The Brack Report
A drama series investigating nuclear safety and alternative energy.
A ten-part ITV drama, The Brack Report aired from April to June 1982, its run coinciding with the Falklands War. Created by Christopher Penfold for Thames Television, the series examined anxieties surrounding nuclear power while also looking into other energy possibilities. The cast included Donald Sumpter, Patricia Garwood, and Jenny Seagrove.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Drama
- Starring
- Donald Sumpter
- Patricia Garwood
- Jenny Seagrove
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Language
- English
- Series
- 1
- Episodes
- 10
- Composer
- Christopher Gunning
- Runtime
- 60 minutes
Facts from the source article.
Plot
After an earthquake damages a nuclear power station, chief physicist Paul Brack investigates its safety procedures and is dismayed to find a lack of real safety processes, leading him to quit his job. This puts strain on his relationship with his wife Pat, a fellow researcher. Through a mutual friend, Brack begins working for energy consultant Harold Harlan, hoping to highlight nuclear safety and explore alternative energy, but Harlan has his own plans.
Production
The Brack Report was created by Christopher Penfold, a writer who had worked on Space: 1999, a series about the Moon being knocked out of orbit by a nuclear accident. Penfold used the show to explore the difficulties of nuclear power and to look at other ways of generating energy. Christopher Gunning, who had been writing music for film and television for twelve years, composed the theme tune; his other well-known scores include Rogue Male, The Day of the Triffids, Porterhouse Blue, Under Suspicion, Lighthouse Hill, and La Vie en rose. The series took more than a year to film. Actor Geoffrey Beevers, who portrayed Dr. Scheer in episodes four and seven, was allowed to leave filming on 17 December 1980 to appear in the Doctor Who story "The Keeper of Traken," which had been held up by an electricians' strike. Exteriors for episode seven were shot in Tynemouth, including at Tynemouth Castle and Priory, while episode nine used the Rance Tidal Power Station in Brittany, France, for its outdoor scenes. Some interior filming took place at Pinewood Studios.
Reception
Creator Christopher Penfold commented that the series' transmission from 6 April to 8 June 1982 "got absolutely swamped by the Falklands War" (2 April to 14 June 1982), and that it "would have created a much bigger public stir" otherwise. Episode One was referred to the Broadcasting Complaints Commission by the Central Electricity Generating Board, and the UK Atomic Energy Authority also expressed concerns. A contemporary review by Lucy Hughes-Hallett in The Times noted the weighty subject-matter made for a ponderous narrative, calling it "artistically…not a great success" but an "intelligent attempt to tackle a difficult subject". Chris Dunkley of the Financial Times observed that the show occupied the same slot as previous drama Muck and Brass, suggesting ITV had a "sane and admirable new policy of creating modern drama series dealing with contemporary themes".
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