Editing Edge of Darkness (section)

==Principal credits==

===Cast===
* Ronald Craven was played by [[Bob Peck]], an actor who was well known in theatre but, at the time he was cast as Craven, had appeared in only minor roles on television. In creating the role of Craven, Peck drew upon his experience gained from the two years he played the title role in ''[[Macbeth]]'' for the [[Royal Shakespeare Company]].<ref name="BPG_Awards">{{cite video | title = Broadcasting Press Guild Awards 1986 | medium = Edge of Darkness DVD Special Feature | publisher = [[BBC Worldwide]] | location = London }}</ref> Notable roles after ''Edge of Darkness'' included ''[[On the Black Hill (film)|On the Black Hill]]'' (1987), ''[[Slipstream (1989 film)|Slipstream]]'' (1989), ''Natural Lies'' (1992) and ''[[Jurassic Park (film)|Jurassic Park]]'' (1993). He died in 1999.<ref>{{IMDb name|id=0669629|name=Bob Peck}}</ref>
* [[Joanne Whalley]], who played Emma Craven, began acting during childhood, first appearing in the long-running [[soap opera]] ''[[Coronation Street]]'' (1960–present) in 1974 at the age of 13. She had also appeared in supporting roles in several series including ''[[Juliet Bravo]]'' (1980–1985), ''[[Bergerac (TV series)|Bergerac]]'' (1981–1991) and ''[[Reilly, Ace of Spies]]'' (1983). Following ''Edge of Darkness'', Whalley was cast in the equally well regarded BBC television serial ''[[The Singing Detective]]'' (1986), written by [[Dennis Potter]]. Moving to [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]], she appeared in such films as ''[[Willow (1988 film)|Willow]]'' (1988), ''[[Scandal (1989 film)|Scandal]]'' (1989) and ''[[Shattered (1991 film)|Shattered]]'' (1991) as well as television mini-series such as ''[[Scarlett (TV miniseries)|Scarlett]]'' (1994) and ''[[Cultural depictions of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis#Film and other media portrayals|Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis]]'' (2000). During her eight-year marriage to the actor [[Val Kilmer]], between 1988 and 1996, she was often credited as Joanne Whalley-Kilmer.<ref>{{IMDb name|id=0000695|name=Joanne Whalley}}</ref>
* Cast as Darius Jedburgh was [[Joe Don Baker]], who had been acting since the 1960s and was known for his roles in [[Western (genre)|Westerns]] such as ''[[Gunsmoke]]'' (1955–1975) and as the lead in the detective series ''[[Eischied]]'' (1979–1980).  He also starred as Sherriff Buford Pusser in the original 1972 film ''[[Walking Tall (1973 film)|Walking Tall]]''. The script of ''Edge of Darkness'' so impressed him that he agreed to take the part at lower than his usual fee.<ref name="PixleyA_56">Pixley, ''Get It While It's Hot'', p. 56.</ref> He was later cast, by ''Edge of Darkness'' director Martin Campbell, as CIA agent [[Jack Wade (James Bond)|Jack Wade]] in the [[James Bond]] film ''[[GoldenEye]]'' (1995), a role he reprised in ''[[Tomorrow Never Dies]]'' (1997).<ref>{{IMDb name|id=0000833|name=Joe Don Baker}}</ref> Baker passed away in May 2025.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/15/movies/joe-don-baker-dead.html?smid=url-share Joe Don Baker, Actor Who Found Fame With ‘Walking Tall,’ Dies at 89]</ref>
* [[Charles Kay]], who played Pendleton, was a well established character actor who had appeared in ''[[Fall of Eagles]]'' (1974), ''[[I, Claudius (TV series)|I, Claudius]]'' (1976) and ''[[The Devil's Crown]]'' (1978). He has since acted in many television productions such as ''[[Fortunes of War (TV series)|Fortunes of War]]'' (1989), ''[[The Darling Buds of May (TV series)|The Darling Buds of May]]'' (1991–1993), ''[[Jonathan Creek]]'' (1997–2004) and ''[[Midsomer Murders]]'' (1998 and 2006).<ref>{{IMDb name|id=0443016|name=Charles Kay}}</ref> Kay died on 8 January 2025, at the age of 94.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/jan/14/charles-kay-obituary|title=Charles Kay obituary|first=Michael|last=Coveney|date=14 January 2025|accessdate=14 January 2025|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref>
* ''Edge of Darkness'' was an early role for [[Ian McNeice]], who played Harcourt. He went on to act in a wide variety of film and television parts including ''[[The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain]]'' (1995), ''[[Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls]]'' (1995) and ''[[Frank Herbert's Dune]]'' (2000), as well as regular roles in ''[[Doc Martin]]'' (2004–present), ''[[Rome (TV series)|Rome]]'' (2005–2007) and regular appearances as Winston Churchill in the BBC's revived ''[[Doctor Who]]''.<ref>{{IMDb name|id=0573862|name=Ian McNeice}}</ref>

Several other faces familiar to British viewers appeared during the course of the episodes, including [[John Woodvine]] (as Craven's superior DCS Ross), [[Tim McInnerny]] (as Emma's boyfriend Terry Shields), [[Hugh Fraser (actor)|Hugh Fraser]] (as IIF chief executive Robert Bennett), [[Kenneth Nelson]] as Grogan, [[Zoë Wanamaker]] (as intelligence agent Clementine), [[Allan Cuthbertson]] (as Chilwell of the Investigation Committee) and ''[[Blake's 7]]'' cast members [[David Jackson (British actor)|David Jackson]] (as Colonel Lawson) and [[Brian Croucher]] (as Northmoor security chief Connors). Playing themselves were television reporters [[Sue Cook]] and [[Kenneth Kendall]], weatherman [[Bill Giles (meteorologist)|Bill Giles]] and [[British Labour Party|Labour]] [[Member of Parliament|MP]] [[Michael Meacher]]. Long-standing BBC visual effects designer [[Mat Irvine]], who contributed visual effects to the series, received a brief cameo as a police diver in "Breakthrough".

===Crew===
* Writer [[Troy Kennedy Martin]] was the creator of the long-running BBC police drama ''[[Z-Cars]]'' (1962–1978). He also wrote the screenplays for the films ''[[The Italian Job]]'' (1969) and ''[[Kelly's Heroes]]'' (1970) and scripts for television series such as ''[[Colditz (1972 TV series)|Colditz]]'' (1972–1974), ''[[The Sweeney]]'' (1975–1978) (which was created by his brother [[Ian Kennedy Martin]]) and ''Reilly, Ace of Spies'' (1983). Following ''Edge of Darkness'', he wrote the screenplays for the films ''[[Red Heat (1988 film)|Red Heat]]'' (with [[Walter Hill (filmmaker)|Walter Hill]]) (1988) and ''[[Bravo Two Zero (film)|Bravo Two Zero]]'' (1999).<ref>{{IMDb name|id=0448392|name=Troy Kennedy Martin}}</ref> He died in September 2009.<ref>{{cite news |first=Jonathan |last=Sale |title=Troy Kennedy Martin obituary |url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2009/sep/16/troy-kennedy-martin-obituary  |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |location=London |date=16 September 2009 |access-date=17 September 2009 }}</ref>
* Director [[Martin Campbell]] had developed a reputation for handling action thrillers with credits including ''[[The Professionals (TV series)|The Professionals]]'' (1977–1983), ''[[Minder (TV series)|Minder]]'' (1979–1994) and ''[[Shoestring (TV series)|Shoestring]]'' (1979–1980). A few years after ''Edge of Darkness'', Campbell moved into feature films, directing the James Bond films ''GoldenEye'' (1995) and ''[[Casino Royale (2006 film)|Casino Royale]]'' (2006) as well as ''[[The Mask of Zorro]]'' (1998), ''[[Vertical Limit]]'' (2000) and ''[[The Legend of Zorro]]'' (2005).<ref>{{IMDb name|id=0132709|name=Martin Campbell}}</ref>
* Producer [[Michael Wearing]] had worked on ''[[Play for Today]]'' for which he had produced [[Alan Bleasdale]]'s ''The Black Stuff'' (1978) and which he and Bleasdale subsequently spun off into the highly acclaimed ''[[Boys from the Blackstuff]]'' (1982). He also produced the conspiracy thriller ''[[Bird of Prey (TV serial)|Bird of Prey]]'' (1982). Following ''Edge of Darkness'' he continued to be one of British television's most high profile and successful producers, appointed Head of Serials at the BBC between 1989 and 1998 where he was responsible for such programmes as ''[[Pride and Prejudice (1995 TV series)|Pride and Prejudice]]'' (1995), ''[[Our Friends in the North]]'' (1996) and Dennis Potter's final two plays ''[[Karaoke (play)|Karaoke]]'' (1996) and ''[[Cold Lazarus]]'' (1996).<ref>{{IMDb name|id=0915725|name=Michael Wearing}}</ref>
* [[Walt Patterson]], who acted as series adviser, was a leading commentator on nuclear affairs, best known for his book ''Nuclear Power'' (Penguin, 1976–1986). Following ''Edge of Darkness'', he acted as specialist adviser to the British House of Commons [[Select committee (United Kingdom)|Select committee]] on Environment for their 1986 study, ''Radioactive Waste''. He continues to contribute to the policy debate about energy and environmental issues.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.waltpatterson.org/moreaboutwaltpatterson.pdf |title = More about Walt Patterson |access-date = 5 April 2007 |last = Patterson |first = Walt |author-link = Walt Patterson |year = 2006 |work = Walt Patterson on Energy }}</ref> Advice on the policing aspects of the serial was provided by the [[West Yorkshire Police]] and former [[Scotland Yard]] detective [[Jack Slipper]], famous for his pursuit of the [[Great Train Robbery (1963)|train robber]] [[Ronnie Biggs]].<ref name="PixleyA_55">Pixley, ''Get It While It's Hot'', p. 55.</ref>

===Music===
{{main|Edge of Darkness (soundtrack)}}The musical score was provided by [[Eric Clapton]] and [[Michael Kamen]]. Clapton was approached to provide the score by producer Michael Wearing.<ref name="Magnox">Vanezis, ''Magnox: The Secrets of Edge of Darkness''.</ref> Shortly afterwards, when Michael Kamen brought Clapton to a screening of ''[[Brazil (1985 film)|Brazil]]'' (1985), which Kamen had scored, Clapton suggested a collaboration between the two on ''Edge of Darkness''.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://fabulousbakers.tripod.com/edge/interview01.html |title = Interview: Michael Kamen |access-date = 7 April 2007 |work = Northmoor }}</ref> Kamen became one of Hollywood's most successful film composers, writing the scores for many blockbuster films including the ''[[Lethal Weapon]]'' series (1987–1998) (also with Clapton), the first three ''[[Die Hard]]'' films (1988, 1990, 1995), ''[[Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves]]'' (1991) and ''[[X-Men (film)|X-Men]]'' (2000). He died in 2003.<ref>{{IMDb name|id=004383|name=Michael Kamen}}</ref>

Aside from the Clapton/Kamen soundtrack, [[Willie Nelson]]'s "The Time of the Preacher", [[New Model Army (band)|New Model Army]]'s "Christian Militia", and [[Tom Waits]]' "16 Shells From A Thirty-Ought-Six" are featured in the series. "Christian Militia" is on the record player when Terry's body is found. Craven listens to "The Time of the Preacher" when he is in Emma's room in the first episode. It later emerges Jedburgh is familiar with the song and both he and Craven sing it on two occasions, the lyrics being significant.

The [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] used the music to illustrate stories on the [[Chernobyl disaster]] the following year. Eric Clapton and Michael Kamen performed the movie's main theme with the [[National Philharmonic Orchestra]] during the ''[[24 Nights]]'' period in 1990 and 1991.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000002LN9 |title=24 Nights: Music |website=Amazon |year=1991 |access-date=2014-05-28}}</ref>