Paradox (British TV series)

Lore & Background

Detective Inspector Rebecca Flint (Tamzin Outhwaite), Detective Sergeant Ben Holt (Mark Bonnar) and Detective Constable Callum Gada (Chiké Okonkwo) investigate images broadcast to astrophysicist Dr Christian King's (Emun Elliott) laboratory, which appear to show catastrophic events from the future. The series was filmed and set in Manchester, England, with the Imperial War Museum North used as the backdrop for Dr King's place of employment, Prometheus Labs. Filming began in Greater Manchester in June 2009, with the majority of filming in the Northern Quarter district of Manchester, and was completed over 13 weeks.

Murray Ferguson, chief executive of Clerkenwell Films, said they were looking for something 'different from the traditional formula of investigating a crime that has already taken place.' Writer Lizzie Mickery said she has 'always been interested in the decisions you're not aware you are making.' The series was based on the 'moral and emotional implications of having the ability to change the future.' The series was commissioned by Ben Stephenson and Jay Hunt for BBC One, with executive producers Patrick Spence and Ferguson, produced by Marcus Wilson, and directed by Simon Cellan Jones and Omar Madha.

Reader's Guide

Paradox attempted to blend police procedural with science fiction, focusing on a team that receives images of future disasters and races to prevent them. Despite a strong cast and production team, the series failed to find an audience. It peaked at 4.81 million viewers for its first episode, but critical reception was largely negative. Reviewers cited a lack of internal logic, scratchy dialogue, and general misery as flaws, though some praised the climactic scenes. The series was not renewed for a second season; an unnamed BBC spokesman stated, 'In spite of a great cast and production team, Paradox did not find its audience in the way that we had hoped.' Its significance lies in its attempt to innovate within the crime drama genre by introducing a time-bending premise, but it is remembered as a short-lived experiment that did not achieve its ambitions.

Did You Know?

• The series was written by Lizzie Mickery, who also wrote The 39 Steps and The State Within.
• Filming took place in the Northern Quarter district of Manchester and used the Imperial War Museum North as the backdrop for Prometheus Labs.
• It was cancelled after one season; a BBC spokesman said it 'did not find its audience in the way that we had hoped.'