Children of the North

Children of the North is a British television thriller drama series, written by John Hale, that first broadcast on BBC2 on 30 October 1991. The series, comprising four episodes, was based on the novel trilogy The Killing of Yesterday's Children, Lonely the Man Without Heroes and A Darkness in the Eye by author M.S. Power. All four episodes were directed by David Drury, with Chris Parr acting as executive producer.

The series starred Patrick Malahide as Colonel Mailer, an MI5 agent whose chauffeur is killed during an IRA assassination attempt on Mailer and Michael Gough as Arthur Apple, a bookie who launders money for the IRA. The series has never been re-broadcast or released on DVD.

Production
According to a Sydney Morning Herald review, Malahide's character is "nearing retirement from a shattering life in military intelligence". Tony Doyle, Adrian Dunbar, and John Kavanagh co-starred with Malahide and Gough. The original BBC plotline for the series read, "When two MI6 officers are shot dead in an unmarked car, assassination attempts, money laundering operations and peace talks follow as hitman Martin Deeley (Adrian Dunbar) is simultaneously chased by members of the IRA, the RUC, and the army".

Behind-the-scenes production photos were later uploaded on social media website Pinterest by the owner of the land where part of the series was filmed.

Cast

 * Patrick Malahide as Colonel Mailer; a military intelligence operative
 * Michael Gough as Arthur Apple; a bookie who launders money for the IRA
 * Tony Doyle as John Axton; an RUC Special Branch officer
 * John Kavanagh as Seamus Reilly; an IRA 'godfather'
 * Adrian Dunbar as Martin Deeley; an assassin

Recurring

 * Paul Brooke as Ballister
 * Jonathan Hyde as Colonel Shrapnel
 * Ian McElhinney as O'Hare
 * Sean Caffrey as IRA Chief of Staff
 * John Hewitt as Moran
 * Frankie McCafferty as Fergal
 * Brian McGrath as McIlliver
 * Tony Byrne as Dowling