"Collision" (2009) TV mini-series

Creator:

Anthony Horowitz

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

2009 (UK)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

The story of a major road accident and a group of people who have never met, but who all share one single defining moment that will change their lives.

Plot Keywords:

TV Mini-Series

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Douglas Henshall	...	D.I. John Tolin (5 episodes, 2009)
Dean Lennox Kelly	...	Danny Rampton (5 episodes, 2009)
Lucy Griffiths	...	Jane Tarrant (5 episodes, 2009)
Philip Davis	...	Brian Edwards (5 episodes, 2009)
Sylvia Syms	...	Joyce Thompson (5 episodes, 2009)
Paul McGann	...	Richard Reeves (5 episodes, 2009)
Matt Ryan	...	Dave Brown (5 episodes, 2009)
Kate Ashfield	...	Ann Stallwood (4 episodes, 2009)
David Bamber	...	Sidney Norris (4 episodes, 2009)
Jo Woodcock	...	Jodie Tolin (4 episodes, 2009)
Claire Rushbrook	...	Karen Donnelly (4 episodes, 2009)
Christopher Villiers	...	Keith Fowler (4 episodes, 2009)
Jocelyn Jee Esien	...	Cindie Smith (4 episodes, 2009)
Christopher Fulford	...	D.C.I. Stephen Maitland (4 episodes, 2009)
Jan Francis	...	Christine Edwards (4 episodes, 2009)
Andrew Brooke	...	P.C. Alan Clacy (4 episodes, 2009)
Sushil Chudasama	...	P.C. Sanjay Gopal (4 episodes, 2009)
Craig Kelly	...	Jeffrey Rampton (3 episodes, 2009)
Richard Harrington	...	James Taylor / ... (3 episodes, 2009)
Colin McFarlane	...	Bill Jackson (3 episodes, 2009)
Anwar Lynch	...	Gareth Clay (3 episodes, 2009)
Lenora Crichlow	...	Alice Jackson (3 episodes, 2009)
Frank Harper	...	Derek (3 episodes, 2009)
Cornelius Macarthy	...	Tsegga (3 episodes, 2009)
Zoe Telford	...	Sandra Rampton (3 episodes, 2009)
Nicholas Farrell	...	Guy Pearson (3 episodes, 2009)
Brian Pettifer	...	Ed Wilson (3 episodes, 2009)
Shaun Prendergast	...	D.C.I. Mike Evans (3 episodes, 2009)
Victoria Wicks	...	Angela Reeves (3 episodes, 2009)
Raymond Sawyer	...	Paul (Chauffeur) (3 episodes, 2009)
Nick Moss	...	Jake (3 episodes, 2009)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Company:

Greenlit Productions

Intelligent Drama

This is a smart and intelligent mystery. John Tolin is a police detective (Douglas Henshall) who is asked to investigate a pileup on a minor highway (A12) outside London. Three people are killed and Tolin reviews the evidence to find out what caused the crash. He ends up probing into the lives of ten people caught up in the accident. What starts as a straight forward car accident quickly turns into a story full of twists and turns as the police start to dig. Tolin unravels a number of mysteries which involve murder, smuggling, whistle blowing and a government cover-up. There are another couple of deaths after the accident.

The characters are ordinary people with complicated lives and the acting is excellent. Douglas Henshall who plays a scientist on "Primeval" is playing a policeman with problems. He's tough, tenacious, damaged and flawed. Also examining the crash is Ann Stallwood (Kate Ashfield) who seems to be a former lover. She was also the love interest in Shaun of the Dead.

The cast is full of experienced and recognizable British character actors who have appeared in numerous films and shows like Chariots of Fire (Nicholas Farrell), Vera Drake (Philip Davis), Valkyrie (David Bamber), Robin Hood (Lucy Griffiths) and Hornblower (Paul McGann). I have been living abroad and fondly remembered Jan Francis from Secret Army and Just Good Friends. She was very attractive in the 1970s but is now playing pensioners, which made me feel old.

Collision grabs your attention and is very enjoyable. However there were a few loose ends which I felt were not satisfactorily tied up. Overall, I would recommend the series.