This dystopian BBC drama depicts a grim version of Britain ruled by the oppressive Public Control Department. The state maintains total authority through strict surveillance and the removal of civil liberties. Edward Woodward stars as Jim Kyle, a journalist who works secretly for a resistance movement. He uses his position to help dissidents escape the country while avoiding the traps set by his rivals.
In the first season, Kyle matches wits with the ruthless Herbert Skardon, a government official determined to prove his guilt. He receives clandestine help from an anonymous informant known as Faceless. After being stripped of his citizenship and declared a vagrant, Kyle manages to survive with help from his allies. The second season introduces Lynn Blake, a former lover of Kyle who works within the system. As the hardline Home Secretary Kate Smith tightens her grip on the nation, the identity of Faceless is finally revealed as Maudsley. The series remains a chilling look at authoritarian rule and the personal cost of standing against a tyrannical regime.
Production Details
UK / BBC Two / 16x55 minute Episodes / 1977
Created by: Wilfred Greatorex
Main Cast
Edward Woodward as Jim Kyle
Robert Lang as Herbert Skardon
Tony Doyle as Dave Brett
Paul Hardwick as Faceless
John Savident as Dan Mellor
Lisa Harrow as Lynn Blake
Yvonne Mitchell as Kate Smith
Barbara Kellerman as Delly Lomas
Clifton Jones as Henry Tasker
George Murcell as Tiny