Edge of Darkness (1985)

Directed by

Martin Campbell

Genre

drama television series, political thriller

Country

United Kingdom

Length

1 season, 6 episodes

Rated

15

Rating

8.1 of 10 from 52 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A widowed policeman investigates his daughter's murder and uncovers a conspiracy involving government secrets and nuclear power. The case pulls him into a shadowy world of cover-ups and dangerous forces.

grippingtensemelancholicbleakslow-burnsuspensefulangrythought-provoking

What happens

Edge of Darkness is a 1985 British television drama serial produced by BBC Television in association with Lionheart Television International. Originally broadcast in six episodes in late 1985, it is part crime drama and political thriller, and revolves around the efforts of widowed policeman Ronald Craven (played by Bob Peck) to unravel the truth behind the killing of his daughter, Emma (played by Joanne Whalley). Craven's investigations soon lead him into a murky world of government and corporate cover-ups and nuclear espionage, pitting him against dark forces that threaten the future of life on Earth. Writer Troy Kennedy Martin was greatly influenced by the political climate of the time, dominated by the Thatcher government, and the aura of secrecy surrounding the nuclear industry – and by the implications of the Gaia hypothesis of environmentalist James Lovelock; these combined to him writing a thriller that mingled real world concerns with mythic and mystical elements. Kennedy Martin's original ending was more fantastic than that eventually used in the finished serial: he had proposed that Craven would turn into a tree but this was vetoed by members of the cast and crew. First broadcast on BBC2, Edge of Darkness was met with such widespread critical acclaim that within days it had earned a repeat screening on BBC1. Winner of several prestigious awards, it remains highly regarded, often cited as one of the best and most influential pieces of British television drama. 25 years later, a film remake was released, set in the United States, which was directed by the original series director Martin Campbell and starring Mel Gibson. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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