The Last Train
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article refers to the British TV drama serial. For the Bridge game convention, see Last Train.
| The Last Train | |
|---|---|
 The superimposed title for The Last Train at the start of episode 2 |
|
| Format | science fiction drama |
| Created by | Matthew Graham |
| Directed by | Stuart Orme Alex Pillai |
| Starring | Nicola Walker Christopher Fulford Steve Huison Treva Etienne Amita Dhiri James Hazeldine Janet Dale Zoe Telford Sacha Dhawan Dinita Gohil Ralph Brown Caroline Carver |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Running time | approx. 50 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | ITV |
| Original run | 7 April 1999 – 6 May 1999 |
| External links | |
| IMDb profile | |
| TV.com summary | |
The Last Train (Cruel Earth in Canada and America) is a British six-part post-apocalyptic television drama serial first aired on the ITV network in 1999. It has since been repeated on ITV2 in 1999/2001 and on numerous occasions on the UK Sci-Fi Channel. The serial was written by Matthew Graham and produced for ITV by Granada Television.
In the United States, the Fox Network purchased the rights to produce a new version of the series soon after its original UK transmission. Retitled The Ark, the idea has not progressed beyond pilot stage.
Contents |
[edit] Plot synopsis
Following a random group of individuals heading to Sheffield, it followed the survival of a mixed group of passengers on a train who were accidentally cryogenically frozen. Waking up decades later, the passengers find that they are some of the last remaining humans to survive an apocalyptic meteor strike, and are alone in the British countryside. Scientist Harriet Ambrose (Nicola Walker) was making her way to a top-secret government project known as "Ark", supposedly a project to save humanity. The journey that follows revolves mainly around Harriet's obsession to reach the Ark and her boyfriend Jonathan Geddes (Ralph Brown) despite not being aware how many years have passed.
Upon being unfrozen, Harriet and her fellow passengers explore a post-apocalyptic Sheffield apparently deserted excepting a pack of rabid dogs. Thawed thief Mick Sizer (Treva Etienne) then leads the other passengers to his lock-up garage and the group sets off in his Mercedes Sprinter van in search of the Ark and hopefully more survivors.
[edit] Cast and Crew
[edit] Main characters
| Actor/Actress | Character |
|---|---|
| Nicola Walker | Harriet Ambrose, a Ministry of Defence scientist responsible for the accidental freezing of the train carriage. She emerges as one of the 'leaders' of the group. |
| Christopher Fulford | Ian Hart, a policeman who boarded the train whilst chasing Mick, he lost a wife and child in the strike, he has strong feelings for Jandra. |
| Steve Huison | Colin Wallace, a businessman who's sanity soon begins to slip, he cares for Roe, and subsequently tries to rape her, he deliberately locks Mick outside of Ark. |
| Treva Etiene | Mick Sizer (Michael Smith), a thief and smooth-talker who becomes the unofficial leader of the group. He feels something for Roe, but is crucified by Hild's people. |
| Amita Dhiri | Jandra Nixon, mother of Leo and Anita, she is escaping an abusive husband, and seeks solace with Ian, she succumbs to her injuries from falling into the refinery. |
| James Hazeldine | Austin Danforth, a plumber (and possibly ex-electrician) who sees his wife die soon before the strike, he becomes a father-figure to much of the group, he is crucified along with Mick when Hild's people are locked out of Ark. |
| Janet Dale | Jean Wilson, a practitioner of medicine in her spare time, she delivers the news of Jandra's death. |
| Zoe Telford | Roe Germaine, a young pregnant woman on the way to get an abortion, she sleeps with Mick, and ultimately saves him in the end. |
| Sacha Dhawan | Leo Nixon, son of Jandra, a teenager with misguided anger issues, he is responsible for Jandra's death, but also rescues the group from the refinery. |
| Dinita Gohil | Anita Nixon, daughter of Jandra, a young girl whom the group are quite protective of, she befriends Hild, many episodes begin or end with her diary-entry narration, a trend continued by Leo in episode five. |
| Caroline Carver | Hild, one of the other survivors, a pregnant young woman who befriends Anita and seems to care about the group, she is running from her people. |
[edit] Supporting Cast
Ordered alphabetically
- Guard (Roger Bingham) - Episode 1
- Johnathan Geddes (Ralph Brown), the man whom Harriet is seeking at Ark. They had a romantic relationship, the only time we see him is in a video recording up until the last episode. - Episodes 2 and 6
- Karen (Joy Carradice) - Episode 6
- Mark (Kenneth Colley), father of Gillian and founder of Mareby, he wants the group to stay with him and sabotages the van. - Episode 5
- Darren (Chris Cook)
- Archie (Robert Dunn) - Episode 1
- Danny (Justin Ellery) - Episode 1
- Gillian (Deborah Findlay), daughter of Mark, she's had several still-born babies. - Episode 5
- Sam (John Flitcroft) - Episode 1
- Becky (Abigail Hayes) - Episode 1
- Teenager (Chris Hoyle) - Episode 1
- Miss. Eversleigh (Mary Jones)
- Coats (Josh Moran) - Episode 1
- Behemoth (David Nicholls) - Episode 6 (not credited in episode 5)
- Hornrim (Phil Smeeton) - Episode 6 (not credited in episode 5)
- Midwife (Flo Wilson) - Episode 4
[edit] Episodes
| # | Title | Director | UK Airdate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | "Episode One" | Stuart Orme | April 7, 1999 |
| On a train heading for Sheffield only Harriet Ambrose knows what is about to happen; an impending collision by an asteroid. A canister of cryogenic material is dislodged from her rucksack and spills its contents into the train carriage, causing all the passengers to be cryogenically frozen. Revived some time later, the passengers emerge from the tunnel in which their train had previously crashed, and begin to explore a very different world. Also their new environment begins to show its true nature; two of the group are lost to rabid dogs, and acid rain forces the other survivors to take shelter. The last shot of this episode is that of a gravestone dated 2012, our first sign that the survivors were frozen for longer than their current estimate of 'weeks'; at least 13 years longer. | |||
| 02 | "Episode Two" | Stuart Orme | April 8, 1999 |
| The group heads into the city to find a government bunker where Harriet hopes to find Jonathan and essential supplies, but all the supplies are gone, as is Jonathan, leaving behind a cryptic message for Harriet divulging the location of Ark. Roe, realising the futility of their survival, attempts to abort her unborn child in the church rather than have it bought into such a harsh world, but is startled by the appearance of Hild, who disappears before she can speak with her. Several of the passengers see a young pregnant survivor, as well as a less-peaceful male. Also, unbalanced businessman Colin uncovers a grave dated 2013, and informs the group that maybe their freezing wasn't a matter of weeks. | |||
| 03 | "Episode Three" | Alex Pillai | April 15, 1999 |
| The group heads north seeking the mysterious Ark, but is side-tracked when the group see what they believe to be a signal from other survivors but, alas, it just leads to a long-abandoned farmhouse. Finding a fresh water supply, the group wishes to stay, but a sabotage attempt by Harriet forces them to move on. Whilst chasing a wild boar, the van crashes, and several of the men follow the boar's squeals into an old refinery. Meanwhile, the pregnant survivor from the end of last episode makes contact, speaking almost exclusively in sign language to Anita, and identifies herself as Hild. During the pursuit of the boar, a panther attacks, but is ultimately defeated. Whilst feasting on their first meal in the harsh new world, Jandra and Iain share an intimate moment witnessed by her son. In a misguided display of rage, a shocked Leo watches distraught as his mum falls into darkness. | |||
| 04 | "Episode Four" | Alex Pillai | April 22, 1999 |
| Jandra is in a critical condition after falling from the refinery, and the group (minus Leo) are forced to take cover by her side when the acid rain begins again. We discover that Hild is able to speak perfect English, and feigns choking in order to persuade a still deeply upset Leo to rescue the others, and succeed in un-sticking the van. The journey is again upset by the greatly-swollen banks of the river Tees, although Hild shows them a deserted holiday camp where they find a boat, guarded by three strangers. The group is fired upon, and Harriet is forced to kill a man, and they successfully commandeer the boat. Upon arrival back at the van, they discover Jandra has died, but their mourning is interrupted by the arrival of more men on horseback, who open fire. The group is forced to flee, although no-one further is injured thanks to the actions of Hild (whom the survivors seem reluctant to fire upon), who now joins the group on their quest to find Ark. | |||
| 05 | "Episode Five" | Alex Pillai | April 29, 1999 |
| The survivors, still fleeing from the armed horsemen, cross the boundaries warning of plague to take refuge in a seemingly deserted, 'though well-maintained, village. However, they soon discover the village is inhabited by two peaceful survivors; a man and his daughter, who survived the apocalypse by hiding down a mine shaft, and who set a definitive date for the meteor impact: 51 years ago! Harriet convinces them that her group is from the south and survived by staying underground, and whilst everyone celebrates with the alcohol and amenities offered by the local pub, she and Hild uncover the true nature of the villagers, as she is knocked unconscious and the van burnt. Meanwhile, Mick and a pregnant Roe make love, observed by Colin, who later becomes disillusioned and attempts to rape her. The group discover the burning van just as the gunmen on horseback return, held at bay by Mick and Colin until everyone is safely in the church. Once everyone has retreated inside, it is discovered to be a shrine to babies, as everyone in the village was left sterile 16 years after the strike. The riders demand the return of Hild, who leaves willingly, but Anita runs out also, and is taken by the riders. Leo continues his sister's diary as the group leave the village, on foot now, with the dual purpose of finding Ark, and reuniting with Anita. | |||
| 06 | "Episode Six" | Stuart Orme | May 5, 1999 |
| Some time has passed since episode five. The group finally arrive at the fabled Ark, but Hild's people have been following, and in the ensuing fight Austin is taken, and a jealous Colin seals the door, leaving Mick trapped outside. The other survivors, claiming they need medical supplies for the delivery of Hild's baby (she is now having contractions), crucify Mick and Austin as the group watches horrified, and Roe suspects Colin for Mick's capture, and threatens to kill him. Meanwhile Harriet sets off alone to finally reunite with Jonathan, although the man she meets wasn't the same one she left behind. A distraught Roe hurries to Mick's rescue, spared by Anita's cries of “Don't shoot, she's got a baby!”, and the survivors justify their harsh justice. Ian comforts a distraught Harriet as the shocking truth about the ‘Children of Ark’ is revealed, and all the survivors come together as Hild gives birth to a healthy baby girl. | |||
[edit] Inspirations
The Last Train is often likened to several other British television series, most notably Survivors, The Changes and Threads, although this is largely due to the fact that they all revolve around post-apocalyptic Britain, rather than any deeper thematic similarities. Also of similar note is The Death Of Grass - filmed as No Blade of Grass - by British-born writer John Christopher.
[edit] Production
The series' working title was Cruel Earth, under which it aired in Canada and America. Although the railway station shown in the programme that is said to be Sheffield railway station is in fact the derelict Manchester Mayfield railway station in Manchester. The camp featured in episode 4 is an old Pontin's holiday camp in Rhyl, North Wales (Tower Beach Holiday Camp), while the village in episode 5 is Wardle, a small pennine village near to Littleborough in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. The series was written by Matthew Graham, who went on to co-create and write Life on Mars, its spin-off Ashes to Ashes, and also wrote the episode Fear Her for the 2006 series of Doctor Who.
