The Shadow Line

2011 • BBC
4.5
13 reviews
Eligible
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Season 1 episodes (8)

1 Episode 1
11/05/04
Season-only
Two years ago Harvey Wratten, one of the UK's biggest crime lords, was imprisoned for buying 200 kilos of heroin. But after serving only 2 years he received a Royal Pardon. After only 4 hours of freedom Harvey Wratten is murdered. This is where The Shadow Line begins….
2 Episode 2
11/05/04
Season-only
Julie and Joseph Bede meet with her doctor who delivers devastating news. Meanwhile, Jonah Gabriel explains Delaney's parents how he has no recollection of the shooting that killed their son due to the bullet lodged in his brain. The waters of Gabriel's past become further muddied when he finds a suitcase full of money secretly hidden in his wardrobe.
3 Episode 3
11/05/11
Season-only
Andy Dixon, scared and isolated, finally breaks cover and calls Sara which allows the police to put a trace on the call. On Gatehouse's orders, Andy Dixon meets Jay Wratten and tells him that after picking up Wratten, he had driven him to meet someone at the car park where he was shot. Meanwhile, Gabriel and Honey stake out Harvey Wratten's funeral.
4 Episode 4
11/05/18
Season-only
McGovern is convinced there is more to the Wratten case and visits the retired Police Commander Penney at his private boat yard. When Beatty shows Gabriel the Wratten release files, Gabriel is certain that whatever lead to Wratten's release, also got him killed. Beatty and his team make a drugs bust at a motorway service station, and arrest Bob Harris's man Stephen.
5 Episode 5
11/05/25
Season-only
Gabriel struggles to placate his ex-mistress and Gatehouse shows he'll go to great lengths to find Glickman.
6 Episode 6
11/06/01
Season-only
Gatehouse finally tracks Glickman down, with explosive consequences. Gabriel gets closer to finding out why he was shot, and there's help for Bede's floundering business deal from an unexpected direction.
7 Episode 7
11/06/08
Season-only
Gabriel uncovers some dark truths about Counterpoint that implicate his colleagues, and Glickman warns him that Gatehouse will hunt him down. Bede gets one step closer to finally getting out of the drugs game.
8 Episode 8
11/06/15
Season-only
Bede desperately tries to complete the final drug deal as his wife's condition deteriorates rapidly, while Gabriel is inexorably drawn into a shocking confrontation with Gatehouse.

About this show

A sophisticated conspiracy thriller that brings to life a cinematic world of blurred morality and the conflicted characters, starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Christopher Eccleston, Sir Antony Sher and Stephen Rea. Detective Inspector Jonah Gabriel is called to investigate the murder of Harvey Wratten, head of one of the UK's largest crime organizations. But with amnesia, caused by a bullet lodged in his brain and �250,000 missing from the evidence room, Gabriel begins to wonder whether he can trust anyone, not least, himself.

Ratings and reviews

4.5
13 reviews
BRAY Stacey
03 March 2017
Fantastic series. I d heard great things about this show for years and I was not disappointed. Great suspenseful and intelligent plot with an excellent script, intriguing in depth characterisations and stellar performances from all the lead actors and the supporting cast. It's rare for a show like this not to lag in places but this production proved to be a pleasant exception. It seems almost unfair to single any of the actors or characters out in particular but I particularly enjoyed the characters portrayed by Christopher Eccleston, Rafe Spall and Stephen Rea. If you enjoy intelligent crime/mystery thrillers with great dialogue and in depth character exploration then I highly recommend this show for you!
Alex Cox
24 August 2020
This is a fantastic show with great actors try a film called mums list to see rattens actor in a whole other universe it is a brilliant series
Paddy Robinson-Griffin
27 June 2016
Complex, with some great characters to enjoy. I love Jay Wratten, for instance.