Top Brit cop shows of the 70s, probably to violent for U.S

[stuart.uk]

Special Branch was a sequel to an earlier series with the same title starring Darren Nesbit (Where Eagles Dare) and Fulton Mackay (Porridge). In this updated version of the elite Police organization it starred George Sewell as Chief Inspector Alan Craven and Patrick Mower as Cheif Inspector Jim Haggerty. The show also featured Sue Jameson as a Policewoman, who was also a love interest for Craven. She now plays Alun Armstrong's wife in New Tricks along side her real life husband James Bollam

Target also starred Patrick Mower as an Dectective Sargeant Jim Hackett of The Crime Squad. It co-starred Vivien Heilbron and Philip Madoc. It was clearly inspired the awesome The Sweeney, but not nearly as successful.

Not really a cop show, but Callan is probably worth a mention with Edward Woodward playing a Goverment Assassin with a consience. He had two side-kicks played at first by Anthony Valentine as Toby Miers, then Patrick Mower as Cross, though in the movie version Peter Egan played Valentine's role. Though different characters, Callan came over as a younger version of Woodward's Robert MaColl in the Equalizer.

Action series Cats Eyes was a sequel to Police drama The Gentle Touch with Jill Gascoine (wife of Spiderman villian Alfred Molina, who now works on U.S tv)as Inspector Maggie Forbes, who leaves the force to join a private detective agency that also does jobs for the Goverment. One of Jill's sidekicks was played by Leslie Ash as Fred Smith, who said she tried to base her character on Dennis Waterman's Carter in The Sweeney. Another side-kick was played by Rachel's (The Thorn Birds) sister Tracy-Louise Ward. Unlike The Gentle Touch Cats Eyes wasn't the success it was hoped it would be.

The Professionals, next to The Sweeney was IMO the best of the batch. Gordon Jackson played George Cowley, who forms elite secret organization CI5 to combat terrorism on British streets. Two of his men are William Bodie, a tough ex army man played by Lewis Collins (Who Dares Wins with Richard Widmark) and his partner the more sensitive, but still tough ex- Constable Ray Doyle, played by Martin Shaw (Judge John Deed), who both outranked senior Police Officers when attending a crime scene

Last, but certainly not least The Sweeney. TS was slang for the newly formed Scotland Yard outfit The Flying Squad, who met violence with violence when dealing with the likes of armed bank robbers. Based on a one off tv movie called Regen, starring the great John Thaw in the title role of Inspector Jack Regen, it was turned into a massively successful tv series. At Thaw's insistance more was used of his side kick Sargeant George Carter, played superbly by Dennis Waterman. As a result Regen and Carter became two of the best Police double acts ever seen, it was just a pity America never got to see just how great this series was. The only reason I can think of is that TS was way to violent for U.S tv. If I remember at the same time Starsky and Hutch were having to tone down there level of Violence to be more suitable for U.S tv. In TS Garfield Morgan brilliantly played Regen's boss Chief Inspector Frank Haskins and it was a disgrace he wasn't allowed to join Thaw and Waterman in the two feature films The Sweeney and Sweeney 2. The films were only okay movies, not a patch on the iconic tv show which is now available on DVD.

[stuart.uk]

Here's a link to The Sweeney

BFI Screenonline: Sweeney, The (1975-78)
Tough 1970s police drama with John Thaw and Dennis Waterman ... Euston Films/Thames Television for ITV, 2/1/1975 - 28/12/1978: 52 x 60 min episode in 4 series, colour

www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/473709/index.html · Cached page

[stuart.uk]

And for good measure, here's The Professionals

BBC - h2g2 - The Professionals - the 1970s TV show
h2g2 is the unconventional guide to life, the universe and everything, a guide that's written by visitors to the website, creating an organic and evolving encyclopedia of life

www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A667244 · Cached page