''Children of the North'' is a British television

thriller Thriller may refer to: * Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television ** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre Comics * ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983–84 by DC Comics i ...

drama series, written by John Hale, that first broadcast on

BBC2 BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream an ...

on 30 October 1991. The series, comprising four episodes, was based on the novel trilogy ''The Killing of Yesterday's Children'', ''Lonely the Man Without Heroes'' and ''A Darkness in the Eye'' by author M.S. Power. All four episodes were directed by David Drury, with Chris Parr acting as executive producer. The series starred

Patrick Malahide Patrick Gerald Duggan (born 24 March 1945), known professionally as Patrick Malahide, is a veteran British film, television and theatre actor, author and producer, known, amongst other things, for his roles as Inspector Alleyn in ''The Inspect ...

as Colonel Mailer, an MI5 agent whose chauffeur is killed during an

IRA Ira or IRA may refer to: *Ira (name), a Hebrew, Sanskrit, Russian or Finnish language personal name *Ira (surname), a rare Estonian and some other language family name *Iran, UNDP code IRA Law *Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, US, on status of ...

assassination attempt on Mailer himself, and

Michael Gough Francis Michael Gough ( ; 23 November 1916 – 17 March 2011) was a British character actor who made more than 150 film and television appearances. He is known for his roles in the Hammer Horror Films from 1958, with his first role as Sir Arthu ...

as Arthur Apple, a bookie who launders money for the IRA. The series has never been re-broadcast or released on DVD.

Production

According to a ''

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'' review, Malahide's character is "nearing retirement from a shattering life in military intelligence". Tony Doyle, Adrian Dunbar, and John Kavanagh co-starred alongside Malahide and Gough. The original BBC plotline for the series read; "''When two MI6 officers are shot dead in an unmarked car, assassination attempts, money laundering operations and peace talks follow as hitman Martin Deeley ( Adrian Dunbar) is simultaneously chased by members of the IRA, the RUC, and the army''". Behind-the-scenes production photos were later uploaded on social media website Pinterest by the owner of the land where part of the series was filmed.

Cast

as Colonel Mailer; a military intelligence operative *

as Arthur Apple; a bookie who launders money for the IRA * Tony Doyle as John Axton; an RUC Special Branch officer * John Kavanagh as Seamus Reilly; an IRA 'godfather' * Adrian Dunbar as Martin Deeley; a career hitman

Recurring

* Paul Brooke as Ballister * Jonathan Hyde as Colonel Shrapnel *

Ian McElhinney Ian McElhinney (born 19 August 1948) is a Northern Irish actor and director. He has appeared in many television series in a career spanning more than forty years; notable appearances include ''Taggart'', '' Hornblower'', '' Cold Feet'', and '' ...

as O'Hare *

Sean Caffrey Sean, also spelled Seán or Séan in Irish English, is a male given name of Irish origin. It comes from the Irish versions of the Biblical Hebrew name ''Yohanan'' (), Seán (anglicized as ''Shaun/ Shawn/ Shon'') and Séan (Ulster variant; anglici ...

as IRA Chief of Staff * John Hewitt as Moran * Frankie McCafferty as Fergal * Brian McGrath as McIlliver * Tony Byrne as Dowling

Episodes

References

External links

*{{IMDb title, id=0423980, title=Children of the North 1991 British television series debuts 1991 British television series endings 1990s British drama television series BBC television dramas British thriller television series Television in Northern Ireland 1990s British television miniseries Television shows based on novels English-language television shows Television shows set in Northern Ireland Films directed by David Drury