The Shadow in the North (TV 2007)

Sally Lockhart and friends investigate the disappearance of a steamship, a magician who is threatened by thugs, a physic with dark visions, and heartless industrialist.

Director:

John Alexander

Writers:

Adrian Hodges (screenplay), Philip Pullman (novel)

Stars:

Billie Piper, JJ Feild, Julian Rhind-Tutt

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Billie Piper	...	Sally Lockhart
JJ Feild	...	Fred Garland
Julian Rhind-Tutt	...	Alistair MacKinnon
John Standing	...	Webster Garland
Lyndsey Marshal	...	Isabel Meredith
Doña Croll	...	Nellie Budd
Matt Smith	...	Jim Taylor
Jared Harris	...	Axel Bellmann
David Harewood	...	Nicholas Bedwell
Hayley Atwell	...	Rosa Garland
Antonia Pemberton	...	Miss Walsh
Owen Roe	...	Bram Stoker
Richard Clews	...	Mr. Windlesham
Phil Cornwell	...	Harris
Peter Whittington	...	Society Gentleman

Storyline

Sally Lockheart now runs her own financial consulting business, while her friends Fred and Jim have opened a detective agency. But when one of her clients looses money over a vanishing steamship, Sally and the young detectives join forces again. The mystery leads them to threatened stage magician and a medium with a dark vision. Sally must also face an old enemy.

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Plot Keywords:

amateur sleuth | sequel | 19th century | based on novel

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Genres:

Adventure | Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 December 2007 (UK)

Also Known As:

Mia skia sto vorra

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), NOVA/WGBH Boston

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The striped dress Billie Piper (Sally Lockhart) wears is the same costume previously worn in North & South by Daniela Denby-Ashe (Margaret Hale) and in Bleak House by Gillian Anderson (Lady Dedlock).

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Connections

Follows The Ruby in the Smoke (2006)

User Reviews

Minor achievement for the BBC

The Sally Lockhart mysteries proved to be a mild disappointment. They are not up to the usual BBC period drama standards - or rather they haven't gotten the period drama treatment. The story relies heavily on a Victorian atmosphere, but you rarely get this in the film adaptations. First of all, Miss Piper, lovely and talented as she is, has the least Victorian beauty imaginable. She is so much AD 2000 that every scene with her in it loses every kind of credibility. One can argue that women were born with different features in olden days - but they pretty much tried to rearrange their facial muscles to imitate the accepted standards of any given era. Where today's actresses try to make their lips appear lush and succulent, every Victorian girl would have subconsciously made every effort to make her mouth appear as a tiny rosebud. The same goes for eyes, hair, posture, gestures. Miss Piper walks straight out of 2007 and makes everything around her 2007.

Watching the adaptations, one also gets the impression that the Victorian society was very welcoming to different races and accepted them into the society with open arms. Almost in every single shot featuring the London society, there are Asian, Caribbean and Black people, the latter even boosting rasta hairstyle on one occasion. The golden truth however is that representatives of these races only got into contact with The Society as footmen and servants, and never ever mixed with them.

My overall impression was that these adaptations were meant for a young viewer who cares little for the authenticity of a traditional well mounted BBC period piece production. If you want some moderate tension and a fairly watchable entertainment with some good moments, don't hesitate to view these films. I don't regret sitting through them at one go, I only wish I would have been totally overwhelmed.