"Death of an Expert Witness" (1983) TV mini-series 1983-

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

8 April 1983 (UK)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

Plot:

When Dr. Edwin Lorimer, a forensic scientist working at a private laboratory is found killed, Detective...

Plot Keywords:

Laboratory | Murder | Detective | England | TV Mini-Series

Cast

Roy Marsden	...	Adam Dalgliesh (6 episodes, 1983)
Barry Foster	...	Dr. Maxim Howarth (6 episodes, 1983)
Ray Brooks	...	Dr. Henry Kerrison (6 episodes, 1983)
Brenda Blethyn	...	Angela Foley (6 episodes, 1983)
Fiona Walker	...	Stella Mawson, aka 'Star' (6 episodes, 1983)
Ivor Roberts	...	Inspector Blakebrook (6 episodes, 1983)
Andrew Ray	...	Clifford Bradley (5 episodes, 1983)
Meg Davies	...	Domenica Howarth (5 episodes, 1983)
John Vine	...	DS John Massingham (5 episodes, 1983)
Malcolm Terris	...	DI Tom Doyle (5 episodes, 1983)
Chloe Franks	...	Brenda Pridmore (5 episodes, 1983)
Stephen Thorne	...	Paul Middlemass (4 episodes, 1983)
Valerie Testa	...	Claire Easterbrook (4 episodes, 1983)
John Bryans	...	Chief Superintendent Mercer (3 episodes, 1983)
Kate Lansbury	...	Mrs Pridmore (3 episodes, 1983)
Rhoda Lewis	...	Miss Willard (3 episodes, 1983)
Sheridan Ball	...	Sue Bradley (3 episodes, 1983)
Richard Foxton	...	Sergeant Reynolds (3 episodes, 1983)
Annabelle Lanyon	...	Nell Kerrison (3 episodes, 1983)
Maryann Turner	...	Mrs Bidwell (3 episodes, 1983)
Carl Adams	...	Police Constable (3 episodes, 1983)

Series Directed by
Herbert Wise		(4 episodes, 1983)

Series Writing credits
Robin Chapman		(6 episodes, 1983)
P.D. James		(6 episodes, 1983)

Series Produced by
John Rosenberg	....	producer (4 episodes, 1983)

Series Original Music by
Richard Harvey		(6 episodes, 1983)

Series Cinematography by
Geoff Greenleaf		(unknown episodes)
Steve Kilroe		(unknown episodes)
Peter MacQueen		(unknown episodes)
Trevor Vaisey		(unknown episodes)

Series Film Editing by
Kevin Waters		(unknown episodes)

Series Casting by
Jenia Reissar		(6 episodes, 1983)

Series Production Design by
Leo Austin		(6 episodes, 1983)

Series Makeup Department
Christine Penwarden	....	makeup supervisor (6 episodes, 1983)

Series Production Management
Eddie Watts	....	unit manager (6 episodes, 1983)

Series Sound Department
John Havart	....	sound (6 episodes, 1983)
Colin Lovewell	....	sound (6 episodes, 1983)
Walter Sparrow	....	sound (6 episodes, 1983)
Vic Thurston	....	post-production sound (6 episodes, 1983)
Peter Watts	....	sound (6 episodes, 1983)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Andy Allan	....	lighting technician (6 episodes, 1983)
Philip S. Burne	....	vision controller (6 episodes, 1983)
Geoff Greenleaf	....	camera operator (6 episodes, 1983)
Peter Harvey	....	vision controller (6 episodes, 1983)
Steve Kilroe	....	camera operator (6 episodes, 1983)
Roger Law	....	lighting technician (6 episodes, 1983)
Peter MacQueen	....	camera operator (6 episodes, 1983)
Ron Phillp	....	lighting technician (6 episodes, 1983)
Trevor Vaisey	....	camera operator (6 episodes, 1983)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Vee Layton	....	costume supervisor (6 episodes, 1983)
Carla Willsher	....	costume supervisor (6 episodes, 1983)

Series Editorial Department
Mike Aston	....	vision mixer (6 episodes, 1983)
John Bourne	....	vision mixer (6 episodes, 1983)
Philip Bunn	....	technical supervisor: post-production (6 episodes, 1983)
Jill Shaw	....	vision mixer (6 episodes, 1983)
Kevin Waters	....	editor: videotape (6 episodes, 1983)

Series Other crew
Christine Buck	....	production assistant (6 episodes, 1983)
Alan Cordner	....	technical supervisor: location (6 episodes, 1983)
Tony George	....	floor manager (6 episodes, 1983)
Gerry Line-Parker	....	floor manager (6 episodes, 1983)
Susan Peters	....	production assistant (6 episodes, 1983)
Alethea Wigzell	....	stage manager (6 episodes, 1983)
Christine Wilson	....	production assistant (6 episodes, 1983)

Production Companies

• Anglia Television

Distributors

• Independent Television (ITV) (1983) (UK) (TV)
• Koch Vision (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Mystery!
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

UK:50 min (6 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M

Company:

Anglia Television

Trivia:

Martin Jarvis was offered Dr. Kerrison.

Movie Connections:

Followed by "The Black Tower" (1985)

A terrible beginning to an OK mystery series.

The first of the Dalgliesh detective series will surely put intelligent viewers off. First, at four and half hours long it is about 300 percent as long as it should have been. What seems like endless scenes of cars arriving, departing, and moving down roads, and of Dalgleish sitting and thinking to himself are just two of the ways the script is padded almost beyond belief. If this is being down in the first two parts of this three part series to establish an air of realism all this is thrown to the winds in part three when the major characters act in a downright silly way. Clichés abound. With a murderer on the loose, a young girl, who hitherto would faint at a frown, decides to take the shortcut home through the dark woods, announcing her reason for doing it to the audience as if the justify so silly a behavior in the mind of the viewer. The final coup de gras in this respect is when Superintendent Dalgliesh and the confessed murderer go for a walk alone in the countryside while the murderer explains the reasons for his criminal behavior. As someone who has just finished teaching the mystery as a part of a course in Modern Drama I count myself among the great fans of the dramatized mystery story. However, I fell asleep more than once trying to get through this one. 'Nuff said. Unless you are ready for your nap skip this one and go to 'The Black Tower' or one of the other later programs in the Dalgliesh series.