The Shadow Line (TV series)
Encyclopedia
The Shadow Line is a seven-part British television drama serial produced by Company Pictures/Eight Rooks Ltd/Baby Cow/CinemaNX production for BBC Two
. It stars Chiwetel Ejiofor
, Christopher Eccleston
, Rafe Spall
, Antony Sher
and Stephen Rea
.
The first episode was screened on 12 April 2011 at BAFTA's Princess Anne Theatre in Piccadilly, and was followed by a special question and answer session with Hugo Blick and Christopher Eccleston
.
Broadcasting of the series started on the 5th May 2011 and finished on the 16th June 2011. It is currently available on Blu-ray and DVD
.
. It was mainly shot in the Isle of Man
, with some sequences filmed in London
.
and performed by Emily Barker and The Red Clay Halo. It was adapted to fit the title sequence by Martin Phipps.
The death of Wratten results in one of his men, Joseph Bede being put forward reluctantly as the new boss of the drug smuggling operation. Bede sets out to find Wratten's killer whilst also trying to contact the cartel's money man, the mysterious Glickman, and has to contend with Harvey's psychotic nephew Jay.
We follow the investigations into the murder from both sides of the Shadow Line.
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
. It stars Chiwetel Ejiofor
Chiwetel Ejiofor
Chiwetelu Umeadi "Chiwetel" Ejiofor, OBE is an English actor of stage and screen. He has received numerous acting awards and award nominations, including the 2006 BAFTA Awards Rising Star, three Golden Globe Awards' nominations, and the 2008 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor for his...
, Christopher Eccleston
Christopher Eccleston
Christopher Eccleston is an English stage, film and television actor. His films include Let Him Have It, Shallow Grave, Elizabeth, 28 Days Later, Gone in 60 Seconds, The Others, and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra...
, Rafe Spall
Rafe Spall
Rafe Joseph Spall is an English actor. He is best known for his roles in the Edgar Wright films Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz , alongside Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. He had previously appeared alongside Pegg and Frost in a 2001 episode of Spaced...
, Antony Sher
Antony Sher
Sir Antony Sher, KBE is a double Olivier Award winning South African-born British actor, writer, theatre director and painter.- Early years :...
and Stephen Rea
Stephen Rea
Stephen Rea is an Irish film and stage actor. Rea has appeared in high profile films such as V for Vendetta, Michael Collins, Interview with the Vampire and Breakfast on Pluto...
.
The first episode was screened on 12 April 2011 at BAFTA's Princess Anne Theatre in Piccadilly, and was followed by a special question and answer session with Hugo Blick and Christopher Eccleston
Christopher Eccleston
Christopher Eccleston is an English stage, film and television actor. His films include Let Him Have It, Shallow Grave, Elizabeth, 28 Days Later, Gone in 60 Seconds, The Others, and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra...
.
Broadcasting of the series started on the 5th May 2011 and finished on the 16th June 2011. It is currently available on Blu-ray and DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
.
Synopsis
The Shadow Line is about a murder investigated by both sides of the line – police and criminals – and the opposing methods they use to solve it. But the real line is the morality within each character and how far they will go before they cross it.Production
The series is produced by Company Pictures/Eight Rooks Ltd/Baby Cow/CinemaNX/Isle of Man Film for BBC TwoBBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
. It was mainly shot in the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
, with some sequences filmed in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Music
The theme music is the song "Pause" written by Emily BarkerEmily Barker
Emily Barker is a guitarist and singer-songwriter born in Bridgetown, Western Australia. With chamber-folk trio The Red Clay Halo, she has recorded three albums: Photos.Fires.Fables. , Despite The Snow and Almanac...
and performed by Emily Barker and The Red Clay Halo. It was adapted to fit the title sequence by Martin Phipps.
Cast
- Chiwetel EjioforChiwetel EjioforChiwetelu Umeadi "Chiwetel" Ejiofor, OBE is an English actor of stage and screen. He has received numerous acting awards and award nominations, including the 2006 BAFTA Awards Rising Star, three Golden Globe Awards' nominations, and the 2008 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor for his...
as DI Jonah Gabriel – Amnesiac detective with a bullet in his head who leads the investigation into Harvey Wratten's death. - Christopher EcclestonChristopher EcclestonChristopher Eccleston is an English stage, film and television actor. His films include Let Him Have It, Shallow Grave, Elizabeth, 28 Days Later, Gone in 60 Seconds, The Others, and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra...
as Joseph Bede – Organised consultant for Harvey Wratten's empire. He has set up a florists as a front for the drug dealing organisation, but finds himself the unwilling new boss of the cartel. - Antony SherAntony SherSir Antony Sher, KBE is a double Olivier Award winning South African-born British actor, writer, theatre director and painter.- Early years :...
as Peter Glickman – Former partner of Wratten, now on the run from Gatehouse. His ties with Gabriel's past force him to return to the playing field. - Stephen ReaStephen ReaStephen Rea is an Irish film and stage actor. Rea has appeared in high profile films such as V for Vendetta, Michael Collins, Interview with the Vampire and Breakfast on Pluto...
as Gatehouse – Elusive and primary antagonist who uses politeness and charm to lure his victims into a false sense of safety before pouncing. - Rafe SpallRafe SpallRafe Joseph Spall is an English actor. He is best known for his roles in the Edgar Wright films Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz , alongside Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. He had previously appeared alongside Pegg and Frost in a 2001 episode of Spaced...
as Jay Wratten – Psychotic nephew of Harvey Wratten, eager to find his killer. - Kierston WareingKierston WareingKierston Wareing is an English actress. She starred in Ken Loach's film It's a Free World... as Angie. She has also played in Andrea Arnold's Fish Tank and Martina Cole's The Take. She has been nominated for one BAFTA award and two British Independent Film Awards...
as Lia Honey – Gabriel's feisty detective partner. - Richard LinternRichard LinternRichard Lintern is a British actor. He played a young Muhammad Ali Jinnah in the 1998 film Jinnah, and an American cop in the TV movie Lost Souls. He was also in The Bank Job in 2008 playing an MI5 officer ordered to retrieve the embarrassing proceeds of a bank robbery in 1970s London...
as Patterson – Gabriel's chain-smoking superior, requested Gabriel take charge of the Wratten case personally. - Eve BestEve BestEve Best is an English actress, best known for her roles as Dr. O'Hara in the Showtime television series Nurse Jackie, as Wallis Simpson in the 2010 film The King's Speech, and Dolley Madison in the 2011 American Experience television special about that First Lady.-Early life and education:Best...
as Petra – Peter Glickman's former mistress, a sensitive music lover with a secret occupation. - Lesley SharpLesley SharpLesley Sharp is an English stage, film and television actress, particularly well known for her variety of British television roles including Clocking Off, Bob & Rose and afterlife.-Early life:...
as Julie Bede – Joseph Bede's wife, who is suffering from early onset Alzheimer's. - Tobias MenziesTobias MenziesTobias Menzies is an English stage, television, and film actor, best known for his role as Brutus in the 2005/2007 TV series Rome.-Early years:...
as Ross McGovern – Journalist who is getting too close to the truth. - Robert PughRobert PughRobert Pugh is a Welsh film and television actor.Pugh was born in Cilfynydd and graduated from Rose Bruford College in 1976. In 2007, he co-starred alongside Genevieve O'Reilly and Geraldine James in ITV1 drama The Time of Your Life, where he played a parent whose 36-year-old daughter was...
as Bob Harris – Harvey Wratten's rival, now business partner to Joseph Bede. - Malcolm Storry as Maurice Crace – Joseph Bede's right-hand-man and veteran associate of the Wratten empire.
- Clare CalbraithClare CalbraithClare Calbraith , is a British actress whose recent appearances include roles in the ITV period drama series Downton Abbey and the BBC2 drama The Shadow Line....
as Laura Gabriel – Jonah Gabriel's pregnant wife. - Sean GilderSean GilderSean Brian Gilder is an English stage, film and screen actor, he is also a playwright.Gilder was born in Brampton, Cumbria, England. He is best-known for his portrayal of Paddy Maguire on Shameless from 2005 to 2010, and as Styles on Hornblower...
as Beatty – Customs officer who has information surrounding Jay and Harvey Wratten's Royal Pardon. - David SchofieldDavid Schofield (actor)David Schofield is an English actor who was born in Wythenshawe, Manchester, Lancashire in 1951. He has appeared in numerous television programmes and feature films during his career.-Early life:...
as Sergeant Foley – Gum-chewing corrupt police officer whose loyalties aren't clear. - Stanley TownsendStanley Townsend-Theatre:Townsend's work in theatre includes: Remember This, Guys and Dolls and Phedre at the National Theatre, London; The Alice Trilogy, Shining City , Under the Blue Sky and The Weir at the Royal Court, London; The Wake, Trinity for Two and Sacred Mysteries at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin; The...
as Bulkat Babur – Turkish Heroin supplier who sets up Joseph's last deal. - Ace BhattiAce BhattiAhsen Rafiq "Ace" Bhatti is a British actor who trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. He has starred in numerous television series, including New Street Law, Life Isn't All Ha Ha Hee Hee, The Sarah Jane Adventures as Haresh Chandra and in EastEnders playing Yusef...
as Commander Khokar – Patterson and Gabriel's commanding officer. - Sasha BeharSasha BeharSasha Behar is a British actress, known for portraying Maya Sharma in ITV1 soap opera Coronation Street.-Background:...
as Laing – Senior customs officer - Freddie FoxFreddie Fox (actor)Frederick Samson Robert Morice "Freddie" Fox is an English actor with an early career highlight as singer Marilyn in a biopic about Boy George....
as Ratallack – Ambitious young associate of Bob Harris; is also Harris' lover. - Nicholas JonesNicholas Jones (actor)Nicholas Jones is an English character actor. His older sister is actress Gemma Jones. They are the children of actor Griffith Jones....
as Commander Penney – Retired Police officer with all the information. - Sharon D. Clarke as Mrs Dixon – The tortured mother of Andy Dixon who lies to the police to protect her son.
- Tobi Bakare as Andy Dixon – Harvey Wratten's driver on the night of his murder; has gone on the run after witnessing the crime.
Plot
A man discovered shot to death in the back of a car is found to be Harvey Wratten, head of one of London's largest organized crime families, who had been released from jail hours earlier having received a royal pardon for undisclosed reasons. Investigating the murder is DI Jonah Gabriel, a detective in Scotland Yard's serious crimes division. Returning to work, he has no recollection of his last job which went terribly wrong as a result of a bullet lodged in his brain which killed his partner.The death of Wratten results in one of his men, Joseph Bede being put forward reluctantly as the new boss of the drug smuggling operation. Bede sets out to find Wratten's killer whilst also trying to contact the cartel's money man, the mysterious Glickman, and has to contend with Harvey's psychotic nephew Jay.
We follow the investigations into the murder from both sides of the Shadow Line.
Reception
The first episode received mixed reception. The overall plot of this episode was praised by The Telegraph while the acting was felt to be too restrained. Reviews for the final episode were much more positive. The underlying themes received particular praise. Other reviews noted it to be flamboyant in an almost theatrical sense, but ultimately praised the series. The Telegraph continued to negatively review the series, claiming the final episode was too unbelievable to be viewed with sincerity.Ratings
| Episode | Air date | Viewers (millions) | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| One | May 5 | 3.4 | 2 |
| Two | May 12 | 2.4 | 4 |
| Three | May 19 | 2.1 | 8 |
| Four | May 26 | 2.1 | 9 |
| Five | June 2 | 1.9 | 17 |
| Six | June 9 | 1.8 | 15 |
| Seven | June 16 | 2.1 | 14 |