Executive Producers Lloyd Shirley and George Taylor Produced by Ted Childs Created by Ian Kennedy Martin UK Police series 1975-78 53 episodes x 60 min color film starring John Thaw as Det. Inspector Jack Regan Dennis Waterman as Detective Sergeant George Carter Garfield Morgan as Detective Chief Inspector Frank Haskins With: John Alkin as DC Tom Daniels Morris Perry as Detective Chief Inspector Maynon Stephanie Turner as Alison Carter Premise; This action series, based on the work of Scotland Yard's 'Flying Squad', was developed from the "Armchair Cinema" presentation "Regan". The series title is derived from the cockney rhyming-slang - "Sweeney Todd" = "Flying Squad". The Sweeney - in a tight spot Music by Harry South w. Trevor Preston / d.

Terry Green 2 January 1975 1.2 [--] The Sweeney: Jackpot Tony Marsh Tom Clegg 9 January 1975 1.3 [--] The Sweeney: Thin Ice Troy Kennedy Martin Tom Clegg 16 January 1975 1.4 [--] The Sweeney: Queen's Pawn Ranald Graham Viktors Ritelis 23 January 1975 1.5 [--] The Sweeney: Jigsaw Tudor Gates William Brayne 30 January 1975 1.6 [--] The Sweeney: Night Out Troy Kennedy Martin David Wickes 6 February 1975 1.7 [--] The Sweeney: The Placer Trevor Preston Ted Childs 13 February 1975 1.8 [--] The Sweeney: Cover Story Ranald Graham Douglas Camfield 20 February 1975 1.9 [--] The Sweeney: Golden Boy Martin Hall Tom Clegg 27 February 1975 1.10 [--] The Sweeney: Stoppo Driver Allan Prior Terry Green 6 March 1975 1.

11 [--] The Sweeney: Big Spender Allan Prior Viktors Ritelis 13 March 1975 1.12 [--] The Sweeney: Contact Breaker Robert Banks Stewart William Brayne 20 March 1975 1.13 [--] The Sweeney: Abduction Trevor Preston Tom Clegg 27 March 1975 --------------------- A mother naturally loses her son - but in this case it's not so easy for Regan and Carter to share her emotions.

2.7 [20] The Sweeney: GOLDEN FLEECE w. Roger Marshall / d. David Wickes 13 October 1975 2.8 [21] The Sweeney: Poppy Trevor Preston Tom Clegg 20 October 1975 2.9 [22] The Sweeney: STAY LUCKY, EH? w. Trevor Preston / d. Douglas Camfield 27 October 1975 2.10 [23] The Sweeney: Trojan Bus Roger Marshall Ted Childs 3 November 1975 2.11 [24] The Sweeney: I Want the Man Ray Jenkins Tom Clegg 10 November 1975 2.12 [25] The Sweeney: Country Boy Andrew Wilson Jim Goddard 17 November 1975 2.13 [26] The Sweeney: THOU SHALT NOT KILL w. Ranald Graham / d.

Douglas Camfield 24 November 1975 3.1 [27] The Sweeney: SELELCTED TARGET 6Sep76 ITV Mon 9pm written by Troy Kennedy Martin / directed by Tom Clegg 3.2 [28] The Sweeney: IN FROM THE COLD w. Tony Hoare / d. Terry Green 13 September 1976 3.3 [29] The Sweeney: Visiting Fireman Troy Kennedy Martin Tom Clegg 20 September 1976 3.3 [30] The Sweeney: Tommorow Man Andrew Wilson David Wickes 27 September 1976 3.4 [31] The Sweeney: TASTE OF FEAR w. Roger Marshall / d. David Wickes 4 October 1976 3.5 [32] The Sweeney: BAD APPLE w. Roger Marshall / d. Douglas Camfield 11 October 1976 3.6 [33] The Sweeney: MAY w. Trevor Preston / d.

Tom Clegg 25 October 1976 3.7 [34] The Sweeney: Sweet Smell of Succession Peter Hill William Brayne 8 November 1976 3.8 [35] The Sweeney: Down to You Brother Richard Harris Chris Menaul 22 November 1976 3.9 [36] The Sweeney: Payoff Peter J Hammond Douglas Camfield 29 November 1976 3.10 [37] The Sweeney: Loving Arms Robert Wales Tom Clegg 6 December 1976 3.11 [38] The Sweeney: Lady Luck Ranald Graham Mike Vardy 13 December 1976 3.12 [39] The Sweeney: ON THE RUN w. Roger Marshall / d.

David Wickes 29 December 1976 4.1 [40] The Sweeney: Messenger of the Gods Trevor Preston Terry Green 7 September 1978 4.2 [41] The Sweeney: Hard Men Troy Kennedy Martin Graham Baker 14 September 1978 4.3 [42] The Sweeney: Drag Act Ted Childs Tom Clegg 21 September 1978 4.4 [43] The Sweeney: Trust Red Richard Harris Douglas Camfield 28 September 1978 4.5 [44] The Sweeney: Nightmare Ranald Graham David Wickes 5 October 1978 4.6 [45] The Sweeney: Money, Money, Money Trevor Preston Sid Roberson 12 October 1978 4.7 [46] The Sweeney: Bait Trevor Preston Sid Roberson 19 October 1978 4.8 [47] The Sweeney: The Bigger they Are Tony Hoare Mike Vardy 26 October 1978 4.9 [48] The Sweeney: Feet

 of Clay Roger Marshall Chris Burt 2 November 1978 4.10 [49] The Sweeney: One of Your Own Tony Hoare Chris Menaul 9 November 1978 4.11 [50] The Sweeney: Hearts and Minds Donald Churchill & Ted Childs Mike Vardy 23 November 1978 4.12 [51] The Sweeney: Latin Lady Ted Childs Peter Smith 30 November 1978 4.13 [52] The Sweeney: Victims Roger Marshall Ben Bolt 14 December 1978 4.14 [53] The Sweeney: Jack or Knave Ted Childs Tom Clegg 28 December 1978 ################## the end ################### ############################################## Have you any comments, corrections, episode titles, air dates, production numbers, directors, writers, story/synopsis, guest stars, cast lists, etc?

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One of Britain’s most well-loved actors, John Thaw, died on February 21, 2002, at the age of 60. His career had spanned more than 40years, during which time he was a regular on British television screens. Mr Thaw excelled in a wide variety of roles from the dark and serious to the romantic and even humorous. He was as comfortable on the screen as on the stage, starring in award-winning films and in Royal Shakespeare Company productions. But he will be remembered for his huge success in television detective and law dramas. He captured the hearts of audiences and will probably remain best-loved for his role as Inspector Morse. John Edward Thaw was born on the 3rd January 1942 in Manchester. His school drama teacher spotted his talent for acting and, at the age of 16, he successfully auditioned for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London. At the end of his RADA studies, Mr Thaw was awarded a contract with the Liverpool Playhouse. He began his career playing minor roles in many films and television dramas, including The Avengers. In 1964, he married his first wife Sally Alexander.

They had a daughter but later divorced. He married his second wife Sheila Hancock in 1973. They had one daughter together, and Mr Thaw also adopted Mrs Hancock’s child from her first marriage. In the 1970s and 1980s, Mr Thaw returned to the stage with appearances in productions by the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theatre. In 1987, he was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Bafta for his role in the film Cry Freedom. But his real success came with two detective series, playing tough Jack Regan in The Sweeney (1975–1978) and the eponymous detective in Inspector Morse (1987–2000). He also played a barrister in Kavanagh QC (1995–1999). As Inspector Morse, Mr Thaw became a British television icon, winning two Bafta Awards for the role in 1989 and 1992. He was awarded the CBE in 1994 and the Bafta Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001.

Mr Thaw died at home shortly after his 60th birthday, following a battle with oesophageal cancer. In 1990, he was voted ITV Personality of the Year and Time Awards Favourite Actor in 1991. His popularity has endured even after his death - in a 2006 public poll of TV’s Greatest Stars, Mr Thaw came third. His kindness and generosity lives on in the John Thaw Foundation that he set up before he died. The charity works to help underprivileged youths to access opportunities, especially in the arts. When his character died in the final episode of Inspector Morse in 2000, 13 million viewers tuned in. Share your memories BFI Screenonline: Thaw, John (1942-2002) Biography Among the most consistently bankable of stars, John Thaw was born in Manchester. A versatile actor with an enormous range on television, screen and stage, he will forever be remembered for portraying two definitive fictional policemen: the tough Jack Regan and the introspective Endeavour Morse.

An underage (he was 16) successfully auditioned for a place at RADA , where he graduated with honours; he made his professional stage debut at the Liverpool Playhouse in 1960. His first appearance on television came a year later in The Younger Generation (ITV), a series of new plays by young writers and performed by young actors. His small screen career continued with roles in two seminal programmes: Z Cars ) who returns from prison to find his wife ( Pat Ashton ), 'shacked up' with his former accomplice ( Thaw He first played Detective Inspector Jack Regan in the single television film Regan (tx. 4/6/1974), part of the Armchair Cinema strand (ITV, 1974-75). The success of that pilot led to The Sweeney (ITV, 1975-78), a hard-hitting, uncompromising, groundbreaking series which changed the face of British police drama. Regan was a role that Thaw could sink his teeth into.

A womanising heavy-drinker who bent the rules to achieve the right result, Regan became an archetypal anti-hero and a television icon of the 1970s. The series spawned two feature films (1977 and 1978), the first of which won Thaw the Evening Standard Best Film Actor award. Shedding the skin of Jack Regan, he continued a busy television career in a diverse range of roles: the manager of a young boxer in Leon Griffiths Dinner at the Sporting Club (BBC, 7/11/1978); Francis Drake in Drake's Venture (ITV, 1984) and a return to Shakespeare in The Life and Death of King John (BBC, 24/11/1984). After a gap of more than ten years, he tried his hand again at situation comedy in Eric Chappell Home to Roost (ITV, 1985-88). Returning to drama, he next took the role (one closer to his own personality) that cemented his reputation as one of television's most respected and well-loved actors.

Adapted from Colin Dexter 's novels, the melancholic real ale enthusiast and classical music lover Inspector Morse (ITV, 1987-2000) struck a chord with the international television audience. Although Morse and Regan were poles apart in their policing methods, Thaw was once again associated with a series that redefined the television detective genre. When Morse was killed off in 2000, 13 million tuned in to say farewell. BAFTA bestowed two Best TV Actor awards on him (1989 and 1992), for his performance. He was awarded a CBE in 1993 and the BAFTA Fellowship in 2001.

During his time as Morse, he starred in numerous one-off dramas; Bomber Harris (1987) - for which he got a BAFTA Best Supporting Actor nomination - and Chaplin After the demise of Morse, Thaw diversified again, narrating the documentaries The Second World War in Colour (ITV, 1999) and Britain at War in Colour (ITV, 2000), and starring as a double-glazing man in The Glass Buried Treasure (ITV, 2001) as a widowed estate agent. Diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus in June 2001, he was determined to beat it. He planned to film a new feature-length episode of the successful Kavanagh Q.C. (ITV, 1995-2001), a role which allowed him to prosecute and defend criminals instead of catching them. Still discussing new projects, John Thaw died on 21 February 2002. Graham Rinaldi John Thaw Archives - CrimeTimePreview CrimeTimePreview ‘We’re the Sweeney. We kill you – nothing.

You kill us – 30 years.’ – Jack Regan John Thaw (DI Jack Regan), Dennis Waterman (DS George Carter), Garfield Morgan (DCI Frank Haskins) Identikit: Two members of the London Metropolitan Police service’s Flying Squad use robust methods (fists, fabricating evidence, kidnapping) to take on the capital’s armed robbers and other violent villains. Sweeney Todd – Flying Squad, for all you non-East London geezers. The 1970s drama about two no-nonsense detectives, Jack Regan and George Carter, showcased a period when the Metropolitan Police bent the rules and did whatever it took to nail the bad guys. Though our fictional heroes certainly were not as out of control as the real thing, Regan did use his fists, arrange kidnappings, open mail illegally and fabricate evidence, but he didn’t take backhanders. The coppers all drank and smoked too much and often looked like they had a hangover – no pretty boy actors in this cast. The British crime series had come a long way since Dixon of Dock Green (which only wrapped in 1976, when its star Jack Warner was an implausible 80 years old).

His successors on The Sweeney were not the paragons the authorities liked to hold up. Produced on 16mm film stock at real locations, the series still looks vibrant and immediate. The accent was on action – London looks pretty dowdy and washed out – and the show was a huge hit, spawning two movies, Sweeney! (1977) and Sweeney 2 (1978), along with the 2012 Ray Winstone reboot. It was also fondly, obliquely recalled in the character of Life on Mars‘s Gene Hunt. It grew out of an Armchair Cinema film (1974) that firmly established the characters and what became the drama’s catchphrase – ‘Get yer trousers on, you’re nicked!’ Regan is the Met’s leading thief taker, often kicking against red tape, and with a messy personal life. And then there is Carter, who’s been lured reluctantly back to the squad by Regan, having previously left for family reasons.

Everyone from Diana Dors and Lynda La Plante to Morecambe and Wise appeared, while in addition to the spin-off movies there were books, comic strips and mentions in pop records (Kate Bush, Squeeze) and parodies (The Comic Strip Presents…). Drinking, punch-ups, womanising and haring around town in a Ford Consul. ‘Nuff said. Classic episode: Taste of Fear from series three introduced psychopath Tim Cook, reckoned by aficionados to be the show’s most formidable baddie. A much-admired episode mixing drama, tragedy and a riveting performance from the ironically well-named actor George Sweeney as Cook. Watercooler fact: As a teenager ‘Raymond’ Winstone had a small role as ‘2nd Youth’ in TV’s The Sweeney before going on to emulate ‘icon’ John Thaw (‘one of my favourite people’) in the underwhelming big-screen remake. Like this: Like Loading... 31/12/2014 by robinjarossi Leave a Comment ITV, 1987-2000 ‘Richards didn’t kill her, but I’ll tell you who did.

Do you want to know?’ – Detective inspector Morse ‘Are you taking the piss?’ – Detective sergeant Lewis ‘No, no, I’m not. The man who killed Anne Staveley is called Sophocles.’ – Morse ‘Who’s he when he’s at home?’ – Lewis ‘Look, I want you to do a couple of things for me, and then I’ll explain everything.’ – Morse ‘… Do I know this Sophocles? – Lewis ‘Only if you loved your mother, Lewis.’ – Morse John Thaw, Kevin Whately, James Grout Identikit: The cases of detective inspector Morse and his sergeant, Lewis, set in the university town of Oxford. TV schedules, particularly in the UK, are jammed with detective procedurals shot in twee locations, most of which are televisual Horlicks – Midsomer Murders, Rosemary and Thyme, etc etc etc. Inspector Morse, however, got the formula right, and remains an outstanding success that UK television honchos would today still sell their children to replicate – hence the spin-offs Lewis (based on Morse’s successor and former deputy) and Endeavour (1960s-set prequel).

The picturesque setting of Oxford was not too gratingly prim, being fairly pertinent to the stories in that Morse was a product of the university (though he didn’t complete his degree). In fact, he is so sharp intellectually that it was inevitable that he should end up a loner in his profession, even baffling his sidekick Lewis most of the time, such as when he alludes to a dead woman’s oedipal predicament in the pilot (quoted above). Based on Colin Dexter’s novels and brought to the screen by Tony Warren, Anthony Minghella and Kenny McBain, the secret to the show’s success was not just the procedural/whodunit mechanics of the mysteries, but the character of Morse and John Thaw’s affecting performance. He was more than the sum of his habits, however – beer, 1960 Mark 2 Jag, crosswords and Wagner. There was always a hint of melancholy about the singleton detective that made viewers root for him.

His distinctive character was evident from the very first story, The Dead of Jericho – the real ale, his looking for love (the woman he is wooing in the pilot ends up dead), the mystery of his christian name, the classical music and gruffness. To some extent there was a lack of emotional depth to the drama in that Morse’s character did not develop much beyond these traits during seven series and five specials. But the intricate stories, boldly given two-hour slots in which to unfold by ITV, and the chemistry between John Thaw and Kevin Whately as Morse and Lewis added up to a staggeringly popular formula. Spin-offs: Lewis, a sequel starring Kevin Whately, ran for several seasons from 2006. Endeavour, the prequel starring Shaun Evans, had its pilot in 2012. Classic episode: Second Time Around from 1991. Morse believes the murder of a retired detective may be linked to a cold case from 18 years before – an investigation Morse was involved with concerning the murder of an eight-year-old girl, and which still haunted him.

Watercooler fact: John Thaw, who died at the early age of 60 from cancer of the oesophagus, was a hugely popular TV actor in the UK who won numerous awards for his portrayal of Morse, including two Baftas and three National Television Awards, the latter being voted for by viewers. Like this: Like Loading... Extras: ★★★ THIS may be sacrilege, but I prefer Endeavour to Morse. I suspect much of Morse’s renown and popularity are down to John Thaw’s unforgettable portrayal of the gloomy detective, but the character never developed during all the years he was on air. This was par for the course during the series’ run in the late 80s and early 90s. But modern series that have story arcs – anything from The Fall to Broadchurch to True Detective – have shown how much richer series are that don’t stay on a loop of same characters, same investigations every week. Endeavour, the 1960s-set prequel, has the advantage of showing Morse as he develops and changes, and writer/executive producer Russell Lewis has demonstrated his skill and empathy in taking Colin Dexter’s creation and fleshing him out cleverly.

Each series combines the whodunit format with a story arc about the outsider detective, this latest series following his return to duty following the death of his father and his own brush with death after being shot, along with his romance with his neighbour, nurse Monica (Shvorne Marks). Shaun Evans has been excellent casing as the too bright copper, and Roger Allam – as Thursday, who has his journey in this series – is a terrific co-star. The films from ITV are lovingly shot and have a fine period feel. This complete collection of series 2’s four films – Trove, Nocturne, Sway and Neverland – also comes with a modest couple of added extras that should still delight fans. There’s a 10-minute feature called Creating Endeavour – The Next Chapter of Colin Dexter’s Legacy, and Spires, Ashtrays, Quads and Pastels, a short feature about the filming of the drama in Oxford. RRP: £19.99, Certificate:12, Discs: 2, Running time: 360mins. Available on Amazon Like this: Like Loading... Endeavour and the Oxford squad.

Pics: ITV Rating: ★★★★ ITV: returns Sunday, 30 March, 8pm Story: May 1966. DC Endeavour Morse returns to Oxford City Police after a four-month absence from duty. Reunited with DI Fred Thursday, still reeling from being shot and the loss of his father, the detective’s involuntary furlough has left him mentally wounded. ENDEAVOUR was only meant to be a one-off to celebrate the Inspector Morse‘s 25th anniversary in 2012. But here he is back for a second series, following a hugely popular one-off and first series. It’s been a clever reboot. The production is as good-looking and stately as ever, which the traditional Morse fans clearly adore. For the younger audience it has the sex appeal of Shaun Evans, giving a fine performance as the tortured bright-spark of a detective. The conceit of Morse/Endeavour is that he is man who would never be in the police. He is too Diana knew the missing girl intellectual, too cultured and aloof to fit in.

He has few friends in the force (or outside), and as we prescient viewers know he is destined to never rise to a level in the force that his abilities deserve. Thursday is worried about Endeavour As Trove, the season two opener, begins, we encounter Endeavour back where he was in the pilot – wondering if the police service is the right career for him. It is four months after the traumatic events of the previous series when his father died and he was shot. Yet he is immediately pitched into a brain-tease of a case that only he is equipped to unravel. During a street parade, a man plummets to his death from a council building. The dead man has multiple identities, but Endeavour works out who he is – and that this suspected suicide is not all it seems. Hot-blooded Kitty causes an incident at the parade His boss, DI Thursday, looks on with fatherly concern as the younger man concocts various theories connecting the death with the disappearance of a young woman. Meanwhile, the chief superintendent – played by Anton Lesser, who’s cornered the market in smarmy arrogance in every drama from Game of Thrones to Garrow’s Law – just wants Endeavour to be put on traffic duty till he turns 45.

Puzzles and beauty contests Writer Russell Lewis throws in a puzzle for Endeavour – a jotting on a note by the dead man’s bed – and a glimpse at the burgeoning world of celebrity in Sixties Britain, with beauty pageants and dodgy agents looking to promote ingenues into stars worthy of a supermarket opening or photo shoot. ‘Simon Dee asked me if I liked his shirt,’ one character says. ‘You can’t put a price on that.’ What makes Endeavour such a success? Shaun Evans and Roger Allam are likeable performers playing an interesting duo of mentor and successor, but whose relationship is not always smooth-going. The stories are also full of evocative detail and look splendid. Endeavour is interesting because the character evolves A battered Endeavour questions a witness And there is the enjoyment in unravelling the overarching mystery – Endeavour’s character. Russell Lewis drops hints in every tale about how Morse got to be the man audiences loved when played by John Thaw. In the last season we witnessed his cold relationship with his dad.

Here, aficionados will spot a bumptious academic Thaw encountered in 1991, but who is seen in this opener as a younger man, who Endeavour puts firmly in his place in a nice scene. And Endeavour evolves (unlike Lewis). During this series he starts off a bit of a mess, drinking too much, unsure if he is right for the police. That changes by the final film, Neverland – and there are revelations about Thursday to come. Endeavour is a young man with future. Cast: Shaun Evans Endeavour, Roger Allam DI Fred Thursday, Anton Lesser Ch Supt Reginald Bright, Sean Rigby PC Strange, Jack Laskey DS Peter Jakes, James Bradshaw Dr Max Debryn, Abigail Thaw Dorothea Frazil, Caroline O’Neill Joan Thursday Like this: Like Loading... Shaun Evans as Endeavour Morse. Pics: ITV Rating ★★★★½ ITV1, Monday, 2 January, 9pm Story: 1965. A schoolgirl is missing in Oxford. A young detective constable is drafted in from the anonymous Midlands new town where he is stationed to help with the investigation because he knows the Oxford area.

It is a case that will shape Endeavour Morse’s life and career. He only ever used to be known as Morse, the detective finally revealing his christian name after Inspector Morse had been on air for 10 years in 1997. Now as everyone knows, Morse was named after Captain Cook’s ship HMS Endeavour and the moniker can be plastered all over this impressive two-hour prequel. John Thaw The much-loved original, which ran for 33 episodes from 1987-2000, starred John Thaw as Morse and Kevin Whately as his sidekick, Lewis, setting the standard for UK police procedurals. Thaw died relatively young at 60 in 2002, and while Lewis , of course, is still with us, the temptation to resurrect Morse somehow was too good to let slip away. Shaun Evans and Roger Allam This much anticipated new mystery is a scandal on a suitably large scale, involving bent cops, murder and a corrupt government minister. The cast – including Shaun Evans as Morse and Roger Allam as his boss/mentor DI Fred Thursday – are actors who bring depth to the lead roles, and the period setting is understated.

And for Morse fans, the hero’s background is fleshed out well. The young Endeavour is called on to assist in an investigation into the disappearance of 15-year-old schoolgirl because he is familiar with Oxford, where he did Greats but didn’t finish his degree. DS Arthur Lott makes it clear to Morse and his fellow draftees that they are there to ‘take up the slack’, do the grunt work, and leave the detecting to him and Thursday. Morse and Thursday But Morse immediately stands out as a serious-minded detective with a questioning nature – which sets him at odds with Lott. It is Morse who works out that the missing teenager had a lover who was communicating with her through crosswords in the local paper. ‘Codswallop,’ says Lott, but Morse is proved right. Colin Dexter Abigail Thaw Fans will appreciated the crossword touch, which would also appeal to the creator of Morse and crossword lover Colin Dexter, now 81, who makes a Hitchcockian cameo in a pub garden. The drama is actually written by Russell Lewis, who has done a good job of embellishing the Morse story. We learn how Morse got his taste for beer, classical music and the famous maroon Jag.

Shaun Evans captures much of the character’s melancholia, particularly when the case blows up in his face and he develops an infatuation for the opera singer wife of a suspect. John Thaw’s daughter Abigail The production has so much of the original’s DNA in its make-up that several of the behind-camera crew had also worked on Inspector Morse, and there is even a role for John Thaw’s daughter, Abigail, who plays an employee of the local paper. Scandalous parties and cover-ups What begins as a missing person inquiry snowballs into a murder, a suicide and a scandal in which high-level politicians and policemen are attending sex parties with under-age girls. The story has a lot more grit to it than many of the originals or Lewis, and less of the chocolate-box obsession with Oxford spires and quadrangles. Charlie Creed-Miles is the nasty spiv Roger Allam is warmly authoritative as Thursday, the ex-soldier and solid copper who is willing to bend the rules to slap down spivs such as Teddy Samuels (Charlie Creed-Miles) and dodgy cops such as Arthur Lott. It’s a sharp and inspiring tribute to Morse on the 25th anniversary of its very first episode.

Surely, a series will follow. Cast: Shaun Evans Endeavour, Roger Allam DI Fred Thursday, Flora Montgomery Rosalind Stromming, Harry Kershaw Miles Percival, Charlie Creed-Miles Teddy Samuels, Danny Webb DS Arthur Lott, Jack Ashton DC Ian McLeash, Richard Lintern Dr Rowan Stromming, Patrick Malahide Richard Lovell, John Light Dempsey, Abigail Thaw Dorothea Frazil, Michael Matus Brian St Clair, Emma Stansfield Sharon Vellie, James Bradshaw Dr Max De Bryn, Terence Harvey DCS Crisp Like this: Like Loading... Rating ★★★★ • REGAN (15) on Blu-ray: Network, released 10 Oct 2011, RRP 19.99, running time 77mins Forget Gene Hunt and Life and Mars. If you want the original bad copper in no-nonsense flares you should track down Regan, the 1974 pilot for The Sweeney starring John Thaw, which is being released on Blu-ray this month.

This is an evocative blast from the past – and I’m not just talking about the shooters going off, guvnor. It’s the lost era of sheepskin jackets, pub singalongs and derelict docklands. And some bloody ugly cars – anyone remember the Ford Zephyr? What a monster. Get your trousers on… We first glimpse one careering round a bend carrying detective inspector Jack Regan. He barges into a house, marches into the suspect’s bedroom and says, “Get your trousers on. You’re nicked.” The first words out of the Jack’s mouth and the show’s got its still fondly remembered catchphrase. Regan was shown in ITV’s Armchair Theatre slot and was a body slam to the old school of cop shows, such as Dixon of Dock Green and Z Cars. It was the story of an investigation into the murder of a copper, detective sergeant Cowley (Del Baker), who was caught between two vicious criminal gangs. Regan was far rougher than Gene Hunt But the clear star of the show was Jack Regan, a maverick detective who pushed himself to a suspension and the verge of legality to the get Cowley’s killers.

We see Regan recruiting detective sergeant George Carter, played in his youth by New Tricks‘ Dennis Waterman. Carter is reluctant to join the trouble-friendly Regan because he values his marriage too highly. When Regan breaks and enters a property, all Carter’s doubts seem confirmed. And would Gene Hunt ever get away with telling the German boyfriend of his ex-wife, ‘I don’t like Krauts,’ before going on to call him ‘young Adolf’. He’s violent, aggressive and plays dirty – a bit like many would imagine the hard cases were in the real Sweeney (Sweeney Todd: rhyming slang for Flying Squad). 19 million viewers for The Sweeney Maureen Lipman appears as Regan’s married lover. When her feller returns and she has to dump Regan, he asks her how her husband was. ‘Not bad,’ she says, ‘seeing as you left a jacket and two pairs of Y-fronts in his wardrobe.’ A bonus feature is some of the vile clothes that passed for cool in the Seventies. Most hilariously is the climax, when Regan faces off with a violent gang while wearing a psychedelic cravat. You have to be genuinely hard to pull that off.

But despite all the machismo, Regan fascinates because he is tinged with sadness. He is someone far too devoted to his grim job for his own good. Regan hit an audience of seven million, which led to the commissioning of The Sweeney, a series that ran from 1975 to 1978, reaching a peak of 19 million viewers. Regan edgier than many hit crime shows of today Seeing that UK crime series usually go soft on the police, Regan still seems a lot more edgy than twee favourites of today, such as Midsomer Murders. The Blu-ray features a fascinating commentary by Dennis Waterman, producer Ted Childs and director Tom Clegg. There is also an interview with writer Ian Kennedy Martin. Share this: Join our Friends email list * indicates required CRIME AUTHOR INTERVIEWS Welcome to CrimeTimePreview‘s series of interviews with authors about their TV and reading habits. • PETER ROBINSON is the author of the Inspector Banks novels – the fourth series of which has just started on ITV (see the post below). A multi-award-winning novelist, he was born in Yorkshire and now divides his time between Toronto and Richmond, North Yorkshire.

We brought him in for questioning, and here he makes a full and frank confession of his criminal viewing and reading habits… • ADRIAN McKINTY is one of the most acclaimed new crime writers from across the Irish Sea, routinely mentioned alongside Ken Bruen, Declan Hughes and John Connolly. His series of edgy thrillers about Catholic detective Sean Duffy and the character’s exploits while working in the none-too-comfortable surroundings of the RUC during the Troubles, and later MI5, are developing a big following and have been hugely praised by reviewers. These include The Cold Cold Ground, In the Morning I’ll Be Gone and Gun Street Girl. Here, he reveals his favourite TV shows, characters and authors… • WE’VE dragged one of Britain’s major crime practitioners in for questioning. Multi-award-winning IAN RANKIN is the creator of Edinburgh detective inspector John Rebus, the tenacious but chippy hero of bestsellers such as Black and Blue, Fleshmarket Close and Resurrection Men. The character was turned into a series by STV with first John Hannah and then Ken Stott portraying him. ITV filmed Rankin’s standalone novel Doors Open in 2012.

After retiring Rebus in Exit Music, he introduced his readers to Malcolm Fox in The Complaints, before bringing Rebus back in 2012’s Standing in Another Man’s Grave. • Manchester-based crime writer CATH STAINCLIFFE is interrogated below for evidence of her TV viewing and reading activities. She writes the novels based on the Scott & Bailey series, which stars Lesley Sharp and Suranne Jones and is soon to return to ITV – with her latest book about the female detectives being Bleed Like Me. Cath is also the author of the Sal Kilkenny private eye stories and creator and scriptwriter of Blue Murder, which was on ITV and starred Caroline Quentin. • Hauled in for questioning is British crime writer and Guardian reviewer LAURA WILSON , who is currently working on her 10th novel. Laura, whose books include the DI Stratton series among other mysteries set in the recent past, talks about her TV and reading habits, from Cagney & Lacey to Agatha Christie… • ZOE SHARP wrote her first novel when she was 15.

It was not until 2001, however, after she had tried her hand at jobs ranging from van driver to newspaper ad sales to motoring correspondent, that she finally publisher her breakout Charlie Fox novel Killer Instinct. Fox, the self-defence instructor with a shady military background, has proved hugely popular with readers through nine novels and has been optioned by Twentieth Century Fox TV. We brought Zoë in for questioning to see who she would like to see playing Charlie on screen, and what TV shows tick the right boxes for her… • CrimeTimePreview apprehended SIMON KERNICK , one of Britain’s most exciting thriller writers to grill him about his viewing proclivities. He arrived on the crime scene with his acclaimed novel The Business of Dying, a terrific story about a corrupt cop who moonlights as a hitman. His authentic thrillers are basedon research with members of Special Branch, the Anti-Terrorist Branch and the Organised Crime Agency. He has just finished writing his latest book, which will be called Siege.

• SOPHIE HANNAH, whose novel The Point of Rescue was recently turned into the drama Case Sensitive by ITV1, is the author of internationally bestselling psychological thrillers – Little Face, Hurting Distance, The Other Half Lives and A Room Swept White. CrimeTimePreview recently brought her in to be questioned about her addiction to Class A plotting on television… • Scottish author TONY BLACK , creator of Gus Dury in stories such as Gutted and Long Time Dead. • Belfast crime writer SAM MILLAR , author of books such as The Redemption and the award-winning memoir On the Brinks. • Crime novelist PAULINE ROWSON , author of the Marine series of mysteries, is pulled into CrimeTimePreview headquarters for questioning. • Texan crime novelist BILL CRIDER , author of the Sheriff Dan Rhodes mystery novels, talks about his favourite television and authors. • Award-winning British novelist ANN CLEEVES is a serial crime writer, with her collections including amateur sleuths George & Molly, Inspector Ramsay, the soon-to-be-televised Vera Stanhope and the recent Shetland Island Quartet (now a BBC1 series with Douglas Henshall).

CrimeTimePreview pulls her in for questioning about her TV habits… • We brought thriller writer MATT HILTON into headquarters for questioning about his TV and reading activities. • ALINE TEMPLETON is the author of the series of novels about DI Marjory Fleming, set in Scotland. Her stand-alone mysteries include Past Praying For, The Trumpet Shall Sound and Shades of Death. She lives in Edinburgh. She was brought into CrimeTimePreview HQ for questioning about her TV viewing habits… • Award-winning crime author STEPHEN BOOTH has written 11 mysteries involving the detectives Ben Cooper and Diane Fry with a distinctive, sometimes menacing Peak District setting. He was a newspaper and magazine journalist for 25 years before publishing the first Cooper/Fry novel, Black Dog, in 2000. CrimeTimePreview quizzed him about his criminal viewing activities… Share this:

Question: The two UK TV series "The Sweeney" (1975-78) and "Inspector Morse" (1987-2000) share which actor?
Answer: John Thaw