University of Wisconsin - Extension

Traffik is coming to Wisconsin Public Television (WPT). The acclaimed ExxonMobil Masterpiece Theatre miniseries that was the source of the Oscar- winning film "Traffic" airs in two parts, at 8 p.m. Sunday, June 10, and Sunday, June 17, on WPT.

Traffik, which uses the German spelling of the word, is a tour of the world of heroin that weaves together three plot lines to show the drug's devastating effect. Stops on the international heroin trail include Pakistan, Hamburg and London (replaced by the United States and Mexico in the movie). The series stars Bill Paterson as a British cabinet minister charged with stopping the flow of heroin into Britain; Julia Ormond as his heroin-addicted daughter; Jamal Shah as the hard-working Pakistani farmer whose livelihood depends on his poppy fields; and Lindsay Duncan as the clever British wife of a German drug lord.

Critics praised the 5+1/2-hour Masterpiece Theatre series as ``terrifik'' (Newsday) and ``thoroughly satisfying'' (Mirabella) when it premiered in 1990. Eleven years later, it's still getting rave reviews: ``Those who have seen and liked 'Traffic' will find Traffik gripping and well worth their while,'' said the Los Angeles Times. ``Twice as good when it was spelled with a 'k' instead of a 'c'," said New York Magazine. "'Traffic' is a perfectly fine effort; Traffik is a great one," raved the New York Daily News.

Winner of the 1990 International Emmy Award for Drama, Traffik was written by Simon Moore and directed by Alastair Reid.

WPT is a service of the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board and the University of Wisconsin-Extension.

Wisconsin Public Television provides programming addressing the issues of the day on WHA-TV/Madison, WPNE-TV/Green Bay, WHRM-TV/Wausau, WLEF-TV/Park Falls, WHLA-TV/La Crosse and WHWC-TV/Menomonie-Eau Claire.