Edge of Darkness at 40

2 November 2025 18:09

Incredibly, Edge of Darkness, the landmark 1985 BBC drama series about police detective Ronnie Craven’s quest to find his environmental activist daughter’s killers, will be 40 years old on 4 November. Zoë plays the enigmatic intelligence agent Clemmy, the only person Craven (played by the much-missed Bob Peck) grows close to in the run-up to his final, desperate attempt to uncover the truth about the murder.

‘It’s hard to believe this mighty thriller [by Troy Kennedy Martin] turns 40 this week; many will remember it like it was yesterday,’ emphasises the Radio Times magazine (1-7 November edition). Indeed, Edge of Darkness made such a huge impression on BBC Two viewers in 1985 that it was almost immediately repeated on the channel’s mainstream counterpart, BBC One.

The six-part drama’s 40th anniversary is being celebrated on BBC Four. Last night, another member of the cast, Ian McNeice, shared his memories of making what he described as one of the best pieces of work with which he’s been involved. Then the first two episodes were broadcast.

Zoë’s character will be introduced next Saturday, 8 November, when episodes three and four are screened from 9:30pm. If you don’t want to wait till then, you can stream the whole series now on the BBC iPlayer.

Clemmy is beautifully written and beautifully acted, and Edge of Darkness, which was directed by Martin Campbell, is widely regarded as one of the finest TV dramas ever made. 40 years on, the programme feels as fresh – and challenging – as ever.

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