Stolen (BBC-1 2011, Damian Lewis)

Thriller Stolen (which was originally known as Taken) takes us headlong into the troubling world of human traffiking. Damian Lewis headlines as Detecive Inspector Anthony Carter who gets way too personally involved in his job in the Human Trafficking Unit. On the wall in his office he has a wall of photographs of unknown children all of whom have been smuggled into the country to be used as exploitative labour and often much much worse. Anthony is determined to make a difference and begins investigating the plight of three children in particular – 11 year old West African girl Rosemary; 15 year old Kim Pak from Vietnam and 14 year old Georgie from the Ukraine.

It’s a disturbing subject of course and naturally any drama that highlights the all too real plights of children (and adults) caught up in this world is definitely to be applauded.

production details
UK / BBC One / 1×90 minute episode / Broadcast Sunday 3 July 2011 @ 9.00pm

Writer: Stephen Butchard / Director: Justin Chadwick

cast
DAMIAN LEWIS as Detective Inspector Anthony Carter
INOKENTIJS VITKEVICS as Georgie
ANNA KRIPPA as Russian Woman
IULIIA IRAOVA as Russian Girl
YUSRA WARSAMA as Anna Costa
GLORIA OYEWUMI as Rosemary
JESSIE CLAYTON as Ellie Carter
MARIAN BARBU as DVD Seller
PETER LE as Vietnamese Man
THIEN NGUYEN as Vietnamese Boy
JENNIFER BROOKS as Policewoman
WUNMI MOSAKU as Sonia Carey
JO HARTLEY as April Harris
JEAN WALKER as Teacher
TOLU OGEDENGBE as Keisha
VICTORIA OYEWUMI as Girl in Cap
VICKY McCLURE as DC Manda Healey
RICHARD OLDHAM as Man
CARL O’ROURKE as Gangmaster
MICHAEL SMILEY as Sean
YURLY KOZAK as Guitar Player
IGORS VITKEDVICS as Dani
HUY PHAM as Kim Pak
COSIMA SHAW as Alison Carter
BABOU CEESAY as David
NONSO ANOZIE as Thomas Ekoku
LEEMORE MARRETT JR as Michael Oldedego
ONY UHIARA as Grace
LENNY WOOD as Man in Crash
PETRA OLAJIDE as Serena Okoku
KWAKU NUAMAH as Son
AYO OLABAMPE as Daughter
INARA JARINOVSKA as Georgie’s Mum
AFUA NUAMAH as African Girl

Head of film reviews at The Viewers Guide with an erudite, insightful, slightly sardonic, deep appreciation for classic cinema. Has a habit of quoting obscure lines from old films in everyday conversation. He keeps a meticulously organized film logbook. He's a bit of a tea snob.