The Crow Road 

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

Stars:

Joe McFadden, Bill Paterson, Peter Capaldi

4 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
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

Storyline

An adaption of Banks' dark novel, whose central character is Prentice McHoan, a young Scots history student. When Prentice's relatives begin to die in spectacular circumstances, and at an alarming rate, he begins to suspect that his family is hiding a secret.

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Plot Keywords:

picnic | unrequited love | hearse used as ambulance | motorcycle | atheist | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 November 1996 (UK)

Filming Locations:

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

BBC Scotland, Union Pictures Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

211 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

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.

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Goofs

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)

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Quotes

Prentice: [the Doctor has had a heart attack having failed to prevent the cremation] Is there anything we can do for you, Doctor?

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Connections

Featured in Zomergasten: Episode #11.1 (1998)

User Reviews

Very good!

This has to be one of the most impressive pieces of drama ever to come out of Scotland. Outside of the long running series 'Taggart'(which had a very similar visual approach to 'The Crow Road')and the films 'Trainspotting','Shallow Grave', 'Small Faces' and 'Local Hero' there is nothing Scottish i can think of which equals it for quality(some might say 'Gregory's Girl' but i was never to fond of that myself).The story is somewhat complicated but it is brilliantly put together. I also have to say that i have never read the novel so the adaption is very user friendly and by the look of the other reviews it has pleased fans of the original text aswell.The only problem i felt was with the ending which i thought just seemed to smooth and cleared everything up too well. But on the whole this is a minor criticism. It is strange to think that i first saw this 6 years ago, when it was first screened by the BBC. Its also somewhat sad that the careers of perhaps the dramas two most outstanding performers, Joe McFadden and Valerie Edmund, haven't gone anywhere since as it seemed at the time that both were set for stardom. Howerever Dougray Scott, who had a somewhat minor role as Prentice's older brother, has gone on to much bigger things including being Tom Cruise's nemesis in Mission Impossible:2.