Bafta-winning drama. Following difficulties with her parents, teenager Gemma Brogan leaves home. She falls under the spell of a young woman who introduce her to the world of alternative youth culture and drugs. Initially her new life seems glamorous and exciting but she soon discovers its dark side as she slides uncontrollably into heroin addiction.
Acting
Anita Dobson proving she's more than EastEnders.
Writing
Adapts Melvin Burgess's novel without sanitizing the attraction of drugs.
Director
Marcus D.F. White
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Part of a 1990s wave of British 'drug realism' including Trainspotting and Human Traffic, but made for television—proving the BBC could still shock.
Burgess's novel Junk was controversial for refusing moral judgment; the adaptation keeps this ambiguity, which is precisely why it worked as genuine anti-drug messaging rather than preachy nonsense.
US
GB
