Between The Lines

– Between the Lines was a television police drama series created by J. C. Wilsher and produced by Worl..

Type:
TVSeries
Rating:
8.20 / 10
Duration:
50 Minutes
Release Year:
1992-1994
Between the Lines (1992-1994)

Between the Lines was a television police drama series created by J. C. Wilsher and produced by World Productions for the BBC. It was first shown on BBC1 between 1992 and 1994, running for three series.

The show centred on the eventful life of Detective Superintendent Tony Clark, played by Neil Pearson. Clark was an ambitious member of the Complaints Investigation Bureau, an internal organisation that investigates claims of corruption inside the police in England and Wales. Along the way Clark had to overcome strong influence from his superiors and problems in his private life, most notably the break-up of his marriage following an affair with WPC Jenny Dean. Throughout the series Clark was assisted by sidekicks Harry Naylor and Mo Connell.

Clark's work as a lead officer in CIB was the focus of the first two series. In the first series his boss was Deakin, a tough Irish policeman. At the end of the first series Deakin was revealed to be a corrupt officer himself. He left the force but remained a recurring character working freelance for the security services and others, sometimes in conflict with Clark and sometimes assisting him. At the start of the third series Clark, Naylor and Connell leave the police force and work in the murky world of private security, far right politics and espionage. The third series ends with the betrayal of Clark and Naylor who had been masquerading as mercenaries. The betrayal is made by Connell in league with Deakin, their former boss and nemesis. It is unclear whether Clark and Naylor have died as the show ended on a cliffhanger. Rumours of a remake did circulate for some years, but Pearson confirmed in 'Watching the Detectives' that he had wanted a 'final' ending at the time and would never return to the role.

Story Timeline:
Producing Country:
UK
Filming Locations:
Genre:
Release Date:

04 Sep 1992

Language:

English

Writer:

J.C. Wilsher

Main Actors:

Neil Pearson, Tom Georgeson, Siobhan Redmond, Tony Doyle

Plot:

"Between The Lines" is set in the Complaints Investigation Bureau (CIB) - the department responsible for investigating other police officers - of London's Metropolitan Police. The first two series had stories based around various different aspects of the darker side of the police, ranging from such topics as petty corruption, racism and sexual harassment through to grand conspiracy, with some plot threads running through the series over several episodes. The series also dealt with the personal lives of it's less-than-clean-cut characters, particularly the womanising lead character Tony Clark, and is also notable for its inclusion of a lesbian character in a major role. In the third and final series, the focus changed significantly, moving away from the police force to other areas of security and espionage.

Awards:

5 wins & 5 nominations.

Ratings:
Internet Movie Database:
8.2/10