UK / BBC1 / 6x60m-e / 2003 (18 May - 22 June)

Conspiracy thriller serial set against the background of Whitehall and Fleet Street. Stephen Collins (Morrissey) is a high-flying, ambitious member of parliament and Chairman of the Government’s Energy Select Committee. Cal McCaffrey (Simm) is a well-respected investigative journalist and Stephen’s ex-campaign manager. When Stephen’s young research assistant, Sonia, falls to her death on the London Underground, it’s not long before revelations of their affair hit the headlines. Meanwhile a suspected teenage drug dealer named Kelvin Stagg is found shot dead.The discovery that Kelvin and Sonia shared a two-minute phone call on the morning of their deaths draws Cal into an investigation that’s always one step ahead of the police. But friendships are tested and lives are put on the line as an intricate web of lies unfolds. 

REGULAR CAST 
John Simm as Cal McCaffrey / David Morrissey as Stephen Collins / Kelly Macdonald as Della / Bill Nighy as Cameron Foster / Polly Walker as Anne Collins

1. One ( Sunday 18 May 2003)

Kelvin Stagg, a black teenager, is shot dead at point-blank range by a gunman.A motorcycle courier who witnesses the event is also shot but miraculously doesn’t die. Meanwhile, Stephen Collins (Morrissey), a high-flying, ambitious MP, is heading to work on the Underground when the train grinds to a halt because of a body on the line. The body, he soon realizes, is that of his political researcher, Sonia Baker. At a press conference later in the day, Stephen breaks down – the press smell blood and question Stephen about his relationship with Sonia. His wife, Anne, is left to read the news in the papers. One of the papers chasing the tantalising story is The Herald. Investigative journalist Cal McCaffrey (Simm) is an old friend of Stephen’s, and the MP contacts him in despair. He’s convinced Sonia’s death must have been an accident; there was no reason for her to kill herself. Cal wants to help his friend and isn’t interested in domestic scandal – until his colleague, Della Smith, turns up an extraordinary piece of information: on the morning of her death, Sonia received a phone call from Kelvin Stagg. As Cal delves deeper into this puzzling piece of news, he turns up some very surprising revelations: Kelvin’s murder doesn’t seem to add up with the police’s version of events; and Cal finds himself in possession of a potentially deadly piece of evidence which changes the whole course of the investigation. 

2. Two ( Sunday 25 May 2003)

After the murder of DI Brown, the Met puts hard-headed DCI Bell on the investigation. He suspects that Della is withholding information and is determined to find out what she and Cal know. Things take a turn for the worse when Della realises her own life is in danger and begins to distrust Cal. Meanwhile, an anonymous fax reveals that Stephen’s affair with Sonia was far from superficial; Stephen was prepared to leave his wife, Anne. This news doesn’t go down well with the party’s spin doctor, Andrew Wilson, who is trying to keep Stephen’s reputation intact. Cal is also worried – why did Stephen lie to him? When a shaky Anne in need of support is brought down to London to take part in a press conference designed to absolve Stephen from blame, Cal finds it increasingly hard to steer a professional line.

3. Three (Sunday 1 June 2003) 

DCI Bell grills Cal, but he’s adamant he won’t reveal his sources. He is eventually released under police protection when they strike a deal – if it appears Cal has the information the hit man wants, Della will be in less danger. Cal agrees to be the pawn in order to smoke him out. As Cal waits, his team learns that a City wide-boy named Dominic Foy is the author of the anonymous letters.This discovery, coupled with the fact that he had a sexual relationship with Sonia, leads the team to suspect he’s guilty. But he’s out of the country and they don’t know when he will return. Police and journalists decide they both have something to gain by working together to get to Foy. Meanwhile, Stephen Collins is pulled in for questioning by the police, and Cal’s personal and professional life gets hopelessly entangled when Anne Collins urges him to meet her at a hotel. The cost of their escalating passion could be explosive.

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4. Four (Sunday 8 June 2003)

Stephen’s disgust at his discovery of Cal and Anne’s affair leads him to tell Andrew Wilson to spin the news around the Press and ruin Cal’s reputation. His only supporter now is the Energy Minister, George Fergus, who wills him to succeed. Anne and Cal meet for the first time after their confrontation with Stephen and it’s clear that, despite everything, they have fallen in love.  Della persuades DCI Bell to help them put the pressure on Dominic Foy, and Cal and his team take Foy to a hotel room. He is edgy and obstructive and constantly changes his story. He’s clearly running scared, but why? The team scam their way into Dominic’s apartment where they discover evidence that Foy was being paid money by Warner-Schloss, a lobbyists’ firm for the oil industry – and Stephen chairs the Energy Select Committee… Could there be a connection? Was Foy Sonia’s secret lover or employer? Only Stephen can help answer that question, but after their confrontation, Cal can’t call him.Then Stephen makes a sickening discovery that could put paid to his political career. Now he needs Cal. Meanwhile, Cameron finds himself under pressure from the Herald’s owners to get the story wound up quickly.

5. Five (Sunday 15 June 2003)

Stephen’s earnest defence over the hiring protocol of Sonia leads Cal to interrogate his assistant, Greer, who finally admits to being influenced by an unexpected source. Sensing that his team is close to snaring their prey, Cal invites Stephen to listen in to an interview with Dominic Foy, hoping that with a few well-aimed questions, the increasingly paranoid Foy will crack. He’s right – Foy’s confession is a goldmine, but it sends Stephen over the edge and Foy to Casualty. Cameron is ecstatic at the prospect of such an explosive story. But when U-EX Oil and the Government get wind of where the paper’s investigation is heading, he finds himself under pressure from his board and makes a startling decision. Meanwhile, Stephen is left reeling by a confrontation with Energy Secretary George Fergus. 

6. Six (Sunday 22 June 2003) 

Following George Fergus’s revelations that he allowed U-Ex Oil to plant Sonia Baker in Stephen’s office to keep them sweet, Stephen is furious. He feels duped by everyone. His anger at the scale of the deception leads him to Cal once more – this time, he’s willing to give a fully exclusive interview, naming names and telling facts. He wants to bring George down, even at the risk of destroying his own political career. The Herald’s temporary editor, Yvonne, has put the brakes on the story. However, armed with the knowledge that Stephen is prepared to go on the record, Cal and Cameron hatch a plan to save it. Cal says he’s actually freelance, having been previously sacked by Cameron, and can take the story wherever he likes. Faced with losing a potentially huge scoop to a rival paper, Yvonne buckles, but says she wants an air-tight story before she attempts to have it approved by the board. As Cameron and Cal sit down with Stephen, Della and Dan continue pursuing the trail upwards at U-Ex Oil. Meanwhile, Cal is disturbed when Anne arrives in London to offer support to Stephen. A bitter argument follows. As the investigation hurtles towards its final conclusion, there is one further twist to the tale.

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