One of the best-ever mini-series produced by the BBC, "Edge Of Darkness" is an enthralling and thought-provoking contemporary thriller series which starts off explosively with the shocking murder of the daughter of Police Inspector Craven (Bob Peck) right in front of him in the pouring rain and then follows him in an ever deeper and murkier search for the truth behind her death. The title could refer to a number of themes in the series, but principally must relate to Craven's own proximity to madness and death as he combats his grief to peel away the layers of bureaucracy at police and governmental level as he reveals a conspiracy to cover up a break-in at a nuclear power-station by a group of committed young eco-warriors, of whom his daughter was one. Indeed she was the sole survivor of the expedition as the rest of her group were callously drowned by the plant-controllers seeking to avoid the unwelcome publicity of the revelation of a potentially catastrophic incident at the plant.
The darkness of course also refers to the darker recesses of government departments and the intelligence services, in particular their collusion with the multi-million pound (and dollar) energy industry with whom they seem to have a not altogether healthy relationship. As the body-count mounts up, Craven strikes up some unusual alliances as he delves deeper for the truth, in particular hitching up with a renegade ex-CIA operative, played by Joe Don Baker, a bluff Texan with a penchant for golf. Eventually to learn the truth they must retrace his daughter's footsteps and break into the Northmoor site where they discover the full extent of the whitewash just in time to disrupt a pro-nuclear power seminar at Gleneagles where a new major contract is planned between commerce and government.
Over 6 tense, gripping episodes, we track Craven in his driven but still dogmatic quest. A widower, his daughter was all he lived for and after her death, he exists only to get justice for her, only to run into the sinister and covert operations of our so-called betters.
Peck is superb in the main part, his "Everyman" appearance and down-to-earth demeanour immediately engaging the viewer's interest and sympathy. Baker rampages through his part to the extent that he almost parodies the image of the big-mouthed Yank. Nevertheless even he finds some scruples as he dishes out a cold revenge to the big bosses before going out in a blaze of glory in the end. With every part, no matter how small, tellingly played and a forensic directorial style pushing the story forward all the time, it's no surprise it won so many awards at the time and got a big-budget Hollywood remake by the same director many years later. Eric Clapton's doleful blues guitar also makes for a suitably bleak backdrop, as does the Willie Nelson song "Time Of The Preacher".
I really appreciated getting the chance to see this high-quality drama which still stands up today.
The darkness of course also refers to the darker recesses of government departments and the intelligence services, in particular their collusion with the multi-million pound (and dollar) energy industry with whom they seem to have a not altogether healthy relationship. As the body-count mounts up, Craven strikes up some unusual alliances as he delves deeper for the truth, in particular hitching up with a renegade ex-CIA operative, played by Joe Don Baker, a bluff Texan with a penchant for golf. Eventually to learn the truth they must retrace his daughter's footsteps and break into the Northmoor site where they discover the full extent of the whitewash just in time to disrupt a pro-nuclear power seminar at Gleneagles where a new major contract is planned between commerce and government.
Over 6 tense, gripping episodes, we track Craven in his driven but still dogmatic quest. A widower, his daughter was all he lived for and after her death, he exists only to get justice for her, only to run into the sinister and covert operations of our so-called betters.
Peck is superb in the main part, his "Everyman" appearance and down-to-earth demeanour immediately engaging the viewer's interest and sympathy. Baker rampages through his part to the extent that he almost parodies the image of the big-mouthed Yank. Nevertheless even he finds some scruples as he dishes out a cold revenge to the big bosses before going out in a blaze of glory in the end. With every part, no matter how small, tellingly played and a forensic directorial style pushing the story forward all the time, it's no surprise it won so many awards at the time and got a big-budget Hollywood remake by the same director many years later. Eric Clapton's doleful blues guitar also makes for a suitably bleak backdrop, as does the Willie Nelson song "Time Of The Preacher".
I really appreciated getting the chance to see this high-quality drama which still stands up today.