Cracker is a British crime drama series produced by Granada Television for ITV, created and principally written by Jimmy McGovern. Set in Manchester, the series follows a criminal psychologist, Dr Edward "Fitz" Fitzgerald, played by Robbie Coltrane, who works with the Greater Manchester Police (GMP) to help them solve crimes.
Christopher Eccleston is an English actor whose work has encompassed Hollywood blockbusters and arthouse films, television dramas, Shakespearean stage performances and science fiction, most notably the ninth incarnation of the Doctor in the BBC series Doctor Who (2005). He starred as Matt Jamison in The Leftovers (2014–2017), and has frequently collaborated with filmmakers Danny Boyle and Michael Winterbottom.
James Stanley McGovern is an English screenwriter and producer. He is best known for creating the drama series Cracker (1993–1995), for which he received two Edgar Awards from the Mystery Writers of America. He also received recognition for creating drama series such as Hillsborough, The Lakes, The Street, and Accused, among others. On 8 December 2021, McGovern was conferred the Freedom of Liverpool in recognition of his life's work.
Eric "Ricky" Tomlinson is an English actor. He is best known for his television roles as Bobby Grant in the soap opera Brookside (1982–1988), DCI Charlie Wise in Cracker (1993–2006) and Jim Royle in The Royle Family (1998–2012). He also played the titular character in the 2001 football mockumentary Mike Bassett: England Manager.
Roy Boulter was the English drummer in the Liverpool-based pop group The Farm. He joined the band in 1987, enjoying success with the number one album, Spartacus, and hits such as "Groovy Train" and "All Together Now". The Farm re-formed, occasionally touring and playing festivals. In 2011 the band provided the nucleus of The Justice Tonight Band, joined by Mick Jones, Pete Wylie and Andrew Davitt. The band was formed to raise awareness about the injustice surrounding the Hillsborough disaster - Boulter and Farm lead-singer Peter Hooton were both present at the tragedy. The Justice Tonight Band toured the UK and Europe spreading the message about Hillsborough and the twenty-three years of injustice endured by the families and victims of the tragedy.
Geraldine Margaret Agnew-Somerville is an Irish-British actress. She is known for her roles in the film Gosford Park (2001) and the Harry Potter film series (2001–2011). Her other roles have included Daphne (2007), My Week with Marilyn (2011) and Grace of Monaco (2014). In 1995, Somerville was nominated for a BAFTA Award for playing Jane Penhaligon in the television series Cracker.
Danny Brocklehurst is an English screenwriter, playwright, and former journalist. He has won both BAFTA and Royal Television Society writing awards. He was featured in the writers' section of Broadcast magazine's Hot 100 in 2007. His 2024 Netflix drama Fool Me Once is the sixth most successful Netflix show of all time. In November 2024, The Hollywood Reporter named him as one of their "'top 50 most powerful producers".
Jane Annabelle Apsion is an English actress best known for playing Monica Gallagher in the television comedy-drama Shameless (2004-2013), Joy Wilton in Soldier Soldier (1991-1995), and Violet Buckle in Call the Midwife (2015-Present).
The Widowmaker is a 1990 made-for-television film directed by John Madden and starring Annabelle Apsion, Alun Armstrong, David Morrissey and Kenneth Welsh. The film deals with a woman whose husband has been arrested after going on a killing rampage and the reaction of her local community. It was produced In the United Kingdom by Central Independent Television for the ITV network and aired on 29 December 1990. It received a nomination for Best Single Drama at the 1991 BAFTA Awards.
The Street is a British drama television series created by Jimmy McGovern and produced by Granada Television for the BBC. The series follows the lives of various residents of an unnamed street in Manchester and features an all-star cast including Timothy Spall, Jim Broadbent, Jane Horrocks, Bob Hoskins, and David Thewlis.
Scot Williams, is an English actor, writer, and producer for stage, film and television.
Stephen Walters is an English actor. A regular in British television and film, he has played a wide range and variety of character roles in both drama and comedy. Walters is most commonly associated with unpredictable, complex figures. He was nominated for a Royal Television Society Best Actor award in 2013 for his role in the Sky Arts drama Ragged and in 2023 for a Supporting Actor (Male) award for his role in the ITV drama Anne.
Christine Murray, known professionally as Crissy Rock, is an English award-winning actress, stand-up comedian, and best-selling author, most notable for her role as Maggie Conlan in the 1994 film Ladybird, Ladybird, and as Janey York in Benidorm whom she played from 2007, until 2011 when she left the show, although she returned in Episode 6 of Series 5 for a cameo role, and then again for two episodes of Series 7 in 2015.
Accused is a British television anthology series created by Jimmy McGovern. The drama series first aired on 15 November 2010 on BBC One and has run for two series. Each episode follows a different character as they await their verdict in court, and tells the story behind how they find themselves accused. The series has featured actors and actresses such as Christopher Eccleston, Benjamin Smith, Juliet Stevenson, Andy Serkis, Marc Warren, Naomie Harris, Sean Bean and Anne-Marie Duff as the accused in each episode.
Nicola Shindler is a British television producer and executive, and founder of the independent television drama production company Quay Street Productions, having founded and run Red Production Company from 1998 to 2020. She has won eleven BAFTA TV Awards.
Framed is a British television crime drama series, created and written by acclaimed author Lynda La Plante, adapted from her novel of the same name. The four-part series, broadcast on ITV, ran from 27 November to 18 December 1992 and followed police officer Lawrence Jackson, who whilst on holiday in Spain, bumps into career criminal Eddie Myers, who was known to have been involved a bank robbery committed several years ago, but was never caught. The officer who investigated the original case, Jimmy McKinnes assigns Jackson to go undercover and live with Myers in an attempt to finally bring him to justice.
Carl Rice is a British actor from Liverpool. He has appeared in Brookside, Brassic, Jimmy McGovern’s Hearts and Minds and more. He also founded Milk Pictures in 2021.
Unforgotten is a British crime drama television series, which initially aired on ITV on 8 October 2015. It was created and written by Chris Lang and directed by Andy Wilson. The programme follows a team of London detectives led by DCI Cassie Stuart, DCI Jessie James and DI Sunny Khan as they solve cold cases of disappearance and murder.
Lewis Arnold is an English director working in television. He is best known for the shows Time, Sherwood and Des.
