CRACKER: THE MAD WOMAN IN THE ATTIC {PART 1 OF 2} {SERIES PREMIERE} (TV)
Summary
Part one of two in this British drama series about Dr. Eddie "Fitz" Fitzgerald, a brilliant forensic psychologist who drinks and gambles to excess and has a troubled family life. Fitz gets involved in solving crimes that confound the Manchester police. In this episode Fitz is devastated by a double blow: his wife leaves him after learning that his gambling has once again gotten out of control, and a beautiful young student of his is found brutally knifed to death in a train compartment. The initial police investigation reveals that the girl's murder bears the same bizarre trademark as the recent slaying of another young woman and may be the work of a serial killer with a penchant for train travel. Later, the police arrive at the scene when an injured man is found lying near the railroad tracks. The blood smeared on his shoes matches that of the dead student, and the police surmise that he killed her and jumped off the train in a botched escape attempt. However, there is a snag: the man claims amnesia and says he does not know whether he committed the crime or not. He does not crack even after hours of often hostile police interrogation, and the police grow increasingly frustrated because they will soon have to release him since the murder weapon has not been found. Fitz offers his assistance to the slain girl's parents and tries his own style of questioning on the suspect whom he finds to be a sensitive, educated man. Fitz implores him to confess for the sake of the girl's parents, but the suspect steadfastly denies any memory of his past or of the murder. (Continues with "PT. 2 OF 2," T:32357.)
(In the United States, "Cracker: The Mad Woman in the Attic" was shown in its entirety as a two-hour movie on the Arts & Entertainment Network on Tuesday, March 29, 1994, at 9:00 p.m. EST.)
Details
- NETWORK: ITV (United Kingdom)
- DATE: September 27, 1993 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:50:37
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:32356
- GENRE: Drama, mystery/suspense; Drama, police/private detective
- SUBJECT HEADING: Amnesia - Drama; Drama, mystery/suspense; Drama, police/private detective; International Collection - United Kingdom; Murder; Psychology, Forensic
- SERIES RUN: ITV (United Kingdom) - TV series, 1993-1996
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Sally Head … Executive Producer
- Gub Neal … Producer
- Michael Winterbottom … Director
- Jimmy McGovern … Writer
- Julian Wastall … Music by
- DuBose Heyward … Lyrics by, "Summertime"
- George Gershwin … Music by, "Summertime"
- Ted Koehler … Lyrics by, "Stormy Weather"
- Harold Arlen … Music by, "Stormy Weather"
- Carol Kidd … Singer, "Summertime" and "Stormy Weather"
- Robbie Coltrane … Cast, Dr. Eddie ("Fitz") Fitzgerald
- Barbara Flynn … Cast, Judith Fitzgerald
- Christopher Eccleston … Cast, D.C.I. Billborough
- Lorcan Cranitch … Cast, D.S. Beck
- Geraldine Somerville … Cast, D.S. Penhaligon
- Kieran O'Brien … Cast, Mark Fitzgerald
- Adrian Dunbar … Cast, Kelly
- Kika Markham … Cast, Ann Appleby
- John Grillo … Cast, Simon Appleby
- Rob Palmer … Cast, the Racing Commentator
- Jeffrey Robert … Cast, the Head of Psychology
- Devine, Andy (British) … Cast, the Guard on Train
- Louise Downie … Cast, Jacqui Appleby
- Ian Mercer … Cast, D.C. Giggs
- Ron Meadows … Cast, Roberts
- Paul Copley … Cast, the Pathologist
- Kerry Shale … Cast, the Scene-of-the-Crime Expert
- Vincent Paul Davies … Cast, the Taxi Driver
- Tess Thomson … Cast, Kate Fitzgerald
- Carol Kidd … Cast, the Nightclub Singer
- Peter Faulkner … Cast, Mike
- Kathy Jamieson … Cast, Jo
- Paulette Constable … Cast, the Waitress
- Vanessa Kirkpatrick … Cast, the Newscaster
- Julie Westwood … Cast, the PR Woman
- Philippa Howell … Cast, Dr. Turner
- Alan David … Cast, Hanrahan
- Tony Xu … Cast, Dr. Soraya
- Sunetra Sarker … Cast, the Receptionist
- Seamus O'Neill … Cast, D.C. Jones
- Renny Krupinski … Cast, the Voice Expert
- Fine Time Fontayne … Cast, the Bookie
- Danny Davies … Cast, the Ticket Inspector