Edge of Darkness

Environmental activist Emma Craven is murdered in front of her father, local police inspector Ronald Craven. Investigating the death leads him through a haunting revelation of the murkiness of British nuclear policy of the 1980s.

Edge of Darkness (1985) is a British television crime thriller miniseries created by Troy Kennedy Martin for BBC Two. Bob Peck plays Ronald Craven, a Yorkshire police inspector whose daughter Emma (Joanne Whalley) is gunned down in front of him, and Joe Don Baker plays the American Darius Jedburgh, a shadowy figure who becomes entangled in the investigation. Charles Kay appears as the enigmatic government man Pendleton, who suggests the killing may have been aimed at the wrong person. Across six hour-long episodes, the engine of the story is a grieving father's relentless pursuit of answers, pushing through police stonewalling and official silence as each step reveals a deeper web of corruption. The series moves steadily from a domestic tragedy into a conspiracy about nuclear policy, building dread through hushed meetings, locked doors and bureaucratic evasions. Its tone is bleak, paranoid and austere, with a sustained sense of moral unease. Fans of Three Days of the Condor and The Parallax View will find resonance in its patient conspiracy plotting, while viewers of British political drama will recognise its grounded, hard-edged realism.

Acclaimed as a gripping, politically charged thriller whose conspiracy plot about British nuclear policy and a grieving father's quest for answers holds up as a tense, adult drama.

• Three Days of the Condorslow burn conspiracy thriller, grief driven detective investigation, state secrecy
• The Parallax Viewpolitical conspiracy thriller, institutional cover-up, serialized paranoia
• The SurvivorsBritish political thriller, nuclear power conspiracy, grounded procedural tension
• Hidden Agendaserialized British conspiracy, state secrecy, father driven investigation

Created by

Troy Kennedy Martin

Release Date

1985-11-04

Episode runtime

53 min

Rating

8.3 / 10 (55)

What is Edge of Darkness about?

A grieving police inspector investigates his daughter's murder and uncovers the murky world of British nuclear policy.

What is Edge of Darkness like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Edge of Darkness as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.

Is Edge of Darkness violent?

Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Edge of Darkness as moderate.

What did critics think of Edge of Darkness?

Acclaimed as a gripping, politically charged thriller whose conspiracy plot about British nuclear policy and a grieving father's quest for answers holds up as a tense, adult drama.

Which shows are like Edge of Darkness?

Shows with a similar feel include Three Days of the Condor, The Parallax View, The Survivors, and Hidden Agenda.

How long is Edge of Darkness?

Edge of Darkness: 1 season, 6 episodes.

Is Edge of Darkness still running?

No, Edge of Darkness has ended.