A Line in the Sand
| A Line in the Sand | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover | |
| Genre | Thriller |
| Created by | Gerald Seymour |
| Written by | Gerald Seymour |
| Directed by | James Hawes |
| Starring |
Ross Kemp Saskia Reeves Mark Bazeley Katy Cavanagh Ralph Ineson Danny Mac Kayvan Novak |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 2 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
Michele Buck Tim Vaughan |
| Producer(s) | Chris Kelly |
| Running time | 75 minutes (w/advertisements) |
| Production company(s) | ITV |
| Release | |
| Original network | ITV |
| Picture format | 16:9 |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original release | 7 June – 8 June 2004 |
A Line in the Sand was a British television mini-series first broadcast on 7 and 8 June 2004 on ITV1. The programme was originally scheduled for broadcast in September 2001, but shelved until June 2004 because a major part of the story involved Middle-Eastern terrorists. This was deemed to be too sensitive after the terrorist attacks on the United States on 11 September 2001. The thriller is based on the novel of the same name by Gerald Seymour, and stars Ross Kemp as the protagonist, Frank Parry.
The series was originally broadcast in two episodes, but for some international broadcasts, was shown as one feature-length film.[1] The DVD of the series was released on 15 January 2007.[2] The series features a very early role for Danny Mac, who appeared in his only acting role before his casting as Dodger Savage in Hollyoaks.
Plot
In a remote village on the Suffolk coast, Frank Parry (Ross Kemp) waits for his past to catch up with him. A former spy for MI6, Perry was based in Iran watching their chemical and biological weapons programme, but he decides to go straight, giving up the names of his high-level Middle-Eastern contacts in exchange for immunity from the government. The information he brought back led to the deaths of many Iranian scientists and seriously undermined the progress of the weapons programme. When his old business partners catch wind of the situation, they want revenge. Now Iran has dispatched its most deadly assassin to complete the task. Code-named 'The Anvil', he will find Perry, unless Perry's protector's can reach him first.
Critical reception
Robert Pardi of TV Guide said of the series; "Engrossing in a middlebrow sort of way, this straightforward thriller, originally broadcast on British television in 2001, confirms one's worst suspicions about the heartlessness of all governments. Screenwriter Gerald Seymour gets a little too wrapped up in the mechanics of the espionage plot to lend the hero's plight much suspense, but the timely subject matter does add extra heft to a film that’s caught somewhere between provocative political melodrama and standard action bash."[3]
Many also noted at the time of broadcast that Kemp's character in the series was very similar to that of his Ultimate Force character Henry "Henno" Garvie, and it was in fact Kemp's performance in A Line in the Sand which earned him the part of Henno, and ultimately saw the writers of Ultimate Force re-write his character exclusively to suit him.[4]
Cast
- Ross Kemp as Gavin Hughes/Frank Parry, former MI6
- Saskia Reeves as Meryl Rodgers, Gavin's girlfriend
- Mark Bazeley as D.I. Geoff Markham, Gavin's Liaison Agent
- Vincent Franklin as Sammy Cargill, one of Gavin's former associates
- Ralph Ineson as D.S. Bill Davies, Markham's sidekick
- James Puddephatt as P.C. Dave Rankin, one of Gavin's guards
- Sean McKenzie as P.C. Joe Paget, another of Gavin's guards
- Katy Cavanagh as Leanne Mitchell, Gavin's ex-girlfriend
- Kayvan Novak as Vahid "The Anvil", a marksman sent to kill Gavin
- Danny Mac as Tom Westwick
Episodes
| # | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Episode 1" | James Hawes | Gerald Seymour | 7 June 2004 | 5.45m |
| English farm equipment sales rep Gavin Hughes has come to regret his decision to sell his Iranians buyers machinery that can then be converted into armaments. Cornered by Her Majesty's Secret Service, Hughes agrees to spy on his customers. Tragically, the information he gives them leads the bombing of a busload of Iranian scientists, many of whom had befriended Hughes. Withholding the true facts of the incident, the British government insists that Hughes change his identity; his acquiescence costs him his wife and son, who refuse to accompany him into a witness protection program. What Hughes doesn't realize is that resentful Iranian terrorists are now biding their time, waiting to exact their revenge. Now known as Frank Parry, Hughes starts to build a new life for himself with Meryl Rogers and her child, but when he hears a radio report about his own son contracting meningitis, Hughes blows his cover and rushes to the hospital. | |||||
| 2 | "Episode 2" | James Hawes | Gerald Seymour | 8 June 2004 | 4.49m |
| Liaison agent Geoff Markham warns Hughes that he's a wanted man, but when Hughes refuses to run for a second time, the government balks about babysitting him. Meanwhile, the Iranian terrorists have sent their top assassin to England. Having drawn the proverbial line in the sand, Hughes jeopardizes his new family's safety, as Markham scrambles to ward off Iranian retribution. Suddenly, Hughes finds the straight and narrow to be more dangerous than his former life of crime. | |||||