I'ma unclear why this drama is so poorly rated. However, it may simply be that the premise of the plot is too subtle to draw the interest of it's audience. Prime numbers, mathematics and encryption don't immediately speak to high popular or readily accessible subjects for most audience. So perhaps this is the reason.
For me, Prime Target is an interesting and engaging dramatisation. I must confess, initially, to being misled by the name of the series. Meaning, I had thought this a criminal investigation drama, or similar genre. It's not, it's something quite separate from that. Rather, it is more aligned with a spy thriller genre.
Further, the reference to prime, as I thought "Prime Suspect", and thereby crime, is completely mistaken. Prime relates to prime numbers. Additionally, I discovered a key claim in the series dialogue that random large prime numbers are a foundational root of encryption schemas - digital security, is in fact quite true. This quickly elevates the intrigue and interest in the plotline and story development. Suddenly maths is very important. At least, it did for me.
Very quickly, we discover the initial key players aren't criminals or spy's, they're academics - mathematicians. Why would these people be in any way controversial? One younger, a post-grad-student being mentored, one older - the mentor, both at Cambridge University, England. Further, we discover early on in the storyline, these people are being actively surveilled - recorded on camera. Specifically, this capture refers to their work, their math work. Why?
Why would two seemingly scientifically esoterically engaged academics be under such intense scrutiny? It turns out both these individuals have, or had an active interest in pure mathematical research aligned to resolving a theorem which may accurately predict prime numbers. The inference being that, contrary to accepted orthodox scientific understanding, something which was held as random was in fact not. If true, the implications are profound. Potentially, almost all digital security could be circumvented. Finance, secure communication and secure political systems would all be open to compromise. So the stakes are quite high.
Further, and delightfully, the modern digital world is quickly situated in context by a quick history lesson aligned to the development of a key math concept: the number zero. Specifically, the discovery of the number zero. This occurred across a sequence of time periods and places and remains very fractured, and certainly not singular in its origin as an idea. Aligned to this, our dramatisation takes us to Iraq and a rediscovered 9th century Arabic basement library, of sorts.
Patternisation in the ceiling of this site, recognised by our young mathematician (actor: Leo Woodall), he finds is suggestive of a formulaic representation of a predictive prime number theorem - possibly. Such that, this historical artefact draws him and his passion, and near obsessive focus, to Iraq. From here the story really develops quickly.
Parallel to this development is a dangerously accompanying threat which seems to bring with it irreconcilable violence and betrayal, and an increasingly accelerating death count impacting those involved in this international governmental controversy.
