Prime Suspect: The Lost Child (1995) (TV)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

John Madden

Writer:

Paul Billing (written by)

Release Date:

22 October 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery

Plot:

Supt. Tennison orchestrates a search for an abducted baby, but events take a turn for the worst when personal emotions cause complications.

Plot Keywords:

Abortion | Prime Suspect | Suspect | Murder | Composite Sketch

Awards:

1 win & 5 nominations

Cast

Helen Mirren	...	Supt. Jane Tennison
Beatie Edney	...	Susan Covington
Robert Glenister	...	Chris Hughes
Lesley Sharp	...	Anne Sutherland
Tracy Keating	...	Carolyn Norwood
Richard Hawley	...	DI Richard Haskons
Jack Ellis	...	DI Tony Muddyman
David Phelan	...	DC Pride
Graham Seed	...	Doctor
John Benfield	...	DCS Kernan
Tony Rohr	...	DS McColl
Mark Bazeley	...	DC Aplin
Chris Brailsford	...	DC Westbrook
Mossie Smith	...	WPC Maureen Havers
Caroline Selby	...	Alison Sutherland
Candice Paul	...	Gayle Sutherland
Adrian Lukis	...	John Warwick
Fergus O'Donnell	...	DC Hawker
Stuart Wilson	...	Dr. Patrick Schofield
Stephen Tindall	...	DCI White
Anthony Daniels	...	Pathologist
David Ryall	...	Oscar Bream
Patrick Cremin	...	DI Andrews
Sam Cox	...	DCI Birnam
Richard Cubison	...	Commander Lane
Mac Andrews	...	Stubbs
Anna Niland	...	WPC
Malcolm Raeburn	...	Supt. Sleeth
Robin Ashenden	...	Reporter

Directed by
John Madden

Writing credits
Paul Billing		(written by)

Produced by
Rebecca Eaton	....	executive producer: USA
Sally Head	....	executive producer
Paul Marcus	....	producer

Original Music by
Stephen Warbeck

Cinematography by
David Odd

Film Editing by
Anthony Ham

Casting by
Doreen Jones

Production Design by
Chris Truelove

Art Direction by
Stephen Graham

Costume Design by
Mike O'Neill

Makeup Department
Jane Hatch	....	makeup supervisor
Anastasia Shirley	....	assistant makeup artist

Production Management
Bill Leather	....	production supervisor
David Meddick	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Trina Fraser	....	first assistant director
Sue Whitley	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Iain Andrews	....	assistant art director
Murray Cook	....	graphic designer
Trevor Devoy	....	production buyer
Tony Mills	....	construction manager
Terry Nixon	....	stand-by props

Sound Department
Ben Brookes	....	boom operator
Dean Humphreys	....	sound re-recording mixer
John Rutherford	....	dubbing editor
John Senior	....	dubbing editor
Nick Steer	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
Steve Tomkow	....	special effects

Stunts
Andy Bradford	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Jimmy Camp	....	gaffer
Craig Feather	....	focus puller
Mike Fisher	....	camera grip
Tony Ling	....	clapper loader
Howard Somers	....	camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Samantha Horn	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
David Boyle	....	assistant film editor (uncredited)
Chris Clarkson	....	assistant film editor (uncredited)

Other crew
Gwenda Bagshaw	....	script associate
Elizabeth Bradley	....	script editor
Craig McNeil	....	production executive
Carl Morris	....	production financing
Milly Preece	....	production coordinator
Valery Ryan	....	script editor
David Weir	....	location manager
Sue Wild	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Granada Television
• WGBH (in association with)

Distributors

• Granada International (1994) (worldwide) (all media)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Independent Television (ITV) (2005) (UK) (TV)

Also Known As:

Prime Suspect 4: The Lost Child (UK) (promotional title)

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Filming Locations:

Liverpool, Merseyside, England, UK

Company:

Granada Television

Quotes:

Chris Hughes: [On a taped interview] There's no trust like a child's. It's a perfect, perfect thing.

Movie Connections:

Followed by Prime Suspect 6: The Last Witness (2003) (TV)

As Watchable as any in the "Prime Suspect" series

I'm surprised that mine, so far, is the only comment on this t.v. movie...as far as I'm aware, the series itself, has had a huge following, reviewer pundits and real people alike, have praised it to a person. Anyway, let me tell you right away that, if like me, you're a sucker for gritty police dramas, you'll like "The Lost Child" Tennison, the heroine, throughout the "Prime Suspect"series, has been battling the male police establishment, throughout the series, getting to her present, comparatively powerful rank in the police hierarchy through hard work,obstinacy, and sheer talent for police work. She is,essentially, an ambitious career woman, but she has a romantic side and is certainly no man-hater. Unfortunately her relationships are affected by the wicked hours, which her career demands, and she has never married, so when she finds herself pregnant from her latest affair, she is faced with the choice of becoming a mother, and jeopardising her entire police job, let alone future advancement, or having an abortion - which she opts for. This abortion never looms large in the ensuing drama - it's very skilfully dealt with, in less than a couple of minutes screentime, a marvel of economy in scripting, and editing - but it's always there, as a counterpoint to Tennison's desperate efforts to find another "lost child" - a kidnap victim - before it's too late. The story takes many twists and turns,before the surprise ending, and one is fascinated, alike, by the plot, and characters (although I found the many villains a little overdrawn), the police, and especially Tennison, herself, are not always competent, nor that likeable, which figures, given the unpleasant job that they have to do, in the sleazy underworld which this series, habitually inhabits.

Mirren, herself, has said that she'll make no more movies in the series, but, excellent as she's always been in the role of Tennison, the series, itself, is as "actor proof" as is another addiction of mine -Dick Wolf's American"Law & Order" - whoever appears therein, each could go on forever. As is my fervent hope.