Out of the Blue (1995 TV series)
Encyclopedia
Out of the Blue was a hard-hitting BBC police drama, set and filmed in Sheffield
. It was described by series script editor Claire Elliot as "contemporary, gritty, urban reality".
Shot on film, its tight script, fast-paced direction and strong cast made for powerful and compulsive viewing.
The program gained great reviews but low ratings. Viewers at the time seemed uncomfortable with the hand-held camera work and bleak Yorkshire
backdrop. This was no 'Heartbeat', but instead Brazen Gate Police Station was an over-stretched service dealing with the dregs of society. More of an ensemble piece than a star vehicle because writers Bill Gallagher and Peter Bowker were more interested in character development over plot. However the series did not shy away from strong topics including male rape and euthanasia. John Hannah, fresh from the success of Four Weddings and a Funeral
, was the most well known face in the show and his character DS Frankie Driscoll was regarded as a tough thief taker who finds his career threatened when he suffers a mild stroke in which battle to hid from his fellow officers. The light relief came from the excellent Neil Dudgeon
who as DC Marty Brazil became more and more angry as each week passed as his disillusionment set in. In the second season David Morrissey
came in for Hannah before Out of the Blue ended its run.
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
. It was described by series script editor Claire Elliot as "contemporary, gritty, urban reality".
Shot on film, its tight script, fast-paced direction and strong cast made for powerful and compulsive viewing.
The program gained great reviews but low ratings. Viewers at the time seemed uncomfortable with the hand-held camera work and bleak Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
backdrop. This was no 'Heartbeat', but instead Brazen Gate Police Station was an over-stretched service dealing with the dregs of society. More of an ensemble piece than a star vehicle because writers Bill Gallagher and Peter Bowker were more interested in character development over plot. However the series did not shy away from strong topics including male rape and euthanasia. John Hannah, fresh from the success of Four Weddings and a Funeral
Four Weddings and a Funeral
Four Weddings and a Funeral is a 1994 British comedy film directed by Mike Newell. It was the first of several films by screenwriter Richard Curtis to feature Hugh Grant...
, was the most well known face in the show and his character DS Frankie Driscoll was regarded as a tough thief taker who finds his career threatened when he suffers a mild stroke in which battle to hid from his fellow officers. The light relief came from the excellent Neil Dudgeon
Neil Dudgeon
Neil Dudgeon is a British actor best known for his many television appearances, most often in crime drama.-Early Life:Dudgeon was born 1 January 1961 in Doncaster, Yorkshire, and attended Danum Grammar School among others. He established himself as an actor in school plays and went on to study...
who as DC Marty Brazil became more and more angry as each week passed as his disillusionment set in. In the second season David Morrissey
David Morrissey
David Mark Morrissey is an English actor and director. Morrissey grew up in the Kensington and Knotty Ash areas of Liverpool, and learned to act at the city's Everyman Youth Theatre. At the age of 18, he was cast in the television series One Summer , which won him recognition throughout the country...
came in for Hannah before Out of the Blue ended its run.