Crossfire (BBC-1 1988, Eamon Boland, Tony Doyle)

In Crossfire Freddie Ross is a computer expert working for the government. After using his computer skills to bring down a major criminal gang he is given a promotion and sent to Belfast to break an IRA ring. Ross is very quickly caught in the middle of a dangerous and deadly game when he falls for young Irish girl Clare Barrett who has her own reasons for befriending him.

After Clare is murdered Freddie realises the mole has access to the government’s own computer system. He then sets up a trap to bring out the mole once and for all.

A strong thriller from John McNeill, Crossfire offered up a rare leading role for Eamon Boland as Ross who despite being a supposed deskbound computer expert is very much in the heart of the action. There was also another typically strong performance from the excellent Tony Doyle.

classic quote
“A girl was killed. Me and my men are under attack from all sides … and you breeze in talking of bloody patterns.”

production details
UK / BBC One / 5×50 minute episodes / Broadcast 15 March – 12 April 1988

Writer: John McNeill / Script Editor: Jenny Sheridan / Music: Richard Harvey / Producer: Ron Craddock / Director: Ken Hannam

cast
Eamon Boland as Freddie Ross
Tony Doyle as Donal McCarthy
Sean Caffrey as Chief Inspector “Daisy” Burke
Lesley Nightingale as Kathy Ross
Emer Gillespie as Clare Barratt
Christopher Whitehouse as Frank Gallagher
Tom Chadbon as Bryant
Joseph Crilly as Dominic
Sean Scanlon as John Keegan
Alan Devlin as Eamon Duffy
Des McAleer as Demot Shea
Denys Hawthorne as Daniel Kent
Tom Price as Duggan
James Donnelly as Thomas Malin

THE EPISODES
1. BRINGING IT HOME
. WOMAN’S WORK
3. THE MOTIVE, NOT THE DEED
4. LINE OF FIRE
5. DIVIDE AND RULE