A Line in the Sand

What's the televisual equivalent of judging a book by its cover? In other words, has Ross Kemp - the actor formerly known as a straightforward, hard-asnails EastEnder with tricky family issues - been typecast during his years at ITV1?

Perhaps not; after all, there are plenty of ITV1-friendly roles he has still to make his own. He could star as a plummy detective in a university town, or a 1960s Yorkshire doctor, or a maverick female cop... Well, perhaps not that last one. However, A Line in the Sand casts Kemp as - guess what? - a straightforward, hardasnails bloke with tricky family issues.

To be fair to Kemp, though, this drama has languished on a shelf at ITV Towers for nearly three years, when the channel's big cheeses decided that its subject matter was inappropriate for broadcast in the aftermath of 11 September 2001. So is it suitable to watch now? And - more to the point - is it any good?

Kemp stars as Gavin Hughes, a salesman for an agricultural-machinery company whose patch includes Iran. He has realised that his customers don't want his machines for sorting their crops, but for mixing explosives. MI6, being inquisitive types, have also sussed this, and offer him a choice: co-operation with them, or a stretch at Her Majesty's Pleasure.

Unsurprisingly, he chooses the former, until his information makes him a marked man and he has to be relocated, leaving his wife and son behind. Cue loneliness, a new girlfriend and an idyllic family set-up. Except look, what's this? Why, it's the past!

So, there we are. Predictable though the plot may be, it's told in a fast-moving style with lots of explosions for the boys and tears for the girls. Kemp turns in a decent performance and plainly tries his best to kick life into some truly useless dialogue.

But, as his "golden handcuffs" deal with ITV1 comes to an end, is this the last we'll see of Kemp as a tough guy? The phrase "If it ain't broke..." springs to mind.