Harm Done
- Episode 23 / An Inspector Wexford Special
- Filmed on location in Berkshire, London and Surrey in April 2000
- First transmitted in one part in October 2000
- Adapted from the Ruth Rendell novel by Christopher Russell
- Directed by Bruce MacDonald
- A Blue Heaven Production for United Productions, Meridian Broadcasting
- DVD | Watch now
The story is really about abuse, not only the abuse of children but also the abuse of a wife by her husband and the hurt caused to children and families. It also addresses the prejudice caused by misunderstanding the nature of an abuser. It’s a very cleverly interwoven plot, and I believe Ruth Rendell is making something of a political statement. She’s bringing up something that should be addressed by society as a whole, even though some people might prefer to push it under the carpet.
Wexford is investigating the disappearance of a teenage girl when she suddenly turns up unharmed. Meanwhile, news that a convicted paedophile is being released into the community causes unrest among the residents of Kingsmarkham. Then when the three-year-old daughter of a local businessman vanishes, the crowd takes matters into its own hands.
As tension mounts, Wexford’s long-held views about family loyalties and the nature of abuse are challenged, and he finds himself—for the first time—questioning the law that he is bound to uphold. 1
Credits
- DCI Wexford
- George Baker
- DI Burden
- Christopher Ravenscroft
- Dora Wexford
- Louie Ramsay
- Jenny Burden
- Diane Keen
- Colin Crowne
- Russell Mabey 2
- Debbie Crowne
- Annette Bentley
- Stephen Devenish
- Simon Shepherd
- Fay Devenish
- Clare Holman
- Sanchia Devenish
- Scarlett Jenkins
- Edward Devenish
- Nick Robinson
- Robert Devenish
- Elliot Henderson-Boyle
- DS Vine
- Matthew Mills
- Lizzie Crowne
- Stacey Hart
- Sylvia
- Charon Bourke
- Brenda Boswell
- Eve Bland
- Carl Meeks
- Raymond Trickett
- Trevor Ferry
- Ian Bartholomew
- Gillian Ferry
- Susie Baxter
- Suzanne Smith
- Carol Harvey
- DS Malahyde
- Sasha Mitchell
- Thomas Smith
- Bryan Pringle 3
- Moira Wingrave
- Sarah Badel
- Vicky
- Ruth Mitchell
- Jerry
- Keith Newby
- Jane Andrews
- Sian Webber
- Tracey Miller
- Rebecca Manley
- Pathologist
- Bee Jaye
- Casting Director
- Doreen Jones 4
- Casting Assistant
- Helen Benger
- Associate Producer
- Graeme MacArthur
- Script Supervisor
- Marissa Cowell
- 1st AD
- Paul Judges
- Location Manager
- Peter Chadwick
- Art Directors
- Paul Cowell, Victoria Nelson
- Set Designer
- Paul Crips
- Production Buyer
- Graham Curtis
- Camera Operator
- John Hembrough
- Focus Puller
- Ian Clark
- Key Grip
- Doug Newton
- Gaffer Electrician
- John Donoghue
- Sound Recordist
- Rudi Buckle
- Boom Operator
- John Cassali
- Dubbing Editors
- Mark Lawes, Jamie Capel
- Dubbing Mixer
- Billy Mahoney
- Costume Designer
- Jan Collins
- Makeup Designers
- Toni Holmes, Debbie McKinlay
- Stunt Co-ordinator
- Nick Powell
- Production Designer
- Christine Ruscoe
- Director of Photography
- Alan Trow
- Film Editor
- Christopher Wentzell
- Executive Producer
- Graham Benson
- Producer
- Neil Zeiger
Notes
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Karen Malahyde is really quite dogged and ambitious. She is determined to have her own style and be different. It’s important to her politically as a feminist to remain a person in her own right. She always wants Wexford’s approval, and she reads voraciously, so she’s able to make literary connections and have a decent conversation with him. She and Burden will never hit it off as they don’t understand each other.
—Sasha Mitchell -
Harm Done was shot on location in April 2000 in Bray Studios, Berkshire, and RAF Northolt in South Ruislip. 5
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The producers enlisted the help of the Hampshire Constabulary, who ensured that the police incident room and press conference looked as realistic as possible. 6
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The final scene of Harm Done was filmed on Bagshot High Street in Surrey.
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Three months after filming, riots took place in Paulsgrove in Hampshire, following the News of the World campaign to “name and shame” local paedophiles. 7
Footnotes
Wexford Returns, Meridian Broadcasting Ltd, 1 October 2000. ↩︎
Bryan Pringle 1935-2002: obituary by Eric Shorter, The Guardian. ↩︎
Doreen Jones 1940-2017: obituary by Derek Granger, The Guardian. ↩︎
Press release, Meridian Broadcasting Ltd, 3 March 2000. ↩︎
Wexford to hang up his trilby?, Frontline, 1 October 2000. ↩︎
Families flee paedophile protests, BBC, 9 August 2000. ↩︎
