Johnny Todd: Folk Song used as Z-Cars Theme - arranged for piano by Jim Paterson, sheet music, midi & mp3 Traditional Sheet Music Johnny Todd (Z-Cars Theme) arranged for Piano - sheet music, midi and mp3 Johnny Todd is an English Folk Song which may have originated in Liverpool, where it was sung by children to accompany skipping games. It was discovered by folk musicologist Frank Kidson and included in one of his collections of Folk Songs, though other versions of the song were also discovered in other parts of Britain and documented in other collections so its precise origins are uncertain. What is certain is that the song was known to Fritz Spiegl (1926-2003) and his first wife Bridget Fry, who together arranged the melody as the theme for "Z-Cars", a long-running BBC television police drama which started in 1962 and was set near Liverpool. Spiegl was born in Austria but left the country as a war refugee and later settled in Liverpool where he became principal flautist with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.

The Z-Cars Theme became very popular and recognisable to TV audiences in the 1960s and 1970s, and was frequently referenced on other entertainment shows. Fry and Spiegl also composed and arranged the themes for the follow-on TV series called "Softly Softly" and "Softly Softly: Task Force". The song Johnny Todd is also used as an anthem by the football club Everton and has been sung by fans of various other clubs. This piano arrangement (including guitar chords) by Jim Paterson has two verses with slightly different arrangements, each of which can be played or repeated ad lib. You can play the sheet music below with the Scorch plug-in, or download the sheet music , midi file and mp3 file for personal use. mudcat.org: Tune Req: Johnny Todd JOHNNY TODD From: stephen@bickerton.mersinet.co.uk Date: 26 Mar 97 - 05:57 PM I'm looking for a wav or au file for the tune to the shanty Johnny Todd. This was used as the theme tune to the BBC TV series "Z Cars" in the UK in the 1960's.

From: Barry Finn Date: 26 Mar 97 - 09:09 PM Hi Stephen, I don't know about the wav or au files, but if you're looking for a tune you might try this. G/C/G/Em/Am/D7/G/C/D7/G/D7/G, I hope that helps. Jonny Todd would be considered a Forebitter or a Folks'l song instead of a sea shanty which would've been used while woking, with crew singing back a chours to the shantyman. From: Snuffy Date: 18 May 02 - 04:24 PM There are two versions in the DT database - JOHNNY TODD and JOLLY SAILOR . Joe Offer also posted an Irish version in this thread Irish Kid's Songs . All use the same tune. The version I've been singing for over 30 years has an extra bar in the third line, which also starts with ascending rather than descending thirds. The words also differ slightly to fit the tune.

It's so long ago that I can't say where I got either words or tune, but it was probably in a folk club rather than from a record, and I have probably folk-processed the words in the intervening years. I have since found the tune given (in the key of F) in a First Step instructional book How to play the Flageolet (penny whistle) by E H Wickham.

JOHNNY TODD Johnny Todd, he took a notion For to cross the ocean wide And he left his true love behind him Weeping on the Liverpool tide For a week she wept for Johnny Tore her hair and wrung her hands Till she met with another sailor Walking on the Liverpool sands Say, fair maid, why are you weeping For your Johnny gone to sea If you come to the church tomorrow I will kind and constant be I will buy you sheets and blankets You shall have a wedding ring You shall ha-ave a silver cradle For to rock your baby in Johnny Todd came home from sailing Back across the ocean wide And he found that his fair but false one Was another sailor's bride So all young men who long like Johnny 'Cross the ocean for to go Never leave your true love behind you Marry her before you go MIDI file: JOHNTOD2.MID Text: S:from Memory - mid '60s Start 0000 1 62 127 0479 0 62 000 0001 1 66 090 0479 0 66 000 0001 

1 69 127 0719 0 69 000 0001 1 69 090 0239 0 69 000 0001 1 71 127 0479 0 71 000 0001 1 71 090 0479 0 71 000 0001 1 69 127 0479 0 69 000 0001 1 66 090 0479 0 66 000 0001 1 62 127 0479 0 62 000 0001 1 66 090 0479 0 66 000 0001 1 69 127 0719 0 69 000 0001 1 69

 090 0239 0 69 000 0001 1 67 127 0479 0 67 000 0001 1 66 090 0479 0 66 000 0001 1 64 127 0959 0 64 000 0001 1 62 127 0479 0 62 000 0001 1 66 090 0479 0 66 000 0001 1 69 127 0959 0 69 000 0001 1 62 127 0719 0 62 000 0001 1 66 090 0239 0 66 000 0001 1 64 127

 0479 0 64 000 0001 1 62 090 0479 0 62 000 0001 1 61 127 0479 0 61 000 0001 1 57 090 0479 0 57 000 0001 1 62 127 0479 0 62 000 0001 1 66 090 0479 0 66 000 0001 1 69 127 0719 0 69 000 0001 1 64 090 0239 0 64 000 0001 1 67 127 0479 0 67 000 0001 1 66 090 047

9 0 66 000 0001 1 62 127 0959 0 62 000 End D2 F2|A3 A|B2 B2|A2 F2| D2 F2|A3 A|G2 F2|E4 | D2 F2|A4 |D3 F|E2 D2|C2 A,2| D2 F2|A3 E|G2 F2|D4 || WassaiL!

V Date: 18 May 02 - 07:00 PM Hemmm ! which Version of the "Z - Cars ! theme, the original 1960's or the revamped !970's version. Aaaah! Come back Stratford John, aka "Barlow". Gareth Date: 18 May 02 - 07:30 PM Whatever happened to the fat one? Bet he never made it as a serious actor ;-} From: Art Thieme Date: 18 May 02 - 07:52 PM Gordon Bok did a nice version of "Johnny Todd" on his first album--years ago. It was on Verve/Forecast (later called Verve/Folkways). I used the tune of "Johnny Todd" for my broken-token ballad parody that I called "That's The Ticket. Art Thieme From: masato sakurai Date: 18 May 02 - 09:25 PM "Johnny Todd" is in Frank Kidson's Traditional Tunes: A Collection of Ballad Airs (1891; reprinted S.R. Publishers, 1970, pp.

103-104; with music). JOHNNY TODD ("JOHNNY TODD is a child's rhyme and game, heard and seen played by Liverpool children. The air is somewhat pleasing, and the words appear old, though some blanks caused by the reciter's memory had to be filled up."--Kidson) Johnny Todd he took a notion For to go across the sea, And he left his love behind him, Weeping by the Liverpool sea. For a week she wept full sorely, Tore her hair and wrung her hands, Till she met another sailor Walking by the Liverpool sands. "Why, fair young maid, are you a-weeping, For your Johnny gone to sea? If you'll wed with me to-morrow, I will kind and constant be. "I will buy you sheets and blankets, I'll buy you a wedding ring, You shall have a gilded cradle For to rock your baby in." Johnny Todd came back from sailing, Sailing o'er the ocean wide; But he found his fair and false one, Was another sailor's bride.

All young men who go a-sailing, For to fight the foreign foe, Don't leave your own love like Johnny-- Marry her before you go. The "Z Cars" theme tune is based on this. For wav. & mp3, CLICK HERE; the lyrics given at the site are not those in the Kidson book quoted above. ~Masato From: masato sakurai Date: 19 May 02 - 01:27 AM For background information, see Opie, The Singing Game (Oxford, 1985, pp. 137-140), under the title "Johnny the Sailor Boy". "Frank Kidson was not to know that five years earlier an American anthropologist had come across children in Washington DC playing a ring game that, at the least, confirmed his claim that the song was not new: Charlie took a notion To go sail the sea, And left poor Minnie a widow Under the willow-tree. Minnie, Minnie, nurse your baby; Drink the wine that Charlie's sent you.

"The tune 'Johnnie Todd' was arranged by Bridget Fry and Fritz Spiegl, and became familiar to every home in Britain in the 1960s as the signature tune of the BBC television series Z Cars which is set in Liverpool." (Opie, pp. 138-39) I haven't found a sea shanty version. ~Masato From: masato sakurai Date: 19 May 02 - 11:59 AM Three versions in Alice Bertha Giomme's The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland, vol. 2 (1898; Dover, 1964, pp. 414-5, 428-9). DIG FOR SILVER Dig for silver, dig for gold, Dig for the land that I was told. As I went down by the water side I met my lad with a tartan plaid. My wee lad is a jolly sailor, And shall be for evermore. (Name of boy) took the notion To go and sail on the ocean. He took poor (name of girl) on his knee, And sailed across Kilmarnock sea.

Stop your weeping, my dear --, He'll come back and marry you. He will buy you beads and earrings, He will buy you a diamond stone, He will buy a horse to ride on, When your true love is dead and gone. What care I for the beads and earrings, What care I for the horse to ride on, When my true love is dead and gone. --Laureston School, Kircudbrightshire (L. Lawson) Billy Johnson took a notion For to go and sail the sea; He has left his own true love Weeping on the Greenock quay. I will buy you beads and earrings, I will buy you diamonds three, I will buy you beads and earrings, Bonny lassie, if you marry me. What care I for beads and earrings, What care for diamonds three, What care I for beads and earrings, When my own trie love is far from me. --Perth (Rev. Dr. Gregor) HEAR ALL! LET ME AT HER Hear all! let me at her; Hear all! let me go; Hear all! let me at her, When my mammy will or no.

-- has ta'en a notion For to go and sail the sea; There he's left his own dear --, Weeping on the Greenland sea. Hold your tongue, my own dear --, Take your baby on your knee. Drink his health, my jolly sailors, I'll come back and marry thee. I will buy thee beads and ear-rings, I will buy thee diamnds stones, I will buy thee silken ribbons, When thy baby's dead and gone. -- says she'll wear the ribbons, -- says she'll wear them a'-- -- says she'll wear the ribbons When her baby's dead and gone. ["A ring is formed, one palyer in the centre. When the verses are sung the girl in the middle chooses another to take her palce.--(Rev. Dr. Gregor.)"--Gomme] ~Masato Nancy, a cute girl, is the owner of a shoe repair shop. (Thieme---line one--verse one) Willie brings his boots for repairs.

(Thieme---line 2---verse one) Heels and soles need major overhauls...polishing is added as an afterthought.(verse two) Wllie reveals he's leaving on a seven year voyage. Asks what token of their ongoing pelvic affiliation they might split. (verse three) She rips the claim ticket in half and gives him his portion of ticket #8049. (verse four) He leaves and decides to return when his boots are again worn---seven years later. (Thieme---verse five) He walks into the shop and Nancy fails to recognize him as he has passed through puberty and can now grow a beard. (Thieme--verse # six) She tells him they can get married but to come back on Thursday because his shoes have not been repaired yet. (Thieme---verse seven) song ends (Thieme---verse eight) Theme From Z-Cars | Theme Z-Cars Theme From Z-Cars Theme from Z- Cars was the theme tune to the long-running BBC television drama Z-Cars.

Based on the traditional folk song Johnny Todd , which was in a collection of traditional tunes by Frank Kidson dated 1891 called Traditional Tunes: A Collection of Ballad Airs. Kidson's notes for this song say: "Johnny Todd is a child's rhyme and game, heard and seen played by Liverpool children. The air is somewhat pleasing, and the words appear old, though some blanks caused by the reciter's memory have had to be filled up." There is also what appears to be a version of the same song, mentioned in the first of the Para Handy stories, written in Scotland in 1905, which claims that the tune was popular around 30 years earlier. The song also appears in the book Songs of Belfast edited by David Hammond (Cork: The Mercier Press, 1986), who heard it from a Mrs Walker of Salisbury Avenue, Belfast, who claimed it dates from around 1900. The Z-Cars theme tune was arranged by Fritz Spiegl and performed by John Keating and his Orchestra. The single reached #5 on the UK singles chart in April 1962.

It was soon adopted by fans of the Premier League football club Everton, who are based in Liverpool near to where the programme supposedly took place. The theme tune is still played as the team come out onto the pitch at the beginning of all their home matches and has become synonymous with the club . They also use the theme tune on their official podcasts, used at the beginning to introduce the podcast. Watford F.C. also adopted the theme in the early 1960s, as it was then manager Bill McGarry's favourite TV programme. It has been played as the players come onto pitch since then. During the rise of the club through the leagues in the 1970s and 1980s it became associated with the club's success under manager Graham Taylor. Workington A.F.C. are also known to play the theme when the players enter the field. This is because Evertonian Ken Furphy was manager of the club in the 1960s. Sunderland A.F.C. were also known to have played the song as their players ran out to the field during their 1996-1997 Premiership season, which in turn was their final season playing at Roker Park.

The "Johnny Todd " is also the name of a pub in Kirkby near Liverpool. Famous quotes containing the word theme: “She is a theme of honor and renown, A spur to valiant and magnanimous deeds, Whose present courage may beat down our foes, And fame in time to come canonize us.” TV Theme Of The Week: Z Cars | Feeling My Age TV Theme Of The Week: Z Cars What’s Wrong With This Picture? → Z Cars was so modern and cutting edge when it started in 1963 – a stark contrast to the cosy old London bobbies in Dixon Of Dock Green . Policemen who were less than saints, had Northern accents and drove around in modern Ford Zodiacs. In many ways it was the start of TV police dramas in the UK as we know them today. The theme music was arranged ( according to Wikipedia ) by Fritz Spiegl as a military march, from the traditional Liverpool folk song “Johnny Todd”. It spread across the nation like a cultural virus. Everyone could whistle it – we even sang our own stupid songs to the tune with cod-Scouse lyrics.

The names of the key actors became almost as well-known as those of their characters: Stratford Johns (Inspector Barlow), Frank Windsor (Det.Sgt Watt) plus James Ellis as Bert Lynch and Jeremy Kemp as his hatchet-faced partner in crime car Z Victor 2. What’s I’d completely fogotten though was that Fancy Smith in Z Victor 1 was played by a youthful Brian Blessed . Pop songs from the 60s can still stir powerful nostalgia, but with most hits of the day the effect has been diluted by their long afterlife on stations like Capital Gold and Radio 2. But old TV themes have the power to take those of us who lived through the era back there in a heartbeat. Theme from Z-Cars explained Theme from Z-Cars explained "Theme from Z-Cars" was the theme tune to the long-running BBC television drama Z-Cars . Based on the traditional folk song "Johnny Todd", [1] which was in a collection of traditional tunes by Frank Kidson dated 1891 called Traditional Tunes: A Collection of Ballad Airs. Kidson's notes for this song say: "Johnny Todd is a child's rhyme and game, heard and seen played by Liverpool children.

The air is somewhat pleasing, and the words appear old, though some blanks caused by the reciter's memory have had to be filled up." There is also what appears to be a version of the same song, mentioned in the first of the Para Handy stories, written in Scotland in 1905, which claims that the tune was popular around 30 years earlier. [2] The song also appears in the book Songs of Belfast edited by David Hammond (Cork: The Mercier Press, 1986), who heard it from a Mrs. Walker of Salisbury Avenue, Belfast, who claimed it dates from around 1900. The Z-Cars theme tune was arranged for commercial release by Fritz Spiegl and Bridget Fry, and performed by John Keating and his Orchestra . The single reached #8 in the Record Retailer chart in April 1962, and as high as #5 in other charts. The original television theme was arranged and conducted by Norrie Paramor with his orchestra. A later, much more syncopated arrangement of the theme replaced the original on a later television series which was also written and conducted by Norrie Paramor.

It was soon adopted by fans of the First Division football club Everton , who are based in Liverpool near to where the programme supposedly took place. The theme tune is still played as the team come out onto the pitch at the beginning of all their home matches and has become synonymous with the club. They also use the theme tune on their official podcasts, used at the beginning to introduce the podcast. The first football team to use it was Watford F.C. who adopted the theme in the early 1960s, as it was then manager Bill McGarry 's favourite TV programme. [3] It has been played as the players come onto pitch since then. During the rise of the club through the leagues in the 1970s and 1980s, it became associated with the club's success under manager Graham Taylor . Workington A.F.C. are also known to play the theme when the players enter the field. This is because Evertonian Ken Furphy was manager of the club in the 1960s. Sunderland A.F.C. were also known to have played the song as their players ran out to the field during their days playing at Roker Park .

External links My Favourite Police Series | Dickieboy............ Paper-Boy, Chorister, and all-round playboy! My Favourite Police Series Posted on November 16, 2012 by dickiebo Z-Cars was a TV drama series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police in the town of Newtown, (based on Kirkby in the outskirts of Liverpool .) Produced by the BBC , it ran from 1962 until September 1978. It was one of the very, very few police series that I ever watched – as, being an ex-cop, I can’t stand the rubbish that purports to resemble real-life policing. Frankly, I loved the programme. James Ellis , Robert Keegan (Sgt Blackitt), Joseph Brady (PC “Jock” Weir) and Brian Blessed (“Fancy” Smith). The Police Federation complained bitterly about the content of the programmes, but within two months of the show going on air it was attracting an average audience of 14 million viewers.

The Z-Cars theme tune was arranged by Fritz Spiegl from the traditional Liverpool folk song “Johnny Todd” and is also used as the anthem for English football club Everton and is played at every home match as they walk onto the pitch at Goodison Park . Just like ‘Z Cars’ had made ‘Dixon’ look old and dated so ‘The Sweeney’ had the same effect on a show that had, by the late 1970’s, very much outlived what public taste was now demanding, and in 1978 it became a case of ‘Z-Victor 1, out’. In a 2000 poll to find the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes of the 20th century conducted by the British Film Institute , Z-Cars was voted 63rd. It was also included in the 40 greatest TV shows published in Radio Times in August 2003.

Share this: Z-Cars - 必应 Sign in Z-Cars Z-Cars or Z Cars /ˈzɛd ˌkɑrz/ was a British television drama series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby, Merseyside. Produced by the BBC , it debuted in January 1962 and ran until September 1978. The series differed sharply from earlier police procedurals. With its less-usual Northern setting, it injected a new element of harsh realism into the image of the police, which some found unwelcome. Z-Cars ran for a total of 803 episodes, of which fewer than half have survived. Regular st ... (展开) ars included Stratford Johns (Detective Inspector Barlow), Frank Windsor (Det. Sgt Watt), James Ellis (Bert Lynch) and Brian Blessed ("Fancy" Smith). Barlow and Watt were later spun into a separate series Softly, Softly. The name Z-Cars relates to an imaginary "Z" Division of the local constabulary. The theme tune was based on a traditional Liverpool folk song, and was adopted by Everton Football Club as its official anthem.

Z-Cars是个什么车？英国好像有同名电视剧？ 答 England是很老的电视剧了哦 哈哈做好心理准备" Color (1970-1978) Filming Locations; Drama Runtime:English Color:2 January 1962 (UK) Genre; 50 min (337 episodes) Country:UK __... Z-Cars Origin of the title The title comes from the radio call signs allocated by Lancashire Constabulary: Lancashire police divisions were lettered from north to the south, "A" Division (based in Ulverston) was the detached part of Lancashire at the time around Barrow-in-Furness, "B" Division was Lancaster, and so on. Letters further into the alphabet were in the south around the Manchester and Liverpool areas. The TV series took the non-existent signs Z-Victor 1 and Z-Victor 2. The title does not come from the cars used, as in Ford Zephyr and Ford Zodiac. The Zodiac was never used by British police as a standard patrol car, but was used in the form of "Motorway Patrol Vehicles", because of its larger, more powerful engine.

These vehicles could be seen in a white livery with "POLICE" in large blue letters on the sides of the vehicle, along with broad red-orange stripes. Such vehicles were later used as "crime cars", used to respond to major crimes. Some of them also carried a "lock-box" that contained firearms to be used by "Armed Response Teams", especially in response to armed robberies and terrorist incidents of the seventies. The Zephyr was the standard patrol traffic car (not the same as "crime car") used by Lancashire and other police forces. Z-Cars Concept and principal characters 'Z Cars' as an idea came to Troy Kennedy Martin listened to police messages on his radio when trying to relieve the boredom of being ill in bed with mumps. The creation of rapidly-expanding, artificially-created communities in the years after World War II ended brought with them many problems. Liverpool suffered much damage in the war and Liverpool Corporation, having many slums to contend with, bought land in the surrounding areas into which they moved industry. With the people were relocated en masse into newly developed "overspill" estates, the area became the new town of Kirkby.

Kennedy Martin set his programme in the fictional Newtown, loosely based on Kirkby, one of many housing estates that had sprung up across Britain in the post-war years, and which was a modern suburb of the neighbouring (and ageing) "Seaport". The stories revolve around pairs of officers patrolling that week. Riding on changing social attitudes and television, the social realism, with interesting stories, garnered popularity for Z Cars. It was initially less popular with real-life police, who disliked the sometimes unsympathetic characterisation of officers. Being set in the North of England helped give Z Cars a regional flavour when most BBC dramas were set in the south. It directly challenged the BBC's popular police drama Dixon of Dock Green, which at that point had been running for seven years but which some viewed as 'cosy'. The one character present throughout the entire run (though not in every episode) was Bert Lynch, played by James Ellis (though John Phillips as Det. Chief Supt. Robins would reappear sporadically during the show's run – by the end of the series he had become Chief Constable). Other characters in the early days were Stratford Johns (Inspector Barlow), Frank Windsor (Det.

Sgt Watt), Robert Keegan (Sgt Blackitt), Joseph Brady (PC "Jock" Weir) and Brian Blessed ("Fancy" Smith). Also in 1960s episodes as David Graham was Colin Welland later a screenwriter. Other British actors who played regular roles in the early years included Joss Ackland. Although he played no regular role in the series, future Monkee Davy Jones appeared in three episodes.[vague] Z-Cars Episodes Z-Cars ran for 803 episodes. The original run ended in 1965; Barlow, Watt and Blackitt were spun off into a new series Softly, Softly. When the BBC was looking for a twice-weekly show to replace a series of failed 'soaps' (one example being United!, Z Cars was revived. The revival was produced by the BBC's serials department in a twice-weekly soap opera format of 25-minute episodes and only James Ellis and Joseph Brady remained from the original show's run. It was shown from March 1967, both 25-minute segments each week comprising one story.

It ran like this until the episode "Kid's Stuff" (broadcast on 30 March 1971), shown as a single 50-minute episode for the week, proved the longer format would still work. Thereafter, Z Cars was shown in alternating spells of either 2 x 25 minutes episodes or the single 50-minute episode each week over the next sixteen months. This arrangement ended with the showing of the final 2-parter, "Breakage" (Series 6, Parts 74 & 75, 21 & 22 August 1972 respectively), after which the series returned permanently to a regular pattern of 1 x 50-minute episodes per week. Z-Cars Theme music The Z-Cars theme tune was arranged by Fritz Spiegl and his then-wife, composer Bridget Fry from the traditional Liverpool folk song "Johnny Todd". (Many sources credit Spiegl only, and some Fry only, but some of the end-of-programme credits listed them both.)[clarification needed] It was released on record in several versions in 1962.

Johnny Keating's version (Piccadilly Records, 7N.35032) sold the best, reaching #8 on the Record Retailer chart and as high as #5 on some UK charts, whilst the Norrie Paramor Orchestra's version, on Columbia DB 4789, peaked at #33. A vocal version of the theme, using the original ballad's words, was released by cast member James Ellis on Philips Records; this missed the charts. The song in Spiegl and Fry's arrangement is also used as the anthem for English football club Everton and is played at every home match as they walk onto the pitch at Goodison Park. It is also occasionally used by their local rivals Tranmere Rovers for their home games at Prenton Park stadium, on the other side of the Mersey. The tune is also used as the march-on anthem at Watford F.C. home games. After Z-Cars The spin-off Softly, Softly focused on the regional crime squad, and ran until 1969, when it was again revised and became Softly, Softly: Taskforce, running until 1976.

The character of Barlow (Stratford Johns) was one of the best-known figures in British television in the 1960s and 1970s, and was given several seasons of his own "solo" series, Barlow at Large (later just Barlow) between 1971–75. He also joined Watt (Frank Windsor) to re-investigate the Jack the Ripper murders for a six-part series in 1973. This led to another spin-off, Second Verdict in which Barlow and Watt looked into unsolved cases and unsafe convictions. Frank Windsor made a final appearance as Watt in the last episode of Z-Cars, "Pressure", in September 1978, with Robins (John Phillips), the Detective Chief Superintendent from the original series who had risen to chief constable. Jeremy Kemp, Brian Blessed, Joseph Brady and Colin Welland also made guest appearances in the episode, but not as their original characters. Z-Cars Lost episodes Z-Cars is incomplete in the archives. The period 1962–65 is reasonably well represented, though with big gaps.

With the 1967–71 sixth series, when the programme was shown almost every week, material becomes more patchy. Of the 416 episodes made for this series, only 108 survive: a few episodes each from 1967, 1969, and 1970, but there are no surviving episodes at all from either 1968 or 1971. About forty percent of the approximately eight hundred total episodes are preserved. The original series was one of the last British television dramas to be screened as a live production. With videotaping becoming the norm and telerecording a mature method of preserving broadcasts the practice of live broadcasting drama productions was rare by the time the programme began in 1962. Going out "live" was a preference of the series' producer David Rose, who felt it helped immediacy and pace and gave it an "edge". As a result episodes were still not being pre-recorded as late as 1965. Most were videotaped for a repeat, although the tapes – often a large part of a programmes' budget – were normally wiped for re-use, once the episodes were telerecorded.

Existing on film greatly enhanced the chances of the episodes surviving, especially when monochrome programmes (whether on expensive videotape or cheaper film) were relegated in importance by the advent of colour broadcasting in the UK.[better source needed] The telerecording of the first-ever episode was returned to writer Allan Prior in the 1980s by an engineer who had taken it home to preserve it because his children had enjoyed the programme and he could not bring himself to destroy it. This with two other early editions were released on BBC Video in 1993. Two episodes were returned in 2004 after turning up in a private collection. Colour episodes from the early 1970s are less likely to be recovered, as they were never telerecorded for export.[better source needed] BBC Archive Treasure Hunt is currently seeking missing episodes. All episodes from the 1975–1978 period are preserved in the archives. Z-Cars References ^ "UK Police Force callsigns". The Alliance of British Drivers. Retrieved 27 November 2015.

^ "Troy Kennedy Martin: Innovative writer who created 'Z Cars' and wrote 'Edge of Darkness' and 'The Italian Job'". The Independent (London). 17 September 2009. ^ Leishman, Frank; Mason, Paul (2003). Policing and the Media: Facts, Fictions and Factions (Policing & Society). p.56. ISBN1903240298. ^ Rolinson, David. "Dixon of Dock Green in the 1970s". British Television Drama. Retrieved 27 November 2015. ^ "Z Cars". TV.com. Retrieved 27 November 2015. ^ a b Barker, Dennis (25 March 2003). "Fritz Spiegl: Witty musical polymath and broadcaster". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 22 April 2012. ^ "James Ellis (6) – Johnny Todd". Discogs. Retrieved 27 November 2015. ^ "Everton's Origins: Z-Cars Theme". ToffeeWeb. Retrieved 22 April 2012.

^ "Chairman on Z-Cars return". Watford Football Club. 23 April 2005. Retrieved 22 April 2012. ^ Richard Down and Christopher Perry, The British Television Drama Research Guide, 1950–1997, with Full Archive Holdings, second revised edition (Bristol: Kaleidoscope Publishing, 1997): DZ1–DZ5. ISBN 1-900203-04-9. ^ a b Wiping ^ ^ "The BFI TV 100: 1-100". BFI. Archived from the original on 11 September 2011. See also: 100 Greatest British Television Programmes ^ Alison Graham, "Take the Big TV Challenge!" Radio Times (30 August–5 September 2003), 16–21. Citation on p. 21. Z Cars - The Full Wiki The Full Wiki More info on Z Cars Wikis Advertisements Note: Many of our articles have direct quotes from sources you can cite, within the Wikipedia article! This article doesn't yet, but we're working on it!

See more info or our list of citable articles . Related top topics From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia For other meanings, see Zee-car. Z-Cars January 2, 1962 – September 20, 1978 Chronology Second Verdict Z-Cars (sometimes written as Z Cars), with the letter "Z" pronounced "Zed" in the British way, is a British television drama series centred on the work of beat police in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby in the outskirts of Liverpool in Lancashire . Produced by the BBC and screened on BBC Television (renamed BBC1 in 1964), it debuted in January, 1962 and ran for 16 years until September, 1978. Owing to an administrative quirk, for the first few years it was produced by the BBC's documentary department rather than the drama department . The programme was created by writers Troy Kennedy Martin and Allan Prior with producer Elwyn Jones , to create a more realistic portrayal of policing than had been seen on British television before.

This was in contrast to the BBC's established police drama, Dixon of Dock Green , which portrayed a 'safe' and 'cosy' image of a 'British bobby'. The main writers included John Hopkins (who also became script editor ) and Alan Plater . The writing team created a ' kitchen sink realism ' style little seen on British television before. The Z-Cars theme tune was arranged by Fritz Spiegl from the traditional folk song Johnny Todd. In a 2000 poll to find the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes of the 20th century conducted by the British Film Institute , Z-Cars was voted 63rd. It was also included in the 40 greatest TV shows published in Radio Times in August, 2003. Contents 8 External links Plot Contrary to belief the name does not come from the cars used: Ford Zephyrs and Ford Zodiacs . In fact the Zodiac was never used by British police. The Zephyr was the standard patrol traffic car (not the same as 'crime car') used by Lancashire and other police forces. The term comes from the call signs allocated by Lancashire Constabulary.

Lancashire police divisions were lettered from north to the south. A Division (DHQ Ulverston) was the detached part of the county around Barrow-in-Furness (since 1974 part of Cumbria), B was Lancaster and so on. Letters further into the alphabet were in the south around the Manchester and Liverpool areas. The TV series took the non-existent signs Z-Victor 1 and Z-Victor 2. The stories revolved around pairs of officers patrolling that week. Riding on changing social attitudes and television, the social realism, with interesting stories, garnered popularity. It was initially less popular with real-life police, who disliked the sometimes unsympathetic characterisation of officers. Being set in the North of England helped give it a regional flavour when most BBC dramas were set in the south. The one character present throughout the entire run was Bert Lynch, played by James Ellis (though John Phillips as Det. Chief Supt. Robins would reappear sporadically during the show's run - by the end of the series he had become Chief Constable ).

Other characters in the early days were Stratford Johns (Inspector Barlow), Frank Windsor (Det.Sgt Watt), Robert Keegan (Sgt Blackitt), Joseph Brady (PC 'Jock' Weir) and Brian Blessed ('Fancy' Smith). Also in 1960s episodes as David Graham was Colin Welland , who won an Academy Award for writing Chariots of Fire in 1981. Other British actors who played regular roles in the early years included John Thaw and Leonard Rossiter . Episodes Z-Cars ran for 799 episodes. The original run ended in 1965; Barlow, Watt and Blackitt were spun off into a new series Softly, Softly . Z Cars was revived in March 1967 with only James Ellis and Joseph Brady from the original show. The revival was produced by the serials department of the BBC in a twice-weekly soap opera format of 25-minute episodes. It ran until April 1971 (in colour from early 1970) then returned to a regular season pattern of 50-minute episodes for its final years. Lost episodes Z-Cars is incomplete in the archives.

1962-5 is reasonably well represented, though with big gaps. With the 1967 revival, material becomes more patchy. 1967, 1969 and 1970 each have small numbers of surviving episodes. The years 1968 and 1971, when the series was shown almost every week, have no surviving episodes. Around half of the total episodes survive. The original series was one of the last British television dramas screened live regularly — already rare by the time the programme began in 1962. It was felt that this helped immediacy and pace, and episodes were live as late as 1965, despite cameras appearing in shot. Most were videotaped for repeat, but the BBC regularly wiped tapes after programmes exceeded their usefulness, agreements with unions meaning they could only be shown a limited number of times. The space needed to store large videotapes, as well as the expense when they could be re-used, were factors. However, most episodes were ' telerecorded '. This was a fairly primitive (by today's standards) way of preserving a transmission by filming it (to 16 mm film) from a television screen.

Telerecordings could be used for repeats and overseas sales. Although foreign buyers were supposed to return, destroy or forward telerecordings, many were archived and have slowly filtered back to the BBC. The telerecording of the first ever episode was returned to writer Allan Prior in the 1980s by an engineer who had taken it home to preserve it because his children had enjoyed the programme and he could not bring himself to destroy it. Other early episodes have been returned by broadcasters from countries such as Cyprus and the search for lost episodes of sister BBC programme Doctor Who has also occasionally turned up lost Z-Cars episodes (according to the documentary Doctor Who: The Missing Years, included on the BBC Video DVD release Doctor Who: Lost in Time). Two episodes were returned in 2004 after turning up in a private collection. Colour episodes from the early-1970s are less likely to be recovered, as they were never telerecorded for export. A list of lost and surviving episodes can be found on the missing episodes web-site . BBC Archive Treasure Hunt is currently seeking missing episodes. All episodes from the 1975-1978 period are preserved in the archives.

After Z Cars The spin-off, Softly, Softly focused on the regional crime squad, and ran until 1969, when it was again revised and became Softly, Softly: Taskforce, running until 1976. The character of Barlow ( Stratford Johns ) was one of the best-known figures in British television in the 1960s and 1970s, and was given several seasons of his own "solo" series, Barlow at Large (later just Barlow ) between 1971-75. He also joined Watt ( Frank Windsor ) to re-investigate the Jack the Ripper murders for a six-part series in 1973. This led to another spin-off, Second Verdict in which Barlow and Watt looked into unsolved cases and unsafe convictions. Frank Windsor made a final appearance as Watt in the last episode of Z Cars, 'Pressure', in September 1978, with Robins ( John Phillips ), the Detective Chief Superintendent from the original series who had risen to chief constable. A number of other actors from the early days also made appearances, but not as their original characters.

The theme tune from Z Cars has for many years been used as a march-on tune at football clubs in Great Britain such as Everton FC . Before Z Cars In 1961 the BBC broadcast "Jacks and Knaves" as a single series of four episodes. Set in Liverpool and including Leonard Williams (Sgt. Twentyman in Z-Cars), and written by Colin Morris. Although a humorous police procedural, Jacks and Knaves paved the way for Z-Cars as a regional drama about policing.

Cast (1962-1965 & 1967-1978 / 12 Series / 799 episodes) DCI Charlie Barlow — Stratford Johns (1962-1965 / Series 1-5 / 126 episodes) DS John Watt — Frank Windsor (1962-1965,1978 / Series 1-5,12 / 129 episodes) PC ‘Fancy’ Smith — Brian Blessed (1962-1965 / Series 1-5 / 113 episodes) PC ‘Jock’ Weir — Joseph Brady (1962-1965,1967-1968 / Series 1-6 / 177 episodes) PC/DC/Sgt./Insp. Bert Lynch — James Ellis (1962-1965,1967-1978 / Series 1-12 / 625 episodes) PC Bob Steele — Jeremy Kemp (1962-1963 / Series 1-2 / 34 episodes) Sgt.

Percy Twentyman — Leonard Williams (1962 / Series 1-2 / 30 episodes) PC Ian Sweet — Terence Edmond (1962-1964 / Series 1-3/ 78 episodes) WPC Jenny Stacey — Lynne Furlong (1962-1965 / Series 1-4 / 24 episodes) Sally Clarkson (BD Girl) - Diane Aubrey (1962 / Series 1-2 / 24 episodes) DC Glyn Hicks — Michael Forrest (1962-1964 / Series 2-3 / 36 episodes) PC David Graham — Colin Welland (1962-1965, / Series 2-5 / 85 episodes) Sgt.

Bob Blackitt — Robert Keegan (1962-1965 / Series 2-5 / 108 episodes) PC Ken Baker — Geoffrey Whitehead (1964-1965 / Series 4 / 29 episodes) PC Taylor — Marcus Hammond (1964-1965 / Series 4 / 20 episodes) Paula Poulton (BD Girl) - Sara Aimson (1965 / Series 4-5 / 23 episodes) DI/DCI Sam Hudson — John Barrie (1967,1968 / Series 6 / 32 episodes) DS Tom Stone — John Slater (1967-1974 / Series 6-9 / 419 episodes) PC Owen Culshaw — David Daker (1967-1968 / Series 6 / 82 episodes) PC Steve Tate — Sebastian Breaks (1967 / Series 6 / 29 episodes) PC Alec May — Stephen Yardley (1967-1968 / Series 6 / 66 episodes) WPC Parkin — Pauline Taylor (

1967-1969 / Series 6 / 48 episodes) PC Bill Newcombe — Bernard Holley (1967-1971 / Series 6 / 277 episodes) BD Girl — Jennie Goossens (1967-1971 / Series 6-7 / 146 episodes) DI Todd — Joss Ackland (1967-1968 / Series 6 / 41 episodes) PC Jackson — John Wreford (1967-1968 / Series 6 / 29 episodes) DI Alan Witty — John Woodvine (1968-1969 / Series 6 / 60 episodes) PC Doug Roach — Ron Davies (1968-1969 / Series 6 / 59 episodes) PC Bruce Bannerman — Paul Angelis (1968-1969 / Series 6 / 128 episodes) PC/Sgt.

Alec Quilley — Douglas Fielding (1969-1978 / Series 6-12 / 339 episodes) DI/Mr. Neil Goss — Derek Waring (1969-1973 / Series 6-8 / 215 episodes) PC/DC Joe Skinner — Ian Cullen (1969-1975 / Series 6-9 / 219 episodes) PC Reg Horrocks — Barry Lowe (1970-1975,1977 / Series 6-9,11 / 27 episodes) PC/Sgt.

Bowman — John Swindells (1970-1973 / Series 6-7 / 40 episodes) DS Cecil Haggar — John Collin (1971-1976,1978 / Series 6-7,9-10,12 / 51 episodes) DC Dave Scatliff — Geoffrey Hayes (1971-1974 / Series 6-8 / 27 episodes) PC Shaun Covill — Jack Carr (1971-1972 / Series 6-7 / 39 episodes) PC Fred Render — Allan O'Keefe (1971-1978 / Series 6-12 / 62 episodes) DS/DI Terry Moffat — Ray Lonnen (1972-1977 / Series 7-11 / 25 episodes) DS Wilf Miller - Geoffrey Whitehead (1972-1975 / Series 6-9 / 22 episodes) DC Jim Braithwaite — David Jackson (1972-1978 / Series 7-12 / 22

 episodes) Sgt.

Gilbert Chubb — Paul Stewart (1974-1978 / Series 9-12 / 25 episodes) Others - Dorothy White - Janey Steele (1962-1963 / Series 1-2 / 13 episodes)... John Phillips - DCS/ACC/Chief Con. Robins (1962-1965,1967,1969,1973,1978 / Series 1-4,6-7,12 / 14 episodes)... Virginia Stride - Katy Hoskins (BD Girl) (1962-1964 /Series 1-3 / 18 episodes)... Leslie Sands - DCS Miller (1962-63,1965,1967,1969 / Series 1-4,6 / 12 episodes)... Dudley Foster - DI/Supt. Dunn (1962,1964 / Series 1,3 / 14 episodes)... James Cossins - Sgt.

Michaelson (1962-1963 / Series 2 / 11 episodes)... Hilary Martyn - Joan Martin (BD Girl) (1962-1963 / Series 2 / 13 episodes)... Leonard Rossiter - DI Bamber (1963 / Series 2 / 8 episodes)... Sidonie Bond - Betty Clayton (BD Girl) (1963 / Series 2 / 16 episodes)... Kate Allitt - Pamela Earnshaw (BD Girl) (1964 / Series 3 / 12 episodes)... John Thaw - DC Elliot (1963 / Series 3 / 4 episodes)... Kate Brown - Shirley Burscough (BD Girl) (1963 / Series 3 / 16 episodes)... Lynn Farleigh - Ann Fazakerley (BD Girl) (1964 / Series 3-4 / 17 episodes)... Susan Jameson - WPC Nelson (1965,1975 / Series 4,9 / 6 episodes)... Donald Webster - PC Foster (1965 / Series 4 / 8 episodes)...

Donald Gee - PC Ray Walker (1965 / Series 4-5 / 18 episodes)... Luanshya Greer - WPC Jane Shepherd (1967 / Series 6 / 6 episodes)... Anjula Harman - BD Girl (1967,1969 / Series 6 / 14 episodes)... Christopher Coll - DC Kane (1967-1968 / Series 6 / 16 episodes)... Doreen Aris - Betty Culshaw (1967-1968 / Series 6 / 8 episodes)... George Sewell - DI Brogan (1967 / Series 6 / 6 episodes)... Thelma Whiteley - Sally Stone (1967,1969-1970 / Series 6 / 8 episodes)... Victor Brooks - Sgt. Potter (1968-1969 / Series 6 / 10 episodes)... William Dexter - D Supt. Oakley (1968-1971 / Series 6 / 6 episodes)...

John Livesey - PC Stack (1969 / Series 6 / 15 episodes)... June Watson - WPC/WP Sgt. Lorna Cameron (1970,1973-1975 / Series 6,8-9 / 8 episodes)... Stephanie Turner - WPC Anne Howarth (1971-1975 / Series 6-9 / 14 episodes)... Jerome Willis - Supt./D Supt. Roy Richards / 1971-1973 / Series 6-7 / 4 episodes)... James Walsh - PC Lindsay (1971-1974 / Series 7-9 / 8 episodes)... John Challis - Sgt. Frank Culshaw (1972-1975 / Series 7-9 / 10 episodes)... Gary Watson - DI Fred Connor (1972-1974 / Series 7-8 / 11 episodes)... Nicholas Smith - PC Jeff Yates (1972-1975 / Series 7-9 / 9 episodes)...

Kenton Moore - Insp./CI Logie (1972-1974 / Series 7-8 / 4 episodes)... Brian Grellis - DC/DS Bernard Bowker (1974-1978 / Series 9-12 / 19 episodes)... Tommy Boyle - DI Gerry Maddan (1978 / Series 12 / 8 episodes)... Victoria Plucknett - WPC Jane Beck (1978 / Series 12 / 3 episodes). See also

Question: The theme tune of which TV series was arranged by Fritz Spiegl from the traditional folk-song 'Johnny Todd'?
Answer: 'Z CARS'