CAUGHT WITHIN THE BLURRED EDGES OF "THE SHADOW LINE"

In too deep? DI Jonah Gabriel (Chiwetel Ejiofor), Joseph Bede (Christopher Eccleston) and the mysterious Gatehouse (Stephen Rea) in the new drama THE SHADOW LINE. Image: BBC.

In 2005 he delighted worldwide children and families of all ages for his sadly one year only reign as the enigmatic and brave Ninth persona of DOCTOR WHO, and, more recently, earned great kudos playing ex-BEATLE/peace protester John Lennon in a documentary set before the man's real-life, tragic assassination, but now chameleon-like actor Christopher Eccleston is back on TV and returning to his more serious and sinister dramatic roles as he takes one of the lead character acting parts in what looks set to be an enthralling new British conspiracy thriller: THE SHADOW LINE, starting tonight on BBC 2 and HD.

In this specially written conspiracy drama/thriller by popular TV industry writer Hugo Blick, Eccleston is a drug dealer, Joseph Bede, out to finish his selling ways for good when he becomes unwittingly involved in the death of one of his old friends, whose body is discovered full of bullet holes by the police, and which sees an investigation soon started by DI Jonah Gabriel (the very popular Chiwetel Ejiofor, now an actor with a major league film career under his belt, too). What springs up from the murder victim-who also happens to be one of the biggest crime bosses in the country- soon sparks off an intriguing and dangerous chain of events that have ramifications for both the police and criminals combined, as a murky world of terror, politics, corruption and shattered humanity comes to the fore...

With its all star cast playing a complex set of characters, including Stephen Rea, Rafe Spall and Lesley Sharp, working in an atmospheric and dark, filmic edge that makes the most of many gloomy and distinctive London locations, THE SHADOW LINE, said to be an original and distinctive drama following in the best BBC drama tradition, looks set to be compulsive TV viewing over the next seven weeks.