'The Shadow Line' Review: Britain's answer to 'The Wire'

The Shadow Line (BBC2 Thursdays 9pm)

Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Christopher Eccleston, Stephen Rea, Rafe Spall

Genre: Crime, thriller

When drug baron, Harvey Wratten, is founded shot dead in his car, it sparks a murder investigation on both sides of the law. Jonah Gabriel (Chiwetel Ejiofor) leads the team of police - but with the confusion of amnesia hanging over his head, he struggles to get to grips with both the case and himself. Meanwhile, Joseph Bede (Christopher Eccleston) is left to salvage what is left of his investment in the drugs business whilst keeping tabs on Wratten's unstable nephew, Jay (Rafe Spall). Dark, daring and softly but spectacularly scary, Hugo Blick's The Shadow Line is the best drama to hit British screens in some time.

Raw, gritty and irresistibly addictive, this thriller brings a whole new meaning to the word 'shadow'. Impossibly dark, slow and brooding, every man, woman and child in this programme is living under a shadow. Virtually silent throughout, but with tension rising to the occasional but powerful music, you'll be gripped by the eerie acting and stripped dialogue. With a complex network of characters and storylines, Blick blurs the boundaries between the good, the bad and the ugly. Four episodes in and I'm still none-the-wiser - but that won't have you wanting to stop watching.

The modern underworld of The Shadow Line is populated with damaged characters. There's the literal damage to Jonah, who has a stroke of convenient amnesia after getting a bullet lodged in his brain. There's the unstoppable onset of early Alzheimer's that Joseph's wife, Julie (Lesley Sharp) suffers from, and the probable mental instability of the young Jay Wratten. Hard-edged and ruthless, they nonetheless all have something to protect - reputation, money, love, or even the complete unknown - and their thirst for survival in a world of secrets makes for a thrilling watch.

With stand out performances from the likes of Rafe Spall and Stephen Rea as the late-appearing Gatehouse, Blick has on board an incredibly talented team of people to make such a slow-burning thriller work. Spall commands the screen, his distinctive voice and erratic behaviour make Jay Wratten a character to be feared. But the soothing power of Rea's Gatehouse is on another level altogether. Elusive, but calm and ever-the-gentleman, his enigmatic nature will have your eyes virtually sewn to your TV.

Everything in this drama reeks of hard work and intelligence - Hugo Blick has put his all into this one and it pays off. Stealthy, silent and sinister, this programme will pull you into the shadows before you've even had time to realise it. All I can say is, don't fight it - this is one underworld you need to be a part of.

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