After Edge of Darkness
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10:47 pm, September 17th, 2009 - 11 comments
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I just read that the Troy Kennedy Martin, the screenwriter responsible for Edge of Darkness died earlier this week. I wanted to mark his passing because I think Edge of Darkness is one of the best things I have ever viewed on television. I was pretty young at the time but I remember being riveted by the tension and desperateness contained within the story line. It was perhaps also an awakening point for me regarding the vulnerability of our planet. If you haven’t seen it I can’t recommend it more highly. This is what Guardian blogger John Plunkett had to say:
Starring an understated Bob Peck and an under-rated Joe Don Baker, it began with a straight-laced northern policeman investigating the death of his activist daughter and turned into [an] exploration of Cold War paranoia and a plot to turn nuclear waste into plutonium. It was essential, unsettling viewing….
I also see that:
Just before his diagnosis with a brain tumour and lung cancer, Troy delivered four feature-length scripts for the global warming thriller Broken Light, inspired by James Lovelock’s Revenge of Gaia
I hope this work is picked up and that we see it on the screen sometime soon. Meanwhile here’s a flavour of the Edge of Darkness:
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Craven & Jedberg, Time of the Preacher, the last supper (final episode):
Theme music (Clapton)
Great music. Brilliant show. RIP
That was a hell of a mini-series. I only saw maybe three of the episodes. I never knew its name, and I’ve never found it in the video store. Probably because they didn’t have TV series in the stores at the time. Besides I was doing an MBA at the time and learning how to program PC’s so I had little time for other things. As soon as I saw the synopsis, it flashed back into my head.
That dour father finding out the world that his daughter saw was so totally different to the one that he did. People dropping of radiation poisoning everywhere. I’ve never really trusted any pronouncement of ‘terrorism’ from on high ever since I saw it. The program was so damn plausible bearing in mind some of the nutters in governments we had around that time.
Thanks for reminding me of it.
‘Edge of Darkness’ was set in Thatcher’s Britain, when her policies did in fact bring British society to the edge of darkness.
These were the same shitty policies which are now being implemented by the Key government.
Interesting Lovelock link: if my memory serves, Edge Of Darkness finished with shots of daisies emerging from black ground – a reference to the “Daisyworld” model Lovelock used to demonstrate how Gaia could work. TKM clearly kept up with his sources.
A sure classic, when tv drama was well written and acted. Seems Hollywood is remaking it next year with Mel Gibson in lead role 🙁
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1226273/
Was “when the wind blows” released about that time too?
yes it is the same era – 1982. For those who don’t know it, “When the wind blows” is by British artist Raymond Briggs, telling the (graphic) story of the effect of a nuclear attack on Britain on retirees Jim and Hilda Bloggs. for more see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_the_Wind_Blows_%28graphic_novel%29
It’s hugely moving – and at the other end of the spectrum from his other works like “The Snowman”.
And “Fungus the Bogeyman” of course.
Thanks for the info Dancr 🙂 was a dam good soundtrack too.
I rewatched it recently thanks to the ability of the internet. Despite the graniness of 1980s filming and the dulled sound it was still enthralling and gripping.
It spoke about environmental destruction 24 years ago. Regrettably the possibility of destruction in 2009 seems that much more likely.
Will we ever learn?
Joanne Whalley is a bit of alright too.
And the Michael Kamen theme, Eric Clapton guitar, is perfect…….been on my ipod for years
Phenomenal miniseries. I recall the Dominion Rd Videon in Auckland had a copy on good ol’ VHS back in the day (hence how I came to see it at the behest of my give-this-girl-a-solid-cultural-education parents).