• Post category:Television
  • Post last modified:February 15, 2022

The Shadow Line

Photo: BBC

When a drug baron is found murdered, his top henchman (Christopher Eccleston) tries to find the killer while taking control of the business; a cop (Chiwetel Ejiofor) who was recently undercover is assigned the case. A thrilling miniseries portraying two parts of society that are supposedly equally corrupt and dangerous ā€“ organized crime and law enforcement. Exceptionally well written, with great twists and crackling dialogue delivered in very intimate confrontations that are brimming with tension as the worlds collide. Hugo Blick also proves that he has a visual flair for the dramatic; most episodesĀ have at least one elaborate action sequence. Complex, but holds up well, and the acting is superb throughout.

2011-Britain. Made for TV. 399 min. Color. Produced byĀ Johann Knobel, Hugo Blick. Written and directed byĀ Hugo Blick. Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor (Jonah Gabriel), Christopher Eccleston (Joseph Bede), Antony Sher (Peter Glickman), Stephen Rea, Rafe Spall, Kierston Wareing.

Trivia: Originally shown in seven episodes; in some cases eight internationally.

Last word: “I bought a white board, three feet by four, and created a double helix of the entire conspiracy, working backwards with the murder at the bottom. […] Ā It was a strong-blooded thing to do, but I wanted to reject the common thriller notion of saying, ‘OK, let’s jeopardise the thing closest to the hero and he’ll be saved in the nick of time.’ I was interested in the idea of testing the hero against the gods and the idea that, ultimately, you can’t win. […]Ā But the key is, in the process of trying to win, and fight these bigger forces, you may make yourself matter. There is something that happens later on that will wake you up in your sleep, because you’ll have thought about it in the last week.” (Blick, The Guardian)

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