''Frontiers'' is an

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...

television crime drama series was produced by

Carlton Television Carlton Television (now part of the non-franchised ITV London region) was the ITV franchise holder for London and the surrounding counties from 9.25am every Monday to 5.15pm every Friday. The company is now managed with London Weekend Televi ...

, broadcast between 7 May and 25 June 1996. The series, created by acclaimed writer

Stephen Poliakoff Stephen Poliakoff (born 1 December 1952) is a British playwright, director and screenwriter. In 2006 Gerard Gilbert of ''The Independent'' described him as the UK's "pre-eminent TV dramatist" who had "inherited Dennis Potter's crown". Early ...

, focuses on the rivalry between two rival police chiefs of the Special Crime Squad and their respective teams of officers. Co-written with Sam Donovan and

Sandy Welch Sandra Elizabeth "Sandy" Welch (born 6 December 1953 in Chester, Cheshire) is a British television writer and screenwriter. Welch is a graduate of the National Film and Television School. As a screenwriter, Welch has developed many serials fo ...

, only a single series of six episodes was broadcast, as despite a high-profile cast, including

Kevin McNally Kevin Robert McNally (born 27 April 1956) is an English actor and writer. He is known for portraying Joshamee Gibbs in the ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' film series. Early life Born in Bristol, McNally spent his early years in Birmingham, att ...

Clare Holman Clare Margaret Holman (born 12 January 1964) is an English actress. She portrayed forensic pathologist Dr. Laura Hobson in the crime drama series ''Inspector Morse'' and its spin-off ''Lewis'' from 1995 to 2015. Career Holman started her act ...

Hywel Bennett Hywel Thomas Bennett (8 April 1944 – 24 July 2017) was a Welsh film and television actor. He had a lead role in ''The Family Way'' (1966) and played the titular "thinking man's layabout" James Shelley in the television sitcom '' Shelley'' (1 ...

and

Philip Glenister Philip Haywood Glenister (born 10 February 1963) is an English actor. He is best known for his role as DCI Gene Hunt in the BBC series ''Life on Mars'' (2006–2007) and its sequel '' Ashes to Ashes'' (2008–2010). He also played DCI William ...

, the series failed to impact audiences and was quickly axed.

Amelia Bullmore Amelia Mary Bullmore (born 31 January 1964) is an English actress, screenwriter and playwright. She is known for her roles in ''Coronation Street'' (1990–1992), '' I'm Alan Partridge'' (2002), '' Ashes to Ashes'' (2008–2009), ''Twenty Twelve ...

Fay Ripley Fay Ripley (born 26 February 1966)Ripley, Fay (25 February 2011).Don't tell me you are going to get my followers up to 5,000 for my birthday tomorrow...I say my birthday tomorrow. Twitter. Retrieved 26 February 2011. is an English actress, telev ...

and singer

Sophie Ellis-Bextor Sophie Michelle Ellis-Bextor (born 10 April 1979) is an English singer and songwriter. She first came to prominence in the late 1990s as the lead singer of the indie rock band Theaudience. After the group disbanded Ellis-Bextor went solo and ach ...

also appeared in the series. Thomas Sutcliffe of ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'' said of the series; "

is noted as a Special Adviser to ''Frontiers''. Stephen Poliakoff, the respected playwright, that is. This is inexplicable, unless they have simply ignored his advice, because ''Frontiers'' is the apotheosis of the Angry Shouting Copper show, a mail-order catalogue for every exhausted cliché of the genre – from the lazily rotating extractor fan which casts such a gothic light, to the stand-up rows in gloomy corridors. "Screw up on my territory again, and I'll make sure you're not in charge of a whelk stall before I'm finished with you."

Cast

as Superintendent Graham Kirsten *

Peter Howitt Peter Howitt (; born 5 May 1957) is a British actor and film director. Biography Early life Howitt was born on 5 May 1957, the son of Frank Howitt, a renowned Fleet Street journalist who, in 1963, broke the infamous Profumo Scandal by get ...

as Superintendent Nick Jarratt *

Simon Kunz Simon Charles Kunz (born 15 October 1962) is an actor on stage and screen. Early life He attended Latymer Upper School, then completed a degree in Theatre Studies at the University of Warwick. Career He appeared in '' The Parent Trap'' as Ma ...

as DCI Adrian Jackson *

as DI Louise Raynor *

as DS Eddie Spader * David Sibley as DCI David Lennox * Jay Villiers as DS Lacey *

as DS Danny Curtis * Kevin Dignam as DS Alick Jackson * Mac Andrews as DS Marshall *

Dido Miles Dido Miles is an English actress. She is known for her role as Emma Reid on the BBC soap opera ''Doctors'', for which she has won two awards for at the RTS Midlands Awards. From 2001 to 2002, she starred in the CBBC children's series ''Oscar Cha ...

as DS Elsa Cooper * Chris Brailsford as DC Ryan * Justin Chadwick as DC Clive Reilly * Annie Keller as DC Lizzie Harlech * David Baukham as ACC Gordon Pierce * Anthony Carrick as ACC Henry Barton *

as Caroline Poole *

as Elizabeth Kirsten * David Tse as DS Bailey * Vivienne Ritchie as Kate Jarratt *

as Rosie Jarrett

Episodes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Frontiers (ITV Tv Series) 1996 British television series debuts 1996 British television series endings 1990s British crime television series 1990s British drama television series ITV television dramas 1990s British television miniseries Carlton Television Television series by ITV Studios English-language television shows Television shows set in Liverpool