"The Crow Road" (1996) TV mini-series

Seasons:

1

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

An adaption of Banks' dark novel, whose central character is Prentice McHoan, a young Scots history student...

Plot Keywords:

TV Mini-Series | Glass | Family Secret | Murder | Scotland

Awards:

4 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Joe McFadden	...	Prentice McHoan (4 episodes, 1996)
Bill Paterson	...	Kenneth McHoan (4 episodes, 1996)
Peter Capaldi	...	Rory McHoan (4 episodes, 1996)
Valerie Edmond	...	Ashley Watt (4 episodes, 1996)
Stella Gonet	...	Fiona Urvill (4 episodes, 1996)
David Robb	...	Fergus Urvill (4 episodes, 1996)
Dougray Scott	...	Lewis McHoan (4 episodes, 1996)
Patricia Kerrigan	...	Janice (4 episodes, 1996)
Paul Young	...	Hamish McHoan (4 episodes, 1996)
Alex Norton	...	Lachlan Watt (4 episodes, 1996)
Elizabeth Sinclair	...	Mary McHoan (4 episodes, 1996)
Simone Bendix	...	Verity (4 episodes, 1996)
Claire Nielson	...	Aunt Antonia (4 episodes, 1996)
Jenny Ryan	...	Helen Urvill (4 episodes, 1996)
Sarah Gudgeon	...	Dianna Urvill (4 episodes, 1996)
Irene Sunters	...	Mrs. McSpadden (4 episodes, 1996)
Stephen McCole	...	Dean Watt (4 episodes, 1996)
Ian Bustard	...	Droid (4 episodes, 1996)
Julie Austin	...	Lizzie (4 episodes, 1996)
Edward Casey	...	Young Prentice (aged 10) (3 episodes, 1996)
Robert James	...	Blawke (3 episodes, 1996)
John Harding	...	Paxton-Marr (3 episodes, 1996)
Mark Johnson	...	Young Lewis (3 episodes, 1996)
Kyle Calderwood	...	Young Kenneth (2 episodes, 1996)
Paul Young	...	Young Fergus (2 episodes, 1996)
Graeme Hill	...	Young Lachlan (2 episodes, 1996)
Alan McCafferty	...	Calum Watt (2 episodes, 1996)
Brian Alexander	...	Gavin (2 episodes, 1996)
Anne Myatt	...	Mrs. Watt (2 episodes, 1996)
Jody Robertson	...	Young Diana (2 episodes, 1996)
Deborah McLaren	...	Young Helen (2 episodes, 1996)
Maureen Lynch	...	Young Marion (2 episodes, 1996)

Series Directed by
Gavin Millar		(4 episodes, 1996)

Series Writing credits
Iain Banks		(4 episodes, 1996)
Bryan Elsley		(4 episodes, 1996)

Series Produced by
Bradley Adams	....	producer (4 episodes, 1996)
Andrea Calderwood	....	executive producer (4 episodes, 1996)
Bill Clark	....	line producer (4 episodes, 1996)
Kevin Loader	....	executive producer (4 episodes, 1996)
Franc Roddam	....	executive producer (4 episodes, 1996)

Series Original Music by
Colin Towns		(4 episodes, 1996)

Series Cinematography by
John Else		(3 episodes, 1996)

Series Film Editing by
Angus Newton		(4 episodes, 1996)

Series Casting by
Susie Bruffin		(4 episodes, 1996)
Liz Vincent-Fernie		(4 episodes, 1996)

Series Production Design by
Annette Gillies		(4 episodes, 1996)

Series Art Direction by
Dave Arrowsmith		(4 episodes, 1996)
Pat Campbell		(4 episodes, 1996)

Series Costume Design by
Kate Carin		(4 episodes, 1996)

Series Makeup Department
Dianne Jamieson	....	assistant makeup artist (4 episodes, 1996)
Sonia Moore	....	assistant makeup artist (4 episodes, 1996)
Irene Napier	....	makeup designer (4 episodes, 1996)

Series Production Management
Jane Skinner	....	production manager (4 episodes, 1996)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Neil Calder	....	first assistant director (4 episodes, 1996)
John Jones	....	second assistant director (4 episodes, 1996)
Lee Rooney	....	third assistant director (4 episodes, 1996)

Series Art Department
Jamie Baxter	....	construction manager (4 episodes, 1996)
John Booth	....	dressing props (4 episodes, 1996)
Stephen Campbell	....	art department trainee (4 episodes, 1996)
Tristan Carlisle-Kitz	....	dressing props (4 episodes, 1996)
John Casey	....	stand-by props (4 episodes, 1996)
Laura Donnelly	....	art department assistant (4 episodes, 1996)
Bill Gower	....	stand-by props (4 episodes, 1996)
Christopher Higson	....	stand-by carpenter (4 episodes, 1996)
Paul McNamara	....	dressing props (4 episodes, 1996)
Sue Morrison	....	property buyer (4 episodes, 1996)
Bob Orr	....	property master (4 episodes, 1996)

Series Sound Department
Mark Auguste	....	dubbing editor (4 episodes, 1996)
Tony Cook	....	boom operator (4 episodes, 1996)
Colin Martin	....	dubbing mixer (4 episodes, 1996)
Colin Nicolson	....	sound recordist (4 episodes, 1996)

Series Special Effects by
Steve Tomkow	....	special effects (4 episodes, 1996)

Series Stunts
Andy Bradford	....	stunts (4 episodes, 1996)
David Cronnelly	....	stunts (4 episodes, 1996)
Sarah Franzl	....	stunts (4 episodes, 1996)
Richard Hammatt	....	stunts (4 episodes, 1996)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Eddie Burt	....	grip (4 episodes, 1996)
Willie Cadden	....	gaffer (4 episodes, 1996)
Arthur Donnelly	....	best boy (4 episodes, 1996)
John Duncan	....	generator operator (4 episodes, 1996)
Alan Maxwell	....	clapper loader (4 episodes, 1996)
Paul McGeachan	....	electrician (4 episodes, 1996)
Kim Seber	....	focus puller (4 episodes, 1996)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Eleanor Baker	....	wardrobe supervisor (4 episodes, 1996)
Margie Fortune	....	wardrobe assistant (4 episodes, 1996)

Series Editorial Department
Antony Robinson	....	assistant to editor (4 episodes, 1996)
Maria Walker	....	assistant editor (4 episodes, 1996)

Series Other crew
Gillian Berrie	....	production secretary (4 episodes, 1996)
Harry Boyd	....	assistant location manager (4 episodes, 1996)
Mike Davies	....	title designer (4 episodes, 1996)
Margaret Graham	....	script supervisor (4 episodes, 1996)
Brian Horsburgh	....	assistant location manager (4 episodes, 1996)
David Mellor	....	production accountant (4 episodes, 1996)
Janet Riddoch	....	location manager (4 episodes, 1996)
Kitty Stanbrook	....	assistant to producer (4 episodes, 1996)
Marie Wood	....	production coordinator (4 episodes, 1996)

Production Companies

• BBC Scotland
• Union Pictures Productions

Other Companies

• Sapex Scripts  post-production services

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Filming Locations:

Ardkinglas House, Cairndow, Argyll and Bute, Scotland, UK

Company:

BBC Scotland

Trivia:

Although the last name of Prentice's flatmate Gavin is never mentioned in the book or the series, there is a label on the front door stating it to be Millar. "Gavin Millar" is also the director's name.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Prentice arrives into "Partick Cross" train station the train he is seen arriving on is different from that which we then see leaving the station (a class 303 arrives, a class 314 leaves)

Quotes:

Prentice:It all started the day my Grandmother exploded.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Zomergasten: Episode #11.1" (1998)

probably the best Banks adaptation

I remember watching a tape of "The Crow Road" lying on a sofa in some friends' flat on a New Year's Day in Edinburgh in the late Nineties and being captured by the whole "feel" of the mini series. Everything seemed to work beautifully: the cast (including actors who shot to fame later like Dougray Scott), the story (a brilliant family tale/coming-of-age/detective story), the setting... Unfortunately, my friends hadn't taped the end of the series, but luckily there was a BBC video out that I got a few weeks later in addition to reading the book at the first possibility. Every year, I make sure that I watch the mini series at least once, because it is the best adaptation of the many brilliant books by Iain Banks.