Badger by Owl-Light (1982)

[Daniel O'Brien]

This BBC serial starred Cavan Kendall as an agent involved with a rural commune and a religious sect called something like The Church of Christ the Psychopath. It was fairly violent for the time, with brutal beatings and at least one severed head. I'm not sure I saw the whole thing - I don't recall the ending at all - yet it's lingered in my mind. Presumably, it's still in the BBC archives, as the purge ended several years earlier. Plus, I think it was shot on film. Does anyone know if it was ever repeated? I guess a DVD release is unlikely, but you never know.

[Ian K McLachlan]

I remember this well. I featured James Wynne - Mr. Sutcliffe from Grange Hill as well as Carole Mowlam who was in Freewheelers.

[Andrew Martin]

dobrien said:

This BBC serial starred Cavan Kendall as an agent involved with a rural commune and a religious sect called something like The Church of Christ the Psychopath. It was fairly violent for the time, with brutal beatings and at least one severed head. I'm not sure I saw the whole thing - I don't recall the ending at all - yet it's lingered in my mind. Presumably, it's still in the BBC archives, as the purge ended several years earlier. Plus, I think it was shot on film. Does anyone know if it was ever repeated? I guess a DVD release is unlikely, but you never know.

It was shown 1, 8, 15 April 1982, and never repeated. It was made by BBC Scotland, and was indeed made on film. It does still exist in the archive. Written by Eddie Boyd, directed by Bob McIntosh. Others in the cast included John Carlisle, Bernard Horsfall and Andrew Keir.

[Daniel O'Brien]

Glad to hear it's still around, even if it's unlikely to surface anytime soon. I guess BBC4 is a possibility, though I'm not holding my breath.