"Wire in the Blood" Prayer of the Bone (2008)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Declan O'Dwyer

Writer:

Patrick Harbinson (writer)

TV Series:

"Wire in the Blood" (2002)

Original Air Date:

7 January 2008

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

Tony Hill finds himself in unfamiliar surroundings when he travels to Texas to assist the local district...

Plot Keywords:

Team | Serial Killer | Investigation | Police | Murder

Cast

Robson Green	...	Dr. Tony Hill
Naima Imani Lett	...	Anita Addison
Brad Hawkins	...	Darius Grady
Merrilee McCommas	...	Julie Rice
Dell Johnson	...	Sheriff Phelps
Ryan Rutledge	...	Amare Phelps
Drew Waters	...	Ray Decosio
Nicole Taylor	...	Loren Grady (as Nicole Lin Taylor)
Luke Gatewood	...	Jake Grady
Jenna Craig	...	Lucy Grady
Jennifer Griffin	...	Judge Downing
Julio Cedillo	...	Luis Borgos
Tom Nowicki	...	Lee Burrill
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Pablo D. Flores	...	Prisoner #2
Brandon Lilly	...	U.S. Soldier
Kana LiVolsi	...	Detective
Cass Naumann	...	Smoking nun
Erik Anderson	...	Prison Guard (uncredited)
Simone Lahbib	...	DI Alex Fielding (voice) (uncredited)
Carlos Pina	...	Prisoner with Braids (uncredited)

Directed by
Declan O'Dwyer

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Patrick Harbinson		writer

Produced by
Bill Boyes	....	producer
Sandra Jobling	....	executive producer
Eric A. Williams	....	co-producer

Cinematography by
Sam McCurdy

Film Editing by
David Barrett

Production Design by
Paul Avery

Production Management
Eric A. Williams	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Karl Liegis	....	floor assistant director
Katie Tull	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Chris Clayton	....	set dresser
Debbie Cortez Haber	....	art department coordinator
Emma Janzen	....	art intern
Shane Patrick	....	leadman
Shane Patrick	....	set dresser
Corissa Smith	....	lead scenic artist
Elysia Van Deusen	....	props

Sound Department
Bonnie Curtis	....	assistant dubbing mixer
Thadd Day	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Craig Byrom	....	special effects foreman

Camera and Electrical Department
Ian Adrian	....	camera operator
Matt Fliehler	....	lighting technician
Donald R. Howe Jr.	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera
Chip Huntington	....	grip
Janet Jensen	....	electrician
Matthew McGinn	....	film loader
John Sheeren	....	additional first assistant camera

Casting Department
Letty Chavarria	....	extras casting coordinator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Kortney Lawlor	....	costume assistant

Editorial Department
David Fisher	....	assistant editor
Frank Pass	....	colorist

Other crew
Mary Beth Chambers	....	production assistant (as Mary Beth Meadows)
Logan Cooper	....	assistant location manager
Dustin Daniels	....	location scout
Sara Denson	....	production assistant
Vanessa Gaitan	....	production assistant
Samantha Hollingsworth	....	location scout
Vicki V. Johnson	....	key set medic
Paul Knaus	....	location scout
Bill Lanier	....	assistant production coordinator
Jody LeHeup	....	location assistant
Kandis Longan	....	production secretary
Molly Murray	....	production accountant
Daniel Salas-Porras	....	production supervisor
Michael Saleman	....	production attorney
Reneau Skinner	....	first assistant accountant
Steve White	....	location manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
John Bennett	....	first assistant director (2005-)

Sound Department
Helen Dickson	....	dubbing assistant
Rikki Hanson	....	sound trainee
Paul Munro	....	boom operator (one episode)
Dave Sloss	....	adr mixer

Special Effects by
Steve Breheney	....	special effects technician

Stunts
Juliette Cheveley	....	stunt performer (2005-) (as Juliet Cheveley)
Tom Delmar	....	stunt coordinator
Andy Smart	....	stunt performer (2005-) (as Andy J. Smart)

Camera and Electrical Department
Roger Tooley	....	Steadicam operator (2005-)

Other crew
Steven Butler	....	cast security
John Cheeseman	....	cast security
Kezz Stone	....	production assistant (2006)
Mark Timmons	....	cast security

Production Companies

• Coastal Productions

Distributors

• BBC America (2007) (USA) (TV)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies

Runtime:

UK:87 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Austin, Texas, USA

Company:

Coastal Productions

Quotes:

Anita Addison: I've never slept with an Englishman before.
Dr. Tony Hill: That makes two of us.

Tartan Noir Transplanted to Texas?

Psychologist Tony Hill (Robson Green) has been brought in from England to testify for the prosecution as to the mental state of a former soldier accused of murdering his wife and children in Texas. While stationed in England the man had been charged with statutory rape and interviewed by Tony but before he could be prosecuted the military had transferred him back home to Texas.

This one off 90 minute episode is still an entertaining story but it's not as good as the regular series.

The changes apart from the locale include a different role for Tony in the case that of an expert witness which I feel comes across as a less interesting view of the proceedings than assisting in the investigation. Also there are no regular supporting characters although Tony does call DI Alex Fielding (Simone Lahbib) and get her voice mail, which just served to point out for me how much I missed her character. There are also a few Hollywood contrivances that take away from the story structure.

Maybe British audiences like the change to an American locale but it doesn't seem as appealing to me. The sweltering Texas heat and dry, arid sun, drenched vistas are certainly a change from the English landscape but they don't appreciably improve the presentation in my opinion.

The supporting cast is competent but none of the characters stand out particularly, perhaps because they are a little to thinly drawn and possibly somewhat caricatured.

A very similar approach by another British series Kavangh QC in which the primary character journeyed to the American South to lend his expertise. The biggest problem with that episode was its condescending attitude towards America and while it's by and large avoided here there are still some traces of that attitude in the production. The series Cracker also did a one off episode in Hong Kong with only one supporting character, and my conclusion from all three is that the supporting cast is integral to these series.