"Between the Lines" (1992) TV series 1992-1994

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Creator:

J.C. Wilsher

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3

Release Date:

4 September 1992 (UK)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Plot:

"Between The Lines" is set in the Complaints Investigation Bureau (CIB) - the department responsible for investigating other police officers...

Plot Keywords:

Police

Awards:

4 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Neil Pearson	...	Det. Supt. Tony Clark (35 episodes, 1992-1994)
Tom Georgeson	...	Det. Insp. Harry Naylor (35 episodes, 1992-1994)
Siobhan Redmond	...	Det. Sgt. Maureen Connell (35 episodes, 1992-1994)
Robin Lermitte	...	Det. Supt. David Graves / ... (18 episodes, 1992-1994)
Tony Doyle	...	Chief Supt. John Deakin / ... (16 episodes, 1992-1993)

Also Known As:

"Inside the Line"

Runtime:

50 min (35 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Comedy Connections: Drop the Dead Donkey (#4.3)" (2006)

Gripping drama

Between the Lines is gripping police drama about the CBI investigating abuse of police powers and corruption within the force. The first remarkable thing is that BTL has a fairly unlikeable protagonist: womanizing career police man Tony Clarke who is really blackmailed into joining the CBI. He acts so irresponsibly in his personal life throughout the series that it is really difficult to sympathize with him (and he wears the worst fitting suits I have ever seen). On the other hand he is very emotional about his job and also really professional about it (unless his private life or hormones get in the way) in spite of the fact that he really hates his job. His team consists of bisexual Maureen Connell and veteran copper Harry Naylor whose wife develops a terminal illness in the second series. These three really complex characters really carry the show. The standard of writing is also fairly high. The stories are complex and satisfying which is not easy to achieve in a 45 minutes format. However, in the second season they become formulaic in terms of the CBI's impotence to deal with corruption in the force. You can't help wondering why they bother at all. Apart from the strong performances of the cast (with the possible exception of the rather one dimensional DCS Graves) the series also has some episodes that are visually very well made particularly the inteview situation. For 1992 the first season is also groundbreakling in its depiction of nudity as you see some full frontal shots of Clark's beautiful girlfriend and you see Jaye Griffith's bottom.