Confessional (TV series)

Lore & Background

Confessional was produced by Granada Television for the ITV network and originally aired in four parts from 4 to 25 October 1989. The cast includes Robert Lindsay as Thomas Kelly, Keith Carradine as Liam Devlin, Simon Chandler as Fox, Robert Lang as Brigadier Charles Ferguson, Valentina Yakunina as Tanya Maslovskaya, and Arthur Brauss as General Maslovsky. Other notable cast members include Anthony Quayle as The Pope and Catherine Rabett as Jane Barclay.

Reader's Guide

Confessional represents a television adaptation of Jack Higgins's 1985 spy novel, brought to the screen by Granada Television for ITV. The miniseries is notable for its Cold War-era espionage plot, which intertwines a rogue Soviet assassin with the political tensions of Northern Ireland. The series features a cast of British and international actors, including Robert Lindsay and Keith Carradine, and was directed by Gordon Flemyng. Its four-episode format allowed for a detailed narrative, though the series has not been widely discussed in later years. The show's significance lies in its adaptation of a popular spy novel and its reflection of late-1980s television thriller conventions.

Did You Know?

• The series is based on the 1985 spy novel of the same name by Jack Higgins.
• It was adapted for television by James Mitchell and directed by Gordon Flemyng.
• The miniseries originally aired in four parts from 4 to 25 October 1989 on ITV.
• Anthony Quayle appears in the cast as The Pope.