Deadline (1982 film)

Deadline (stylized as ..Deadline..) is a 1981 Australian-American made-for-television thriller drama film directed by Arch Nicholson and co-produced by the Australian division of Hanna-Barbera and New South Wales Film Corporation.

Plot
Journalist Barney Duncan (Barry Newman) discovers that an earthquake on the Australian outback was found to be a small nuclear detonation, and the work of an extortionist who vowed to detonate more devices unless his conditions for blackmail are met.

Cast

 * Barry Newman as Barney Duncan
 * Trisha Noble as Gillian Boles
 * Bruce Spence as Towie
 * Alwyn Kurts as Jack McGinty
 * Brian Blain as Dr. Durant
 * Willie Fennell as Old Alf

Production
It was originally known as Shadow Effects and was shot on location in Sydney, Canberra and the mining town of Broken Hill. It was a pilot for an unmade TV series which was to be called Foreign Correspondent.

At one stage Graham Kennedy was going to play a priest.

Production was held up due to protests from Actors Equity.

"I like the concept, it's a contemporary issue," said Newman during filming in December 1980. "I'm a news nut; my favorite actor is Walter Cronkite."