Deadline (stylized as ..Deadline..) is a 1981 Australian-American made-for-television thriller drama film directed by Arch Nicholson and co-produced by the Australian division of Hanna-Barbera and New South Wales Film Corporation.
Plot
Journalist Barney Duncan (Barry Newman) discovers that an earthquake on the Australian outback was found to be a small nuclear detonation, and the work of an extortionist who vowed to detonate more devices unless his conditions for blackmail are met.
Cast
Barry Newman as Barney Duncan
Trisha Noble as Gillian Boles
Bruce Spence as Towie
Alwyn Kurts as Jack McGinty
Brian Blain as Dr. Durant
Production
It was originally known as Shadow Effects and was shot on location in Sydney, Canberra and the mining town of Broken Hill. It was a pilot for an unmade TV series which was to be called Foreign Correspondent.
At one stage Graham Kennedy was going to play a priest.
Production was held up due to protests from Actors Equity.
"I like the concept, it's a contemporary issue," said Newman during filming in December 1980. "I'm a news nut; my favorite actor is Walter Cronkite."