Edge of Darkness (1985)

Country of Origin: UK
Date(s) of Broadcast: 4 November 1985 - 9 December 1985
Number of Seasons: 1
Total Number of Episodes: 6
Average Episode Running Times: 50 mins
Format: colour
Sound:

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: BBC / Lionheart Television
Producer: Michael Wearing
Production Manager: Rosemarie Padvaiskas

SCRIPT
Script: Troy Kennedy Martin
Series Adviser: Walt Patterson

DIRECTION
Director: Martin Campbell

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Andrew Dunn
Film Lighting Electrician: John Palmer
Grip: Jim Monks

EDITING
Film Editors: Adrian Fisher (episodes 1 - 3), Dan Rae (episodes 4 - 6)

MUSIC
Music: Eric Clapton, Michael Kamen

SOUND
Film Sound: Dickie Bird
Dubbing Mixer: Ron Jones

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up Designer: Daphne Crocker
Assistant Make Up: Norma Webb
Costume Designer: Denver Hall

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Visual Effects: Matt Irvine

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Designer: Graeme Campbell
Graphic Designers: Andy Coward, Linda Sherwood-Page
Scenic Constructor: Pat Black
Property Buyer: Robin Rumbelow

MISCELLANEOUS
Production Associate: Michael Bartley
Assistant Floor Managers: Simon Cellan Jones, Mark Lyons, Scott Thompson
Production Assistant: Valerie Tuner

STUNTS
Stunts: Terry Cade, Dave Holland (episode 6); Frank Henson, Terry Plummer (episode 5)

LOCATIONS
Locations: Stwlan Dam, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd, Wales, UK; Gleneagles, Scotland, UK; London, England, UK; Yorkshire, England, UK
Location Manager: Alison Barnett

CAST
see individual episode

When his daughter Emma is murdered, policeman Ronald Craven finds himself drawn into a plot involving Gaia, a radical environmental action group that Emma was an active member of, the British government, a CIA agent named Darius Jedburgh and the nuclear power plant at Northmoor. Guided by the spirit of the dead Emma, Craven tries to unravel the web of lies surrounding her death and finds a lot more than he bargained for...

An astonishing achievement, Edge of Darkness was a timely and terrifying high-tech horror series that cannily tapped into the mid-80s zeitgeist to remarkable effect. Outstanding performances, a satisfyingly labyrinthine plot and strange, quasi-mystical undertones conspire to create one of the most memorable and moving of British television series. Essential viewing.

EPISODES

Compassionate Leave (4 November 1985)
Into the Shadows (11 November 1985)
Burden of Proof (18 November 1985)
Breakthrough (25 November 1985)
Northmoor (2 December 1985)
Fusion (9 December 1985)

UK
Video Distributor: BBC Video; Revelation Films (PAR 20120 - Part 1; PAR 20124 - Part 2; PAR50067 - Box Set)
DVD Distributor: Revelation Films (PAR61014)

UK
Rating: 15

1985
November
4: UK - Episode 1: Compassionate Leave first television broadcast (on BBC)
11: UK - Episode 2: Into the Shadows first television broadcast (on BBC)
18: UK - Episode 3: Burden of Proof first television broadcast (on BBC)
25: UK - Episode 4: Breakthrough first television broadcast (on BBC)

December
2: UK - Episode 5: Northmoor first television broadcast (on BBC)
9: UK - Episode 6: Fusion first television broadcast (on BBC)

1986
August
4: USA - Episodes 1: Compassionate Leave and 2: Into the Shadows first television broadcast
5: USA - Episodes 3: Burden of Proof and 4: Breakthrough first television broadcast
6: USA - Episodes 5: Northmoor and 6: Fusion first television broadcast

1987
January
7: UK - rated 15 by the BBFC

1998
March
7: UK - Episode 1: Compassionate Leave television broadcast (on UK Gold)
14: UK - Episode 2: Into the Shadows television broadcast (on UK Gold)
21: UK - Episode 3: Burden of Proof television broadcast (on UK Gold)
26: UK - rated 15 by the BBFC
28: UK - Episode 4: Breakthrough television broadcast (on UK Gold)

April
4: UK - Episode 5: Northmoor television broadcast (on UK Gold)
11: UK - Episode 6: Fusion television broadcast (on UK Gold)

October
5: UK - video release (Revelation Films (PAR 20120 - Part 1; PAR 20124 - Part 2))

1999
July
5: UK - video release (Revelation Films (PAR50067 - Box Set))

ALTERNATIVE TITLES

Magnox - working title
Dark Forces - working title

1986
British Academy Awards
BAFTA TV Award: Best Actor (Bob Peck) - winner
BAFTA TV Award: Best Drama Series/Serial (Martin Campbell, Michael Wearing) - winner
BAFTA TV Award: Best Film Cameraman (Andrew Dunn) - winner
BAFTA TV Award: Best Film Editor (Ardan Fisher, Dan Rae) - winner
BAFTA TV Award: Best Original Television Music (Eric Clapton, Michael Kamen) - winner
BAFTA TV Award: Best Actor (Joe Don Baker) - nominated
BAFTA TV Award: Best Actress (Joanne Whalley) - nominated

MAGAZINES

Broadcast 19 July 1985 p.10 (UK)
note (Nuclear edge to thriller)

Broadcast 15 November 1985 p.43 (UK)
review (For once there's another one behind by Patrick Stoddart)

City Limits no.213 (1 November 1985) p.17 (UK)
illustrated interview with Michael Wearing (Out on the Edge by John Lyttle)

Cult TV vol.2 no.3 (March 1998) p.58 (UK)
illustrated review (by Simon Withers)

Hollywood Reporter vol.293 no.7 (1 August 1986) pp.10, 30 (USA)
review (by Miles Beller)

The Listener vol.114 no.2933 (31 October 1985) p.36 (UK)
review

The Listener vol.114 no.2935 (14 November 1985) p.43 (UK)
review

Movie no.22 (Winter 1989) pp.34-38 (UK)
interview with Troy Kennedy martin (by Lez Cooke)

Playback Special Collector's Edition (1995) p.28 (UK)
illustrated article

Radio Times vol.247 no.3233 (2 November 1985) pp.82-83, 85 (UK)
illustrated article

Radio Times vol.248 no.3242 (11 January 1986) p.80 (UK)
article

Television Today 18 April 1985 p.18 (UK)
note

Television Today 24 October 1985 p.19 (UK)
interview with Troy Kennedy Martin

Televisual November 1985 pp.29-30 (UK)
article (Political thrills from the BBC by Georgina Henry)

Time Out no.793 (31 October 1985) p.11 (UK)
article

Time Screen 19 pp.4-9 (UK)
illustrated article

Variety 1 January 1986 p.84 (USA)
credits, review

BOOKS

The Encyclopedia of TV Science Fiction (3rd edition) pp.160-161 (UK)
credits, synopsis, review, episode guide

ecology, ghosts, nuclear power, political activists, politics, radiation poisoning

Last Updated: 15 October, 2008