Edge Of Darkness
I've just watched the first two episodes of Edge Of Darkness, and it totally shames other efforts to make television drama that have come since it was made.
I managed to catch it as a kid when it came out but haven't watched it since. I'm glad I picked it up.
The plot starts with the brutal murder of a policeman's daughter, her jumping infront of him when a gunman opens fire. The policeman, profoundly played by Bob Peck, soon realises that he wasn't the target and that his politically active daughter was mixed up in more than he could possibly have imagined.
The outstanding script, sharp camera work, subtle direction and crafted acting is welded together by Eric Clapton's excellent score. Made in the mid 80's, it captures exactly the zeitguiest of the Thatcher's Britain and still holds enormous resonance to modern audiences, with the CIA and MI6 working together with industrial giants to manipulate an ignorant and gullible public. There are moments where you want to rewind, just to see how on earth they actually put the scene together, it's that intelligently made. The rest of the time, you're completely sucked in to watching Peck's character interact with all the other actors as he tries to find out what his daughter was caught up in, why she had to die and whodunnit.
It harks back to a time when people's attention spans were longer and TV producers were able to make a drama series to cater for that. I don't think we'll ever see anything like this again and it's quite rightly judged as probably the BBC's best ever drama.
I know there are a few surprises coming up, but I can't remember what they are!
The DVD pack cost me £3.99 froma second hand shop. I strongly suggest you invest from Amazon or such.
I managed to catch it as a kid when it came out but haven't watched it since. I'm glad I picked it up.
The plot starts with the brutal murder of a policeman's daughter, her jumping infront of him when a gunman opens fire. The policeman, profoundly played by Bob Peck, soon realises that he wasn't the target and that his politically active daughter was mixed up in more than he could possibly have imagined.
The outstanding script, sharp camera work, subtle direction and crafted acting is welded together by Eric Clapton's excellent score. Made in the mid 80's, it captures exactly the zeitguiest of the Thatcher's Britain and still holds enormous resonance to modern audiences, with the CIA and MI6 working together with industrial giants to manipulate an ignorant and gullible public. There are moments where you want to rewind, just to see how on earth they actually put the scene together, it's that intelligently made. The rest of the time, you're completely sucked in to watching Peck's character interact with all the other actors as he tries to find out what his daughter was caught up in, why she had to die and whodunnit.
It harks back to a time when people's attention spans were longer and TV producers were able to make a drama series to cater for that. I don't think we'll ever see anything like this again and it's quite rightly judged as probably the BBC's best ever drama.
I know there are a few surprises coming up, but I can't remember what they are!
The DVD pack cost me £3.99 froma second hand shop. I strongly suggest you invest from Amazon or such.