Ian McNeice Remembers - Edge of Darkness

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Drama

Summary

Broadcast at a time when nuclear politics was firmly on the current affairs agenda, Edge of Darkness quickly established itself as a landmark moment in British TV history. Writer Troy Kennedy Martin drew on his experience of scripting shows like Z Cars and The Sweeney in creating this BAFTA-winning series. The powerful cast includes Bob Peck, who played Ronald Craven, Joe Don Baker, as a shadowy American intelligence operative, and Ian McNeice, who tells us of his memories of the show; the melding of the personal and political in the storyline, his awareness of just how impactful it had been as soon as it transmitted, how the plot presented arguments still relevant today, and his pride in being associated with what rapidly became one of the standout works in television drama.

Review

Mark Braxton

It’s hard to believe this mighty thriller turns 40 this week; many will remember it like it was yesterday. A private grief that slowly evolves into a global conspiracy, Edge of Darkness represents the angry stare of writer Troy Kennedy Martin at what he deemed the political insanity of the 80s, though he roots the early action in terms of a gritty policier (he created Z Cars). Bob Peck plays CID officer Ronald Craven, whose scientist daughter Emma (Joanne Whalley) is gunned down by a ranting assassin.

Craven’s emotional fallout is captured in almost intrusive detail, and while dial telephones and line-by-line computers may transport us to another time, the humanity and plotting are thrillingly immediate. In a work of superlatives, standouts remain Peck’s performance, the words of Martin, the decisions of director Martin Campbell and the close-up photography of Andrew Dunn — quite unlike anything before or since. Ian McNeice, who plays slippery lawyer Harcourt, introduces the first two episodes, which follow at 9.15pm.

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rolenameParticipantIan McNeiceProducerSimon GoretzkiProducerShelley TaltonProducerAlex Crone

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