S01E01 The Farmer
In Hamburg, a popular young German businessman is arrested and accused of being a drugs trafficker. His British wife, Helen, is faced with social and financial ruin and decides to take the family's future into...
Traffik
S01E05: The Politician
Jack returns to Pakistan to sign the aid agreement. Encouraged by the lawyer Roquia, he presses further, demanding specific arrests before he will sign. His political pressure on the authorities to take more action against known traffickers results in the destruction of a shanty town area of Karachi. Unknowingly, this brings about Fazal's downfall, who is set up as the fall guy by Tariq. Fazal is arrested and thrown in jail. Jack goes back to the North West frontier and finds himself in the middle of a personal crisis, having lost direction for the first time in his life. He smokes opium with a Pathan guide, and refuses to sign the aid agreement on his return to Karachi, causing uproar. Helen travels from Hamburg to Pakistan to agree a deal with Tariq Bhut, but she must prove herself worthy of his trust.
Overview
Traffik is a 1989 British television serial about the illegal drugs trade. Its three stories are interwoven, with arcs told from the perspectives of Afghan and Pakistani growers and manufacturers, German dealers, and British users. It was nominated for six BAFTA Awards, winning three. It also won an International Emmy Award for best drama.
The 2000 crime drama film Traffic, directed by Steven Soderbergh, was based on this television serial. In turn, the 2004 American television miniseries Traffic was based on both versions.
Episodes
S01E02 The Addict
Jack Lithgow returns to Britain from Pakistan to find that his daughter, Caroline, has been arrested on heroin charges after a student party. Jack confines her to the family home and watches her night and...
S01E03 The Criminal
Kurt, a German casino owner who financed Karl's heroin business, is hounding Helen. When she says she can't return the money he kidnaps one of her children. Desperate, Helen goes to Britain, where she gets...
S01E04 The Chemist
Jack Lithgow is still under heavy pressure from his job at the Home Office, but worse, his daughter takes a drugs overdose and is hospitalised. He books her into an expensive residential clinic to try...
S01E05 The Politician
Jack returns to Pakistan to sign the aid agreement. Encouraged by the lawyer Roquia, he presses further, demanding specific arrests before he will sign. His political pressure on the authorities to take more action against...
S01E06 The Courier
On his return to Britain, Jack is immediately sacked for his extraordinary behaviour in Pakistan. Not only this, but his wife has moved out, and Caroline has run away from the rehabilitation clinic. In Germany,...
Cast
Bill Paterson
John Lithgow
Lindsay Duncan
Helen Rosshalde
Jamal Shah
Fazal
Vincenzo Benestante
Domenquez
Talat Hussain
Tariq Butt
Juraj Kukura
Karl Rosshalde
Julia Ormond
Caroline Lithgow
