Second Coming, The (ITV1 2003, Christopher Eccleston, Lesley Sharp)

In the hard hitting drama The Second Coming Manchester Video shop worker Steven Baxter announces he is the son of God and proves it with a miracle. With the world’s attention awed by the event he announces that the world’s future fate is to soon be decided and everyone must submit their ideas for how mankind should proceed in a “third testament” from which he will choose the one that shall be the path to follow.

He gathers his closest friends as his disciples to help him decide including Judith, a friend since childhood. All the time the Devil’s henchmen, led by Johnny Tyler, with their sinister glowing eyes, are at work trying to hinder things. Eventually Judith realises what the “third testament” is and knows that Steven has to die so that mankind can dispense with its dependence on a god.

Supremely interesting stuff from writer Davies, challenging and asking some serious questions of modern day life. Davies had initially written the story as a four parter for Channel Four back in the late 1990’s but they ended up passing on it, it was then pitched to the BBC before finding a home on ITV. It’s

production details
UK / ITV1 Network – Red / 2×90 minute episodes / Broadcast 9-10 February 2003 @ 9:00pm

Writer: Russell T Davies / Executive Producers: Russell T. Davies, Nicola Shindler / Costumes: Emma Rosenthal / Music: Murray Gold / Producer: Ann Harrison-Baxter / Director: Adrian Shergold

cast
CHRISTOPHER ECCLESTON as Steven Baxter
LESLEY SHARP as Judith Roach
WILLIAM TRAVIS as Dave Morris
AHSEN BHATTI as Peter Gupta
ANNABELLE APSION as Fiona Morris
JOHN HENSHAW as Clive Saxon
MARK BENTON as Johnny Tyler
DENISE BLACK as Rachel Craig
JUDITH BARKER as Eileen Saxon
RAY EMMET BROWN as Charge Nurse
PETER ARMITAGE as Frank Baxter
RORY KINNEAR as Father Dillane
JAZMINE FRANKS as Jane Morris
ROSALIND MARCH as Woman Driver
STEVE MONEY as Stan Lynch
PETER WIGHT as Len Chadwick
JACK WATSON as Alex Morris
MARY CUNNINGHAM as Female Expert
ANTHONY SCHAEFFER as Male Expert
PHIL CLEGG as Hospital Policeman
NEIL BELL as Homeless Man
LEE SEDDON as Lee Lynch
CHRIS LI as Chinese Newscaster
JAGTAR SINGH as Indian Newsreader
HENRY MARGOLIS as Rabbi Shorofski
TIM WOODWARD as Chief Constable Richard Tanner
DAVID HOROVITCH as Mr Street
DOUG COCKLE as American Newsreader
JENNIFER HENNESSY as Female Reporter
ANGEL COULBY as PC Louise Fraser
KENNY DOUGHTY as PC Simon Lincoln
JOHN WARNABY as Phone In Presenter
JOE SIMPSON as Pub Bouncer
JEFF MERCHANT as Calm Man
VICTORIA MYERS as Check Out Girl
DAVID PROSHO as PC Jackson
JONATHAN BRIDGE as Disciple at Maine Road
CIARAN GRIFFITHS as Man in Pub
BERNARD NAGLE as Old Man
CAROLINE PEGG as Sue
ANDREW UNDERWOOD as The Lad
PETER WRIGHT as Len Chadwick
CAROL BARNES, JUDY FINNIGAN, RICHARD MADELEY, KRISHNAN GURU-MURTHY, JON SNOW, GERMAINE GREER as Themselves