A British drama series that premiered on ITV2 in September 2009. Described as a cross between Gossip Girl and Skins it is set in the titular college located in fictional Bridgeford University. It follows the life of one Charlotte Arc who joins the formerly ultra-exclusive university after her father the former Don is found murdered. After 900 years of reserving access exclusively to the rich, Bridgeford has finally opened its doors to lower-class pupils, a change that is not welcomed by several of the elite. Behind this world of privilege lie dark secrets, secrets that involve the sinister Professor Maltravers and the mysterious Dandelion Club....
The rich and manipulative Dorian Gaudain aims to exploit selected members of the working-class intake in order to protest against said changes when he begins to fall for Charlotte. The drama focuses on Charlotte's quest to find the truth behind her father's murder intertwined with the stories of her circle of working-class friends. Dorian's cousin the beautiful yet cold Rosalind takes a fancy to one of them for her own amusement. A new female Warden attempts social and educational reforms at the university as part of the sub plot. The Warden hopes for serious changes to be made at the eponymous Trinity college, starting with the banning of the annual 'Feast of Fools' and opening the curriculum to more female students.
As it would happen, the new Warden used to be involved with Charlotte's dad back in her student days. She clashes with Maltravers over her modernist opinions as opposed to his traditional and sexist views.
Add to this subplot a complicated mystery surrounding an ancient hourglass and you have the story for an eight episode drama series. A rather tropetastic yet fun series.
Has nothing to do with the Trinity Spaghetti Western duology, the sci-fi tabletop RPG Trinity, or the old text game Trinity about the atomic bomb test of the same name.
Tropes include:
- Ambition Is Evil: The Dandelion Club.
- Aristocrats Are Evil: The entire series premise.
- The Beautiful Elite: The Gaudains. One of whom is played by an actress with the spectacularly convoluted name Isabella Amaryllis Charlotte Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe.
- Defrosting Ice Queen and Emotionless Girl: Rosalind Gaudain
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: Sure, 'Bridgeford' isn't a disguised Oxbridge.
- Dumb Blonde: Subverted.
- Evil Teacher: Dr. Maltravers. His name should even be a giveaway.
- Fish out of Water: Charlotte and her friends.
- Gorgeous Period Dress: Replace 'dress' with 'building' and you have the idea.Parts were filmed in Royal Holloway's Founders Building.
- Hotter and Sexier
- The Ingenue
- In with the In Crowd: Dorian manipulates Raj and Angus by pretending they are this trope.
- Jerkass: Dorian Gaudain
- Kissing Cousins
- Lovable Sex Maniac
- Meaningful Name: Richard Arc, Charlotte's father, seeing as his death sparks off the Story Arc.
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Money, Dear Boy: Possibly the reason why Charles Dance is in this show. - One-Word Title: It is set in the titular college located in fictional Bridgeford University.
- The Place: It is set in the titular college located in fictional Bridgeford University.
- Rich Bitch
- Screwed by the Network: Was set to premiere earlier but was set aside for Paris Hilton's British Best Friend reality tv show. Charles Dance was very angry about this.
- Street Smart: Theo Mackenzie
- Those Two Guys: Raj and Angus.
- Unresolved Sexual Tension: Implied with Dorian and Rosalind even though they are cousins. Averted with Dorian and Charlotte.
- Upper-Class Twit
- Virginity Makes You Stupid: Charlotte is supposed to be an innocent girl with strong moral values. This goes straight out the window by the end of the first episode.
- Wrong Side of the Tracks: Theo Mackenzie originally from Lewisham, is far from the traditional elite Trinitians.
