TV
Strange (BBC-1 2002, Richard Coyle, Samantha Janus)
Richard Coyle plays modern-day demon hunter John Strange, a former priest with a tortured past and one of the few people to realise that dark forces are walking the Earth and endangering the world. Samantha Janus (Liverpool One) is Jude Atkins, who becomes an unwitting ally to Strange.
In tales of supernatural happenings and unexplained deaths, Strange and Jude encounter terrifying demons that inhabit the Earth in different guises. During their investigations, Jude learns more about the mysterious life of John Strange, and their friendship deepens.
However, Strange is constantly haunted by the intimidating Canon Black (Ian Richardson), who is determined to suppress his work at every turn. Creator and series writer Andrew Marshall originally came up with an idea about the Devil living somewhere in England and it was down to one man to catch him.
‘I’m a long-time fan of things like The Avengers, The X Files and the great fantasy series of the past, as well as Agatha Christie,’ explains Marshall. The inspiration for the demons came from the myths and legends of old, with a little help from a fertile imagination.
Strange and Jude are helped by Toby (Andrew Lee Potts), a cyber-hacker and technical genius; and Kevin (Timmy Lang), Canon Black’s gardener, who is more sensitive to supernatural vibes than most people, which enables him to detect the presence of demons.
A TV Movie pilot aired 3 September 2002.
production details
UK | BBC One | 7×60 minutes | 2002-2003
cast
Richard Coyle as John Strange
Ian Richardson as Canon Black
Samantha Janus (Womack) as Jude Atkins
Andrew-Lee Potts as Toby
Samuel Barnett as Doddington