''Thin Ice'' is a single British television thriller, written by Tom Needham and directed by Ian White, that first broadcast on

BBC1 BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...

on 4 December 2000. ''Thin Ice'' focuses on the character of Dr. Graham Moss (

Nicholas Lyndhurst Nicholas Simon Lyndhurst (born 20 April 1961) is an English actor. He began his career as a child actor and became best known for his role as Rodney Trotter in the sitcom ''Only Fools and Horses'' (1981–2003). He also had major roles in other ...

), a shady General Practitioner using his services as a practising doctor to issue fake sick notes and excess medication, who gets pulled into taking part in a bank robbery by one of his patients, gangland boss Violet Jerome (

Geraldine McEwan Geraldine McEwan (born Geraldine McKeown; 9 May 1932 – 30 January 2015) was an English actress, who had a long career in film, theatre and television. Michael Coveney described her, in a tribute article, as "a great comic stylist, with a ...

). The film was commissioned as one of eleven new dramas unveiled by the BBC for their Autumn/Winter season in 2000. Considered as a potential pilot for an ongoing series, the character of Moss was likened to

Harold Shipman Harold Frederick Shipman (14 January 1946 – 13 January 2004), known by the public as Doctor Death and to acquaintances as Fred Shipman, was an English general practitioner and serial killer. He is considered to be one of the most prolif ...

, with ''

Guardian Guardian usually refers to: * Legal guardian, a person with the authority and duty to care for the interests of another * ''The Guardian'', a British daily newspaper (The) Guardian(s) may also refer to: Places * Guardian, West Virginia, Unite ...

'' writer Mark Lawson describing him as "the greatest Charlatan since Crippin." The film attracted an audience of 5.68 million viewers.

Reception

Mark Lawson of ''The Guardian'' gave the film a mixed review, writing; "There is much to enjoy in ''Thin Ice''. The morbid jokes, such as a dead man's mobile ringing as Moss begins the autopsy, serves as an eerie reminder of the Paddington rail disaster. There is another level, however, at which ''Thin Ice'' is pure rubbish. The increasingly ludicrous plot unwinds like a strange morphine dream. ''Thin Ice'' never quite knows whether it is an absurd romp or a darker meditation on the psychosis of a corrupt doctor. What is not in dispute is that it is well-timed."

Cast

as Dr. Graham Moss *

as Mrs. Violet Jerome *

Tim Dantay Tim Dantay (born 1963) is a British actor who was born in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, ...

as DI Grover *

Raquel Cassidy Raquel Cassidy is an English actress. She played the role of Phyllis Baxter in the television series ''Downton Abbey'' (2013–2015), winning a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. She has re ...

as DS Beckett *

Sian Webber Sîan Webber (born 1959) is a British actress. She is known the recurring role of Ritchie Scott in BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', which she first played in 2005, returning regularly to the role up to and including 2022. Career Webber has ap ...

as Della Jerome * Stephen Taylor as Harvey Jerome * Terry Bird as Neal Jerome * Peter McNamara as Frank Jerome * Dennis Banks as Jacko *

Inday Ba Inday Ba (10 August 1972 – 20 April 2005), also known as N'Deaye Ba, was a Swedish-British film, stage, and television actress of Senegalese descent born in Gothenburg, Sweden. One of her most notable Swedish on-screen roles was as Hillevi in t ...

as Joo *

Philip Madoc Philip Madoc (born Philip Arvon Jones; 5 July 1934 – 5 March 2012) was a Welsh actor. He performed many stage, television, radio and film roles, and was recognised for having a "rich, sonorous voice" and often playing villains and office ...

as Headmaster * Darren Tunstall as Robert Cutting *

Luke Newberry Luke Newberry (born 19 February 1990) is an English actor. He is best known for his leading role in the drama television series '' In the Flesh'' (2013–2014), which earned him a British Academy Television Award nomination. Early life Newber ...

as Charlie *

Jonjo O'Neill John Joseph "Jonjo" O'Neill (born 13 April 1952) is an Irish National Hunt racehorse trainer and former jockey. He is a native of Castletownroche, County Cork in Ireland. Based at the Jackdaws Castle training establishment in England. O'Neill ...

as Erik

References

External links

*{{IMDb title, id=0348760, title=Thin Ice BBC television dramas 2000 British television series debuts 2000 British television series endings 2000s British drama television series English-language television shows