] It was followed by Season 2 premiering on December 13, 2020.

Premise[]

Pennyworth follows the Wayne family's legendary butler, Alfred Pennyworth, a former British SAS soldier who forms a security company and goes to work with Thomas Wayne in 1960s London.^[3]

Characters[]

Main cast[]

Jack Bannon as Alfred Pennyworth^[4]
Ben Aldridge as Thomas Wayne^[5]
Ryan Fletcher as Dave Boy^[6]
Hainsley Lloyd Bennett as Bazza^[6]
Paloma Faith as Bet Sykes^[7]
Jason Flemyng as Lord James Harwood^[8]
Emma Paetz as Martha Kane
Dorothy Atkinson as Mary Pennyworth
Ian-Puleston Davies as Arthur Pennyworth
Polly Walker as Peggy Sykes

Recurring cast[]

Jessica Ellerby as The Queen
Emma Corrin as Esme Winikus
Richard Clother as Prime Minister
Ramon Tikaram as Detective Inspector Victor Aziz
Simon Day as Sid Onslow
Harriet Slater as Sandra Onslow
Danny Webb as John Ripper
Jennie Goosens as Mrs. Spicer
Steve Edwin as Mr. Spicer
Charlie Woodward as Captain John Curzon
Anna Chancellor as Frances Gaunt
Sarah Alexander as Undine Thwaite
Salóme R. Gunnarsdóttir as Patricia Wayne
Jonjo O'Neill as Aleister Crowley

Summary[]

Episode list[]

Season 1
Episode	Summary	Airdate	#
Pilot	This series debuts with the introduction of Alfred Pennyworth, a young man just out of the English air service and at loose ends, endeavoring to start ...	July 28, 2019^[9]	1X01
The Landlord's Daughter	Alfred (Jack Bannon) turns down an offer from billionaire businessman Thomas Wayne (Ben Aldridge), and instead accepts an assignment that positions him in the crosshairs of one of the East End's most dastardly figures.	August 4, 2019	1X02
Martha Kane	Alfred (Jack Bannon) accepts an assignment from photojournalist Martha Kane (Emma Paetz) that turns increasingly dangerous.	August 11, 2019	1X03
Lady Penelope	Alfred (Jack Bannon) and Martha Kane (Emma Paetz) take a train ride into the countryside on an assignment, while tragedy strikes in London.	August 11, 2019	1X04
Shirley Bassey	John Ripper presents Alfred (Jack Bannon) with an offer; meanwhile, Lord Harwood's (Jason Flemyng) fate takes a curious turn.	August 18, 2019	1X05
Cilla Black	Martha and Patricia Wayne attend a debauched party with famed magician Aleister Crowley.	August 25, 2019	1X06
Julie Christie	While Martha and Thomas confront Crowley over his strange party and the return of Patricia, Alfred and the lads track down the identity of a wanted killer.	September 8, 2019	1X07
Sandie Shaw	While Lord Harwood returns to take control of the Raven Society, Alfred, Dave Boy and Bazza form an unlikely alliance with the Sykes Sisters.	September 15, 2019	1X08
Alma Cogan	Alfred, Thomas and Martha become entangled in an assassination plot against Lord Harwood.	September 22, 2019	1X09
Marianne Faithfull	After a member of the British royalty is abducted, Alfred must take a side in the struggle. Meanwhile, Lord Harwood uses those closest to Alfred to remove him from the game.	September 29, 2019	1X10

Trivia[]

Epix gave the production a series order for a first season consisting of ten episodes in May 2018. The pilot episode was expected to be written by Bruno Heller and directed by Danny Cannon, both of whom were also set to executive produce the series. Production companies that were slated to be involved with the series include Warner Horizon Television.^[10]
- During the Television Critics Association's annual winter press tour held in February the series was originally slated to premiere in June 2019,^[11] but the premiere date was revised to July 28.^[12]
The first season is a complete story, but every episode of Pennyworth is stand alone.^[13]
Executive producer Danny Cannon revealed the series is essentially a prequel to the FOX series Gotham.^[13]
- Differences in the timelines and version's of Alfred and Thomas Wayne's meeting (as relayed verbally on Gotham), however, prompt the idea that the two exist in two different universes.
Principal photography for the series commenced on October 22, 2018 at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden in Leavesden, Hertfordshire, England.^[14]
- Additionally, a number of shots were taken in London, including selecting the landmark building Florin Court as the home and neighbourhood of one of the series lead characters.^[15]
- Various scenes were filmed at the Dockyard Chatham in Kent, where the streets stood in for East London in the 1960s. Principal photography for the series wrapped on May 24, 2019.^[16]
Emma Paetz revealed that prior to the Covid-19 global pandemic, there was this one instance where she and Ben, fully in costume, were walking to set. They were solost in conversation, that as they walked down the street and into a cafe, they didn't realize they were still in their 60's costumes. Paetz goes onto say that everyone looked at them weirdly because they stuck out.^[17]
Emma Paetz revealed in an interview with TV Line that when she first signed on, she had only read Episodes 1-2-3-4 of Season 1, so she didn't know where Martha was going to go.^[18]
Jack Bannon in an interview with Culturess in December 2020 mentioned having seen Emma Corrin, who played Esme in season one on The Crown as Princess Diana. He found her to be phenomenal in the role, but admitted to missing her being on Pennyworth.^[19]