''Breakout'' is a British television drama film written by Michael Stewart, first broadcast on
BBC1
BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and Flagship (broadcasting), flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includ ...
on 22 April 1997. Directed by Moira Armstrong, the film starred
Neil Dudgeon
Neil Dudgeon (born 2 January 1961) is an English actor who, since 2010, has played DCI John Barnaby in the ITV drama series ''Midsomer Murders''. He replaced John Nettles in the lead role in 2011.
Early life and education
Dudgeon is the son o ...
and
Samantha Bond
Samantha Jane Bond (born 27 November 1961) is an English actress. She played Miss Moneypenny in four James Bond films during the Pierce Brosnan era, and appeared in ''Downton Abbey'' as the wealthy widow Lady Rosamund Painswick, sister of Rob ...
as scientists Neil McFarlane and Lisa Temple, who join to investigate a mysterious death. The film was writer
Michael Stewart's second science-based TV project, following
ITV's ''
Bliss
BLISS is a system programming language developed at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) by W. A. Wulf, D. B. Russell, and A. N. Habermann around 1970. It was perhaps the best known system language until C debuted a few years later. Since then, C ...
'', which premiered in 1995. According to BFI records, the original working title for the film was "''The Lab''".
The film co-starred
Dermot Crowley
Dermot Crowley (born 19 March 1947) is an Irish stage, film and television actor.
Life and career Theatre
Crowley's stage work has included a leading role in an Olivier Award winning production of Conor McPherson's '' The Weir'', which playe ...
,
Jasper Britton
Jasper Britton (born 11 December 1962) is an English actor.
Early life and education
Britton was born in Chelsea in London, and educated at Belmont Preparatory School, Sussex House School and Mill Hill School, north London. Britton is the on ...
and Janet Dale; with
Carolyn Pickles
Carolyn Pickles (born 8 February 1952) is a British actress from Halifax, England, who has appeared in West End theatre and on British television. She is known for playing DCI Kim Reid in ''The Bill'' and Shelley Williams in ''Emmerdale''.
...
,
Hugh Bonneville
Hugh Richard Bonniwell Williams (born 10 November 1963), known professionally as Hugh Bonneville, is an English actor. He is best known for portraying Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham, in the ITV historical drama series ''Downton Abbey'' from ...
,
Joe Swash
Joseph Adam Swash (born ) is a British actor and television presenter from London, best known for his role of Mickey Miller in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'' and various presenting roles with ITV2. He won the eighth series of '' I'm ...
and
Benedict Wong
Benedict Wong (born 3 July 1971) is an English actor. He began his career on stage before starring in the film '' Dirty Pretty Things'' (2002), which earned him a British Independent Film Award nomination, and the BBC sitcom '' 15 Storeys High ...
also amongst the additional cast members.
BBC Genome Project
The BBC Genome Project is an online searchable database of programme listings initially based upon the contents of the ''Radio Times'' from the first issue in 1923 to 2009. Television listings from post-2009 can be accessed via the BBC Programme ...
records list the original description for the film as; "''When a rare illness strikes down three people near a scientific research site, doctors battle against time to discover if a genetically-engineered pesticide, designed only to affect insects, has jumped the species gap during field tests.''" The film has never been released on VHS or DVD.
Cast
*
Neil Dudgeon
Neil Dudgeon (born 2 January 1961) is an English actor who, since 2010, has played DCI John Barnaby in the ITV drama series ''Midsomer Murders''. He replaced John Nettles in the lead role in 2011.
Early life and education
Dudgeon is the son o ...
as Dr. Neil McFarlane
*
Samantha Bond
Samantha Jane Bond (born 27 November 1961) is an English actress. She played Miss Moneypenny in four James Bond films during the Pierce Brosnan era, and appeared in ''Downton Abbey'' as the wealthy widow Lady Rosamund Painswick, sister of Rob ...
as Dr. Lisa Temple
*
Dermot Crowley
Dermot Crowley (born 19 March 1947) is an Irish stage, film and television actor.
Life and career Theatre
Crowley's stage work has included a leading role in an Olivier Award winning production of Conor McPherson's '' The Weir'', which playe ...
as Dr. Bill Galton
*
Jasper Britton
Jasper Britton (born 11 December 1962) is an English actor.
Early life and education
Britton was born in Chelsea in London, and educated at Belmont Preparatory School, Sussex House School and Mill Hill School, north London. Britton is the on ...
as Lenny Johnson
* Janet Dale as Gwenda Irwing
* Nigel Clauzel as Alex James
* Marius Stanescu as Stefan Popescu
*
Peter Jeffrey
Peter Jeffrey (18 April 1929 – 25 December 1999) was an English actor. Starting his performing career on stage, he later portrayed many roles in television and film.
Early life
Jeffrey was born in Bristol, the son of Florence Alice (née ...
as Professor Bannerman
* William Chubb as Det. Insp. Matthews
* Toby Salaman as Dr. John Underwood
*
Carolyn Pickles
Carolyn Pickles (born 8 February 1952) is a British actress from Halifax, England, who has appeared in West End theatre and on British television. She is known for playing DCI Kim Reid in ''The Bill'' and Shelley Williams in ''Emmerdale''.
...
as Diane Cresswell
*
Garry Cooper
Garry Cooper (born 2 June 1955) is an English actor.
He was born in Hull, East Yorkshire, on 2 June 1955. Garry trained at Drama Centre, London and has worked extensively in film, television and theatre.
Filmography
References
External ...
as Andy Cresswell
*
Joe Swash
Joseph Adam Swash (born ) is a British actor and television presenter from London, best known for his role of Mickey Miller in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'' and various presenting roles with ITV2. He won the eighth series of '' I'm ...
as Jason Cresswell
* Lisa Kelly as Heather Collins
* Hilary Lyon as Phillippa McFarlane
*
Hugh Bonneville
Hugh Richard Bonniwell Williams (born 10 November 1963), known professionally as Hugh Bonneville, is an English actor. He is best known for portraying Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham, in the ITV historical drama series ''Downton Abbey'' from ...
as Peter Schneider
*
Benedict Wong
Benedict Wong (born 3 July 1971) is an English actor. He began his career on stage before starring in the film '' Dirty Pretty Things'' (2002), which earned him a British Independent Film Award nomination, and the BBC sitcom '' 15 Storeys High ...
as Jerry Kane
* Vanessa Earl as Suzanne Drake
* Kathleen Bidmead as Olga Livingstone
References
External links
*
1997 films
1997 television films
1997 drama films
BBC Film films
British television films
{{tv-drama-film-stub