The Sweeney – 50th Anniversary Review

Collage of 4 images from the TV series The Sweeney. The top left image shows a colour image of Carter, played by Dennis Waterman, and Regan, played by John Thaw. The other 3 images show blue tinted images of a car driving down a street, Regan in a car talking on a radio, and Carter in a car holding a gun, from the title sequence of the show.

Five decades on from its initial broadcast, The Sweeney remains one of the all-time classic cop shows, with one of the greatest theme tunes as well (by Harry South). Back in the 1970s, it was notable for its gritty realism, action sequences and violence, and for shining a light on the imperfections within the police force, from innocent mistakes and failed investigations to casual rule-breaking and outright corruption. British police dramas had largely shied away from the more illicit and brutal aspects of the job until then, but this tackled them head-on, so it really stood out.

Created by Ian Kennedy Martin, it starred the magnificent John Thaw as Detective Inspector Jack Regan alongside the equally brilliant Dennis Waterman as Detective Sergeant George Carter, with Garfield Morgan as their boss Frank Haskins, all of whom are sadly no longer with us. Their characters worked for the Flying Squad – known in Cockney rhyming slang as Sweeney Todd, hence the show’s title – and were normal, vulnerable human beings with their own problems like the rest of us, rather than flawless superhero crime-solvers. They didn’t always get the results they wanted, and when they did it wasn’t always in a tidy or strictly legal manner. So they were relatable to the audience in many ways, even if they were stronger and more courageous than most of us. And in amongst all of the drama they had occasional moments of humour too, as in a dark job like that you need moments of light relief.

There was an impressive roster of guest stars as well, with a lot of current or future big names from stage and screen popping up in many of the episodes, giving the show even more gravitas and credibility. It’s a further testament to the quality of the writing that many of them were tempted to get involved in the first place. It was a real mark of pride to have The Sweeney on one’s CV.

At long last the show has now been remastered and released in its entirety on Blu-ray, with 50th anniversary editions having gone on sale between June 2025 and February 2026 for Series 1, 2, 3 & 4, all of which I’ve bought to replace my old DVDs (so nothing here is gifted or sponsored). It’s been the perfect excuse for me to revisit the show, having not watched it for quite a while. So here are my brief reviews of all the episodes and extras from the box sets, and I hope you enjoy!

Contents

Blu-ray Box Sets

In the early 2000s, Network Distributing released DVD box sets for all 4 series of The Sweeney along with the pilot, and I bought all of those, plus the 2 films by a separate company. Network then released a definitive box set containing all of that material in one go, which I didn’t buy as I had no need to.

They then went on to release Blu-rays of the pilot and Series 1 in 2012, for which the original 16mm film negatives were scanned and restored in high definition. But they then declined to put out any more due to poor sales. So for a long time it looked like we’d never get the rest in that format.

However, since Network went into administration in 2023, a company called Old Gold Media has taken over their library. And while a lot of their early releases were straight-up copies of Network’s DVDs with new branding, they actually commissioned additional remastering work on The Sweeney, improving the Series 1 restoration and producing new restorations of Series 2-4.

It probably also helped that Old Gold Media was launched by Pete Kalhan, a former long-time staff member of Fremantle, who own The Sweeney and many other classic shows, so he has extensive experience and close connections with his old employer.

As a result of all that work, the episodes look and sound amazing considering their age, and are significantly better than the old DVDs. The episodes retain their original 4:3 aspect ratio, Thames TV ident, commercial break bumpers and even the mono soundtrack, although there is also a 5.1 surround sound option that helps to bring the show alive even more. Widescreen remasters have also been produced for potential future distribution, with a couple of examples included in these box sets, as discussed among the extra features.

The only exception quality-wise is Ringer, the first episode after the pilot, for which the original master negatives were missing, so 16mm prints that had suffered the effects of aging had to be used. But they’ve cleaned it up as best they can, and it still looks very good to be fair.

They’ve also brought across most of the extras from the Network releases, apart from episodes of other drama and comedy shows that John Thaw and Dennis Waterman had also been in, and a couple of other little things (as listed later in this post). They also haven’t included the books by Andrew Pixley, who had written very comprehensive notes for all the series, but as Network decided not to do Blu-rays of Series 2-4, they never all saw the light of day. So all we get with these new releases are small booklets, which I’ll also mention later on. I’m not too concerned personally, as the big books Network included with some of their titles were far too long for me to try and read comfortably anyway, but for dedicated die-hard fans they were a treasure trove of information.

As for the artwork, full colour images of the main characters are used on the outer sleeve of each set, with the front cover image repeated once inside the set and on all the discs. Beyond that, various black and white photos from the show grace the panels in the box, either tinted or against a coloured background.

So on the whole they’re very nice box sets, which between them contain all 54 episodes, consisting of the pilot followed by 13 episodes each in Series 1-3, and 14 episodes in Series 4. Apart from the extended pilot, all of the regular episodes last for 50 minutes (as they would have been an hour with adverts).

Episodes

Series 1

Back cover for The Sweeney Series 1 on Blu-ray. At the top is a description of the series, followed by 3 photos from the show with a man laying on the ground behind a vehicle while 2 men stand over him, a car chase, and 2 people in masks kidnapping a woman. Below that is a long list of special features, followed by technical and copyright information.
Cover spread for the inner box for The Sweeney Series 1 on Blu-ray. On the right is a large colour image of Regan and Carter, played by John Thaw and Dennis Waterman. Below them is another image of the two of them, this time pointing guns ahead of them, along with their boss Frank Haskins and a police car chasing another car. On the left panel, meanwhile is a blue-tinted image of George Carter sitting at a desk, wearing a dark jacket and stripy tie over a white shirt. The thick spine in between the two panels says The Sweeney, Series One.

The Series 1 box set opens with Regan, the feature-length pilot broadcast in June 1974. Running for almost 1 hour 20 minutes (so would have been 90 minutes with ads), it was part of the Armchair Cinema series of drama plays on Thames TV, so has its own theme tune which is quite nice (The Loner by Mark Duval), and its popularity led to the development of The Sweeney as a series. The set even includes a cut-down 50-minute version that’s edited as if it were an actual episode of The Sweeney, with the familiar titles and credits from the series, which wasn’t on the Network release. But the longer version is better.

It introduces the character of Jack Regan brilliantly, including his famous opening line “Get your trousers on, you’re nicked!”, and we start to learn about his complicated family life. Most importantly though, the story is about a detective who is beaten up by gang members and dies. Regan is under strict orders not to interfere in the investigation, but he takes matters into his own hands in his determination to catch those responsible, persuading his former colleague George Carter to help him.

So it’s a very good story that shows different layers of Regan’s personality, and Carter makes a great sidekick, they gel really well together. And the most recognisable guest star for me is Maureen Lipman, who plays Annie (she would later play a different character in the first episode of Series 3).

Series 1 itself then consists of 13 episodes, which originally aired from January to March 1975.

A blue-tinted image from one of the panels in the Blu-ray box set for The Sweeney Series 1, showing Regan with an angry look on his face.
A page from the booklet in the Blu-ray set for The Sweeney Series 1, showing the episodes and extra features on discs 1 and 2.
  1. Ringer – When Regan loses some surveillance photos, and they find their way into the hands of the criminal gang he was spying on, it’s a race against time for him and Carter to figure out what they’re planning, and where and when. It’s a great way to launch to the series, including a fun chase around Peckham Rye station and a big fight scene at the end. Brian Blessed, familiar to many for his booming voice, is excellent as the much quieter and sinister gang leader Frank Kemble. The other big guest star I recognise is June Brown, who plays the mother Mrs Martin, as this was early in her TV career, a whole decade before she became a household name as Dot Cotton in EastEnders.
  2. Jackpot – The team intercept and arrest a gang who have attempted to steal money from a security van, but a bag containing £35,000 goes missing. With angry bosses and insistent journalists after him, Regan has to track down and recover the cash quickly. There’s another great fight scene in this, when the arrests take place, and we get to see it from several angles as the squad scrutinise the footage shot by their own cameraman at the scene. There are nice little twists in the story too, when they finally figure out where the money’s gone. The main guest star I recognise in this is Richard Davies, who plays the doctor, as I’ve enjoyed his guest spots in comedies like Fawlty Towers and 2point4 Children.
  3. Thin Ice – In this episode Gerald Bishop (Alfred Marks) goes abroad to escape the clutches of the Sweeney. Regan is desperate to find out where he’s gone, but is up against a man from the Fraud Squad who the case has been handed over to. Gerald does have a big weakness though, which Regan tries to exploit. Interestingly, this episode features 3 people who I recognise from the classic prison sitcom Porridge, most notably Brian Wilde, whose role as Bishop’s accountant here is worlds away from his famous portrayal of the weaker Mr Barrowclough. Meanwhile Brian Glover, who plays Moose in this episode (and a different character in the first Sweeney film later), was dim prisoner Cyril, and I also enjoyed him in the Gas episode of the anarchic comedy Bottom. And Peter Jeffrey, who is DS Pringle from the Fraud Squad in this story, guest starred in Porridge as the stern prison officer Napper Wainwright. And there are more actors from that sitcom in later episodes.
Two blue-tinted images on a panel in the Blu-ray box set for The Sweeney Series 1. The top image shows Regan looking furious as he points a small gun at a bearded man's head, while the bottom image shows a police car driving down a street.
A page from the booklet in the Blu-ray set for The Sweeney Series 1, showing the episodes and extra features on discs 3 and 4.
  1. Queen’s Pawn – The police are humiliated when Johnny Lyon (Tony Selby) and his associates are cleared of bank robbery charges. So in a last-ditch attempt to nail him, they put Regan on the case, and we see how far he’s prepared to go to get the job done, even if it means using underhand tactics to put the pressure on. Philip Budd in this episode is played by a young Christopher Ellison in one of his very first TV roles, who would later find fame as Frank Burnside, one of my favourite characters in The Bill. And he’s not the only future star of that series to appear in The Sweeney.
  2. Jigsaw – When an office is burgled and the night watchman is injured, Regan is convinced that Eddie Boyse (Del Henney) and his associates are behind it, despite the fact he saw Eddie singing in a bar at the time. His determination to prove it leads to an MP accusing him of harassment. So again it’s interesting to see the lengths that Regan will go to. It’s also admirable to see Carter sticking up for Regan when his wife Alison (Stephanie Turner) makes her feelings clear about him, and there’s more of that in the series finale.
  3. Night Out – With a bank raid underway, Regan is drafted in to prevent old flame Iris Long (Mitzi Rogers) from leaving the pub next door, while the police investigate the gang. But the criminals get suspicious of the stranger in her room and he has to try and stay out of danger. There’s good interplay between Regan and Iris given the awkwardness of the situation, and the story has a good pace to it, including a cool fight in the pub, which Carter doesn’t come out of too well.
  4. The Placer – Regan goes undercover as a lorry driver to try and catch a gang of hijackers, secretly meeting with Carter about his progress. He has to go to some lengths to keep up the pretence, even allowing himself to get beaten up. So it gets quite tense at times, especially when the criminals get suspicious, and there’s a good showdown on an industrial site. I recognise actor Tony Steedman, who plays Andrew Barkis in this, from his role as Shirley’s father Charlie in two series of the sitcom Citizen Smith (which is getting a remastered Blu-ray release of its own later this year). And again there are notable actors from that sitcom who appear in this show later.
A blue-tinted image from one of the panels in the Blu-ray box set for The Sweeney Series 1, showing Regan facing straight on at us with a stern expression. It's behind a plastic holder for one of the Blu-ray discs, with the centre spindle lined up almost perfectly with his nose.
Two blue-tinted images on a panel in the Blu-ray box set for The Sweeney Series 1. The top image shows a car that has crashed on to its side. The bottom image shows Regan questioning a man.
  1. Cover Story – Beautiful journalist Sandy Williams (Prunella Gee) appears to have connections with a criminal gang, so Regan takes a professional and emotional gamble by getting close to her to try and get information, despite Carter’s unease. While not a bad story in its own way, it is the weakest episode of the first series for me, as it has a much slower pace and a different style, focusing on the romantic attachment that develops between Regan and Sandy, which isn’t very interesting. And there isn’t a lot of action, although there is a fight scene in which Carter finds himself totally outnumbered.
  2. Golden Boy – Actor Dudley Sutton is another figure I recognise from Porridge, where his character Reg tried to take the governor hostage in a great Christmas special. In this enjoyable Sweeney episode, however, he’s a much smarter and more determined criminal called Max Deller, who’s devised a clever way of breaking into a bank vault right under the noses of the security guards. Regan is soon sniffing around though, as he realises something’s afoot when he sees known conman Harry Fuller (Anthony Morton) flashing lots of money around, and pulling him in for questioning sets off a chain of events for Max that complicates his plan. It concludes with a fun chase through an airport.
  3. Stoppo Driver – This episode stars Billy Murray, who I loved as Don Beech in The Bill. Here he plays Brian Cooney, a relief driver for Regan and Carter. He’s very skilled when it comes to car chases – of which there are a couple of excellent examples in this episode – so much so that when the driver of the gang they’re chasing dies, the criminals kidnap Cooney’s wife to force him to drive for them instead. So he has to try and covertly signal to the Flying Squad that he’s in trouble and isn’t double-crossing them. It’s one of the best episodes of the series for me.
A blue-tinted image from one of the panels in the Blu-ray box set for The Sweeney Series 1, showing Regan and Carter squatting over a beaten-up male body lying on the ground.
A page from the booklet in the Blu-ray set for The Sweeney Series 1, showing the episodes and extra features on disc 5, above a colour photo of Regan sitting at a desk with a quizzical look on his face.
  1. Big Spender – Warren Mitchell, best known for his character Alf Garnett in Till Death Us Do Part, takes on a very different persona altogether here. He plays William Wardle, who is helping the Smith gang run a ticket scam at a car park, seemingly against his will. The Smiths are keeping an eye on him with the help of a lady called Stella (Catherine Schell), who at one point tries to help William evade the police by dressing him up as a woman, rather unconvincingly – which gives Regan and Carter great amusement when they catch him! So it’s a fun story, including another cool car chase and a shootout in a car scrapyard.
  2. Contact Breaker – This involves another bank raid, but the criminals are clever, using a stock car race to mask the sounds of their equipment, and framing Danny Keever (Warren Clarke) to throw the police off their trail. But can Danny persuade Regan and Carter of his innocence when the odds seem so stacked against him? The Flying Squad have their work cut out trying to find who was really responsible, and it ends with a chase through a building site. The most recognisable figure for me, however, is a character called Jenny, who only has a small part but is played by the beautiful Cheryl Hall. She was married to Robert Lindsay at the time, and later played Shirley, the girlfriend of Robert’s character Wolfie in the first 2 series of Citizen Smith. They later divorced in 1980 though. Another future sitcom star is Jim Norton, who plays Phil Harrister, as he later took on the role of Bishop Brennan in Father Ted.
  3. Abduction – The stakes are higher than ever for Regan when his daughter Susie (Jennifer Thanisch) is kidnapped, with a demand for him to drop his enquiries into a robbery that he’s been investigating. He’s not allowed to tell anyone, but pulls Carter out of sick leave to help him, much to the annoyance of his wife Alison (Stephanie Turner), who can’t be told the true purpose. And Regan’s ex-wife Kate (Janet Key) is none too pleased with her former husband either, getting increasingly hysterical about her missing child. Regan’s own temper is also put to the test, naturally, and it leads to some pretty intense scenes when he gets emotional and angry towards Haskins, and Carter has to stop him beating up one of the criminals in a lift. So it’s a really powerful episode on which to end the series, they saved the very best until last. The most recognisable guest star for me is Wanda Ventham, who plays Brenda, as I’ve seen her as Cassandra’s mother in a few episodes of Only Fools And Horses.

Series 2

The second series came hot on the heels of the first, being broadcast in the same year, from September to November 1975. As noted below and in the booklet, this box set swaps episodes 10 and 13 from the way they were first broadcast, to reflect the originally intended running order.

Front cover for The Sweeney Series 2 on Blu-ray, showing a large colour image of Regan and Carter, played by John Thaw and Dennis Waterman. Below them are images from the series including Carter chasing a criminal, Haskins pointing a gun, Regan talking into a handheld radio, and a couple of other criminals.
Back cover for The Sweeney Series 2 on Blu-ray. At the top is a description of the series, followed by 3 photos from the show, showing Regan and Carter talking to each other through windows of neighbouring cars, Carter talking to a woman, and Regan angrily grabbing a man by the collar of his jacket. Below that is a long list of special features, followed by technical and copyright information.
Cover spread for the inner box for The Sweeney Series 2 on Blu-ray, with a green background behind the imagery and text. On the right is a large colour image of Regan and Carter, played by John Thaw and Dennis Waterman. Below them are images from the series including Carter chasing a criminal, Haskins pointing a gun, Regan talking into a handheld radio, and a couple of other criminals. On the left is a black and white image of Regan holding a baton as he faces a frightened looking man. The thick spine in between the two panels says The Sweeney, Series Two.
A black and white photo of Regan and Carter standing together, each with their arms crossed, Regan bending his right elbow so his right hand can touch his left cheek. The image is placed on a green background, and is from one of the panels in the Blu-ray box set for The Sweeney Series 2.
A page from the booklet in the Blu-ray set for The Sweeney Series 2, showing the episodes and extra features on discs 1 and 2.
  1. Chalk And Cheese – The opening episode puts the focus more on Carter for a change, as he discovers an old mate called Tommy has got mixed up in a series of armed robberies. Tommy’s played by Paul Jones, who was actually the original singer in Manfred Mann, performing on hits like Do Wah Diddy Diddy. So his role here couldn’t be more different, but he proves to be as good an actor as he is a singer, and he has appeared in some other shows. And talking of music, there’s an unusual selection here, with a strange, eerie piece used in the pre-titles sequence and in some later scenes, which seems completely at odds with the action taking place, yet helps it to feel suitably unsettling. Meanwhile, the conclusion makes Carter a bit emotional, but what he experiences here is nothing compared to later in the series.
  2. Faces – There are more armed robberies in this episode, but this time targeting security vans, and the raiders responsible are under the command of a German man called Otto (Barry Stanton). So Regan and his team conduct surveillance on them, although Carter nearly gets caught at one point, and the gang recognise other members of the police who they’ve had run-ins with before. And it gets even more frustrating for Regan, as it transpires MI5 have a man on the inside who can’t be exposed. It all comes to a head with a fantastic car chase and fight scene in a gasworks at the end.
  3. Supersnout – Joey Stickley is an unpleasant individual, but is one of Regan’s most reliable snouts, offering up valuable information, for a price of course. He’s played by John Tordoff, who I’ve also seen as a policeman in the sitcom Citizen Smith. But he doesn’t know about a gang of Post Office thieves, who Regan and Carter are also convinced doesn’t exist. Yet Commander Quirk (Bill Maynard), an eccentric man standing in for Haskins, is hell bent on catching them, and is somehow getting intel on their plans that Regan isn’t privy to. Then when Carter is sent undercover, he ends up driving Joey, oblivious to his connection to Regan. It all ends in a big police operation that doesn’t go according to plan. So it’s a good episode of twists and turns, with the added bonus of a lengthy scene of a stripper (Brandy di Frank) when Regan meets Joey in a club.
A panel with a green background from the Blu-ray box set for The Sweeney Series 2. It has 2 black and white images, showing Jack Regan talking to a man and a woman respectively.
A panel with a green background from the Blu-ray box set for The Sweeney Series 2. It has 2 black and white images, the top one showing two disguised people bursting out from the back of a van carrying tools, while the bottom image shows a woman's face. The images are behind a plastic holder for one of the Blu-ray discs.
  1. Big Brother – After a man is brutally attacked, Regan and Carter arrest and question Andy Deacon (David Dixon) and Kevin Lee (Michael Robbins). But Andy collapses in front of Regan and, with no witnesses present, suspicions are raised that Regan is responsible given his reputation. It doesn’t help that Andy is found to have internal bruising and journalist John Frewin (John Clive) prints an inflammatory piece that gets him a severe telling off from Haskins. So, unbeknownst to Regan, Andy’s furious big brother Phil (Maurice Roëves) hires a hitman to go after him. However, Regan and Carter do eventually uncover the truth, after they catch up with a key witness in a fun chase sequence. So it’s a great episode, especially as it has a couple of very recognisable guest stars. David Dixon is best known to me and millions of others as Ford Prefect in the BBC’s classic adaptation of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, while Michael Robbins was Olive’s husband Arthur in On The Buses, although I never got into that, so I recognise him better from guest appearances in other programmes, most memorably the council officer in the fleas episode of The Good Life.
  2. Hit And Run – The focus is squarely back on George Carter for this pivotal episode, as his wife Alison (Stephanie Turner) becomes a tragic victim of mistaken identity when she’s fatally knocked down by a car. At first it just appears to be an awful accident, but Carter stumbles upon a clue that indicates otherwise, leading him and Regan to try and track down the lady who was really being targeted before the criminals get to her. So it’s an intense and moving episode in which Dennis Waterman is marvellous in his portrayal of Carter’s shock and grief, and it beautifully illustrates the close friendship between him and Regan. And once again there are excellent guest stars, most significantly Patrick Troughton, who of course played the second Doctor in Doctor Who, and Gary Waldhorn, who is great as David Horton in The Vicar Of Dibley.
  3. Trap – More journalists are out to bring Regan down here. They have one of his old snouts, Noah, and are using his mother to coerce him to give a statement regarding an old case that earned Regan a promotion. A tail has also been put on Regan and Carter, but hardly discretely, as Regan is well aware that they’re being tracked and photographed. So he attempts to use it to his advantage while he tries to find Noah and protect the mother, yet by keeping Haskins out of the picture he’s putting his job at risk too. So it’s another episode where Regan has to stand up for himself, which isn’t unusual for this series, but it’s still enjoyable. In terms of the guests, Noah is played by Kenneth Colley, who played another biblically-named role as Jesus in Monty Python’s Life Of Brian. Meanwhile Geoffrey Whitehead is an actor I’ve seen as Lucy’s father from Series 4 onwards of Not Going Out and Mr Newbold in Still Open All Hours, but the most recognisable for me is Brian Hall, who was Terry the chef in Fawlty Towers.
2 pages from the booklet in the Blu-ray set for The Sweeney Series 2, showing the episodes and extra features on discs 3 and 4.
  1. Golden Fleece – This was the first episode of The Sweeney to top the TV charts, attracting 8.1 million viewers, and is also the first to centre around Haskins, finally giving him a proper story of his own, which he deserved. Special Branch star Patrick Mower and Doctor In The House regular George Layton make a great double act as two Australian armed robbers, working at a sports centre run by Mr Simpkins (Nicholas Smith, who I recognise as Mr Rumbold in Are You Being Served?). However, when Haskins gets too close to discovering their connection with a currency firm, the duo arrange for their friend Wally Vince (Peter Godfrey) to stitch him up so he’s investigated for corruption. Regan and Carter then try to find out what’s going on in order to clear their superior’s name, despite being warned to stay out of it. They’re unable to catch the villains in the end, but their getaway means there’s nobody to testify against Haskins, so the charges are dropped. But it’s not over, because the Aussies make a return in the Trojan Bus episode. And among the extras there’s a special feature about the making of both stories plus a PDF of the Golden Fleece script.
  2. Poppy – Regan gets a tip-off that a violent man called Vic Labbett (James Booth) has returned to the country, to retrieve some money (known in slang as ‘poppy’) that was hidden away after a bank heist. So he and Carter set about trying to track him down before he can leave again, making contact with his wife Sally (Veronica Lang) and mistress Kay (Helen Gill) among others, and learning that he’s made a deal to exchange the cash for diamonds. Vic is less than pleased to hear that Regan is aware of his return of course, and it leads to big pursuits by the docks and across an air field as he tries to evade the law. So it’s another fun episode as the net gradually tightens around Vic. There are a couple of big movie stars here as well. James was already well known for his role in the 1964 film Zulu, while John Rhys-Davies, who plays Ron in this story, would later play Sallah in 4 of the Indiana Jones films and Gimli in the Lord Of The Rings franchise, the latter of which I’m much more familiar with.
  3. Stay Lucky Eh? – There’s robbing rivalry in this episode as criminals Barry Tyson (Paul Moriarty) and Peter Jenner (Alun Armstrong, who would later work with Dennis Waterman again in New Tricks) are ambushed at gunpoint and have their cash haul stolen from them. And that causes fury in their boss Tony Kirby and his minder Skef Warren, who are played by two huge sitcom stars – Peter Vaughan (gangster Harry Grout in Porridge & Shirley’s dad in the first 2 series of Citizen Smith) and John Challis (Boycie in Only Fools And Horses & spin-off The Green Green Grass). So Regan and Carter gradually figure all this out as they investigate the burglary, and it leads to a big shoot-out in a theatre, with Haskins helping them. It makes for another great episode, during which Regan is also made a very tempting job offer.
A panel with a green background from the Blu-ray box set for The Sweeney Series 2. It has 2 black and white images, the top one showing a small van with its back doors open as it blocks the path of a larger security van, while the bottom image shows a man laying on his back on the ground and pointing a gun up at someone unseen to the right. The images are behind a plastic holder for one of the Blu-ray discs.
A panel with a green background from the Blu-ray box set for The Sweeney Series 2. It has 2 black and white images, the top one showing a face-on view of a car being driven along a road with Regan in the passenger seat, while the bottom image shows two men talking to each other, one with a beard and moustache while the other is clean-shaven. The images are behind a plastic holder for one of the Blu-ray discs.
  1. Thou Shalt Not Kill – When armed robbers storm a bank, Regan and co are quickly on the scene thanks to a tip-off. Some of the gang try to escape and are arrested, and most of the staff and customers are allowed to leave. But the manager and two females are held hostage by Barry Monks (Ronald Lacey, who played Harris in a few episodes of Porridge) and Terry Wands (Dean Harris, whose character is incorrectly named Jimmy in the credits). Regan is keen to send in the troops but Haskins is more reluctant, while Carter is put into a dangerous and undignified position when he has to deliver refreshments to the building. It all ends in a big car chase, the outcome of which adds further tension between Regan and his boss. So it’s an exciting and tense episode, as the criminals are smart enough to know how to stay one step ahead of the police. On the original broadcast of the series, this story was swapped with the last episode, Trojan Bus, due to a similar real life robbery in the news, but the Blu-ray restores the intended order.
  2. I Want The Man – A snout called Popeye (Russell Hunter) is kidnapped after telling Regan about a suspicious meeting involving Frankie Little (Roy Kinnear), who has only recently come out of jail. Regan arrests Frankie, but the lady he was with gets away, and he interrogates his suspect to no avail. So Frankie is released, having been coerced to go ahead with whatever job he’s being roped into next, provided he gives Regan a heads-up when it’s due to happen. But Frankie can only deliver a coded message via his anxious wife Sandy (Elizabeth Cassidy), so Regan and his team have to figure it out quickly, so they can catch the gang and find Popeye. It all leads to an enjoyable chase and fight scene by a railway at the end.
  3. Country Boy – When security alarms go off at 14 buildings simultaneously, without any damage being caused until after they were triggered, the police are stretched to their limits. So DS David Keel (Robert Swann), a ‘country boy’ from Bristol with telecommunications expertise, is called in to help find out what’s going on. This irritates Regan initially, as it makes him feel undermined, but he gradually warms to the new arrival. They discover that the gang have kidnapped engineer Ronald Peters (Shaun Curry) to help them, and persuade him to remain captive so that they can catch the villains more easily, which leads to a big shootout at the end. So it’s another fun and interesting story.
  4. Trojan Bus – The cocky Australians from Golden Fleece are back, in what was always meant to be the series finale, but was swapped with episode 10 on the original broadcast as noted above. This time they’re in cahoots with Nancy King (Lynda Bellingham), an assistant at an art gallery, who is helping them to steal a valuable painting that they can sell to a black market dealer, in a plan that also involves them acquiring a red double-decker bus. Amazed at the audacity of their return, Regan and his team work on tracking them down, culminating in a big chase and shootout near St Katharine Docks by the River Thames. It’s a great way to round off the series.

Series 3

Series 3 came exactly a year after Series 2, airing from September to December 1976, stretched out by a couple of fortnightly gaps along the way.

Front cover for The Sweeney Series 3 on Blu-ray, showing a large colour image of Regan and Carter, played by John Thaw and Dennis Waterman. Below them are images from the series including Haskins on the phone, several men holding guns, and a female character from the series.
Back cover for The Sweeney Series 3 on Blu-ray. At the top is a description of the series, followed by 3 photos from the show, showing a car being lifted out of some water by a crane, Regan looking angry as he holds a glass bottle, and a man pointing a gun. Below that is a long list of special features, followed by technical and copyright information.
Cover spread for the inner box for The Sweeney Series 3 on Blu-ray, with a red background behind the imagery and text. On the right is a large colour image of Regan and Carter, played by John Thaw and Dennis Waterman. Below them are images from the series including Haskins on the phone, several men holding guns, and a female character from the series. On the left is a black and white photo of Carter wearing a shirt and tie, with a bruise on his cheek and a plaster on his forehead. The thick spine in between the two panels says The Sweeney, Series Three.
A black and white photo of Regan wearing a jacket, shirt and tie, looking down at us. The image is placed on a red background, and is from one of the panels in the Blu-ray box set for The Sweeney Series 3.
A page from the booklet in the Blu-ray set for The Sweeney Series 3, showing the episodes and extra features on discs 1 and 2.
  1. Selected Target – When Titus Oates (Ronald Fraser) and Colly Kibber (Lee Montague) are released from prison, suspicious notes are found in Kibber’s possession, which he angrily accuses Oates of planting. So the Sweeney put surveillance on Kibber, with Regan suspecting that he’s murdered Oates. But the prison fight was a ruse, and Kibber knows he’s being watched, so he arranges an attack on the surveillance team to keep the police busy, enabling him to meet Oates to finalise their plans. And when Regan and Carter go after a banker who’s also involved, with Carter chatting to a neighbour played by the legendary Maureen Lipman, they’re too late. So it’s a good story – not the most striking for a season opener perhaps, but still fun because of how the criminals get the upper hand.
  2. In From The Cold – Bad memories and flashbacks are triggered for Regan when he sees that Billy Medhurst (Anthony Heaton) is back in town, as he was unable to stop a member of Billy’s gang shooting a policeman called Eddie Jackson (Martin Fisk), who has been in a wheelchair ever since. Regan still feels guilty as he never found the person responsible. So Billy is arrested, but isn’t cooperative, and nor is his solicitor Ashby-Jones (Lewis Fiander) or his wife (played by the aptly named Maureen Sweeney). Then, while transporting Billy later on, Regan and Carter are ambushed and beaten up, with the gang taking Billy away, and his wife then has to turn to Regan for help. Regan and Carter then try to track him down, while Haskins discovers how the solicitor is involved, and it all leads to a showdown in a lorry park. Altogether it’s a pretty standard episode, with Regan out for revenge, but it’s still good.
  3. Visiting Fireman – The most memorable moment of this episode, and arguably the entire series, is Regan and Carter’s hilarious take on The Song’s Gotta Come From The Heart by Jimmy Durante, as they sing and dance drunkenly in a nightclub! Dennis and John clearly had fun filming it, and it shows the wonderful chemistry they have. They’re at the club with Turkish police officer Captain Shebbeq (Nadim Sawalha), who has visited Regan so they can investigate a gold-smuggling operation together, although it turns out to be something much more than that. And things aren’t easy for Regan, who gets in trouble over the alibi he’s able to give an informant who’s been arrested. He also makes a neighbour crash their car after mistaking them for someone else, and nearly gets blown up in his own car! He does get the last laugh at the end though.
A black and white photo of Regan, Carter and a few other members of their team holding guns as they make their way through a yard, past a few bins and a motorbike. The image is placed on a red background, and is from one of the panels in the Blu-ray box set for The Sweeney Series 3.
Two black and white photos. The top one shows Regan and Carter running, along with a colleague, while the bottom image shows Regan pumping his right fist to his chest while his left arm is stretched out to the side, his eyes are closed and his mouth is open wide. The images are placed on a red background, and are from one of the panels in the Blu-ray box set for The Sweeney Series 3.
  1. Tomorrow Man – There are 2 huge guest stars in this very interesting episode. The most recognisable is the magnificent George Cole, who of course later worked with Dennis Waterman in Minder (which I wish they’d also remaster one day). The other is the legendary John Hurt, who I know best as the War Doctor in the 50th anniversary episode of Doctor Who. George plays Dennis Longfield, who runs a company that uses computers to look after very high profile goods. It’s primitive technology by our standards yet very capable for the time. But John plays his former business partner Tony Grey, who was sacked by Longfield after being jailed and wants revenge. So with the aid of a doppelgänger, Grey torments Longfield while working on a clever plan to intercept a gold shipment from the company, using his advanced programming skills. Regan and Carter get the assistance of Home Office computer expert Jennifer Smart (Ann Curthoys) to help make sense of it all, and it culminates with a great fight scene at the end.
  2. Taste Of Fear – This is one of the best and most violent episodes of the show, as Regan and Carter try to catch a pair of brutal, uncompromising, gun-wielding robbers. The first, Tim Cook, is played by the suitably named George Sweeney, who I’ve also seen as Speed in Citizen Smith, while the other, Ames, is played by Ralph Arliss. But the most recognisable person to me is the older man feeding them information, Tug Wilson, as he’s played by Arthur English, who I know as Mr Harman in Are You Being Served?. The Sweeney are assisted by a new arrival, DS Robert Hargreaves (Norman Eshley), who is great at gathering information, but also provokes Regan’s anger when he bottles it during both of their intense altercations with the villains, and shows a darker side to his methods when he interrogates Tug on his own. There’s also a funny scene where Regan and Carter are having a slightly drunk chat together back at HQ. The sequel to this story came in the series finale, On The Run.
  3. Bad Apple – Having become suspicious about some criminals receiving lenient sentences, Haskins investigates further, and enlists Regan and Carter to help him find evidence of corruption within the police. So they talk to former prisoners and an ex-inspector, while Regan also goes undercover by working at a bar and posing as a gas man. The corrupt officer in question is DS Jim Huke (John Lyons), who learns more about the inquiry when Carter unwittingly talks to him about it, but the Sweeney do eventually figure things out. It’s not a hugely exciting episode, but it is an inevitable and interesting type of story for the show to cover, while visually it’s notable for a brief flash of topless female nudity and a male drag stripper.
Two black and white photos. The top one shows a man brandishing a long stick while another man lays on the floor next to him looking in pain, while the bottom photo shows a car parked outside a building. The images are placed on a red background, and are from one of the panels in the Blu-ray box set for The Sweeney Series 3.
A page from the booklet in the Blu-ray set for The Sweeney Series 3, showing the episodes and extra features on discs 3 and 4.
  1. May – After money-lender Mr Turner (Cyril Shaps) is assaulted and ends up in hospital with a broken skull, a young man called Davey (Karl Howman) is arrested by the police, who discover £500 he has hidden away, much to the surprise of his mother May (Marjorie Yates). But he successfully makes a break for it, and May calls Regan to ask for his help to figure out where he is and why he’s got into trouble. Regan and Carter track him down, but he’s not entirely honest with them, and when they do discover what’s going on, it’s too late to stop the consequences. It’s not a very eventful story overall, but there is a fun chase where Davey gets away, and we see how concerned Regan is for his welfare.
  2. Sweet Smell Of Succession – When Regan and Carter conduct surveillance on the funeral of a gang leader, they’re surprised to discover he had a son called Steven (Hywel Bennett), who has inherited the business. But there are others like Pat Tarley (Peter Dyneley, the voice of Jeff Tracy in Thunderbirds) who think they’re entitled to take it over. Steven is very shrewd in the way he responds though, getting the upper hand by pitting people against each other for his own advantage, particularly with the action sequence at the end. So he’s a somewhat interesting character who earns your admiration a bit. There’s also a B-story about Carter dating the Commander’s secretary, who isn’t impressed when she learns he’s using her to try and get advance notice on his application for a promotion.
  3. Down To You, Brother – Regan is very suspicious when a former criminal called Raymond Meadows (Derek Francis) makes contact with him, seemingly to brag about the fact that he couldn’t be convicted for his last robbery and got rich as a result. But it turns out that Raymond doesn’t like his daughter Debbie (Tina Heath) dating another criminal called Douglas Owen (Terence Budd), and Regan discovers that Douglas is taking advantage of her in order to commit a diamond robbery. So it’s a good story, one that’s also significant for featuring Simon Callow in one of his first ever TV roles, playing a Detective Sergeant. I know him best as Charles Dickens in the 2005 Doctor Who episode The Unquiet Dead, but he’s had a myriad of roles in his long and distinguished career.
Two black and white photos. The top one shows Carter using the telephone, while the bottom one shows two men sat together, with one of them holding a shotgun. The images are placed on a red background, and are from one of the panels in the Blu-ray box set for The Sweeney Series 3.
Two black and white photos. The top one shows two men on a motorbike, with the guy on the back holing a shotgun, while bottom image shows a close-up of a man's face with a serious expression. The images are placed on a red background, and are from one of the panels in the Blu-ray box set for The Sweeney Series 3.
  1. Pay Off – Carter makes another attempt to get romantic here, when he chats up casino croupier Shirley Glass (Geraldine James, who is great in her first ever screen role). However, she also wants his help to track down her partner Eddie, who has been missing for a year (having been involved in an armed robbery that plays out before the titles). Against the advice of Regan and the fury of Haskins, he tries to investigate, with Haskins eventually forced to drag Regan into it. All of this makes casino owner Drake (Dave King) uneasy, and with his colleague Zak (George Harris) they set a trap for Carter and Shirley to reveal the truth and dispose of them. But the Sweeney turn up too, leading to a big shootout. As a result, Carter doesn’t get the girl, for which he pins the blame on Regan and Haskins, and he’s the angriest we’ve ever seen him as he confronts them. So it’s great to see Carter getting another meaty storyline for himself.
  2. Loving Arms – Arthur Ward (Roy Sone) is selling guns to local youths, so they can use them to rob from the shops. But to get more, in a way that keeps things under the radar, he persuades vulnerable elderly engineer Fred Booth (Clifford Kershaw) to make some for him, who is desperate for money to help his sick wife. The guns aren’t great quality though, and when one is used with tragic consequences, Regan is determined to get the firearms off the streets. So it’s a good story, and there’s some humour early on too, when Regan and Carter have to deliver toilet roll holders, which the rest of the office tease them about. The episode also features one of the earliest TV appearances of Ray Winstone, who many years later would play Regan in the 2012 Sweeney film. Here he plays one of the unnamed children.
  3. Lady Luck – Following an armed robbery at a bookmakers, Marcia Edmunds (Moira Redmond) claims to have information for Regan, offering sex in exchange. She names her husband Philip (Norman Rodway) as the chief culprit, who is also recognised by a lady he knocked down at the scene. But he was at a dinner party, giving him an alibi. He did leave the room for a while, but at first it seems impossible for him to have committed the act in the time he was absent – or is it? By testing the route, Regan and Carter are able to work out a way he could have done it. But it still can’t be proved definitively and the case has to be dropped, and Regan realises Marcia was just using him to try and get her husband out of the way. It’s not an amazing episode overall, but it’s alright. And I particularly recognise James Cossins, who plays a colonel at the dinner party, because he was also a guest in Fawlty Towers (where Basil mistakes him for a hotel inspector) and Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em (where Frank annoyed him on a training course).
  4. On The Run – The uncompromisingly violent Tim Cook (George Sweeney), who we last saw in Taste Of Fear, escapes from prison during a hospital visit, and vows revenge on Regan. He stays with ex-con Ian Pinder (Brendan Price), but his short temper results in him getting very angry with him sometimes, and also with Ian’s uncle (John Sharp), a gay former judge who Tim throws down a flight of stairs. Meanwhile, Carter has to drag Regan away from a country holiday, upsetting the lady he was staying with, to help with the manhunt. And as they close in, Tim flees to the woods, resulting in a very tense search and a shootout, where Carter has to save Regan’s life after they both get injured. So it’s a great finale, as Tim’s character is completely insane and the tension is palpable as they look for him.

Films

The two-year gap between Series 3 & 4 was filled by a couple of movies starring Regan and Carter, but not Haskins. They’re effectively extended episodes, but with more graphic violence, nudity and swearing now and again. Some of the guest stars have also appeared in the TV series, but usually as different characters. And on the whole they’re good films, though not as great as the TV show, as they’re a bit slow and uneventful sometimes to pad things out.

They aren’t part of the newly remastered Blu-rays, but they have been released on Blu-ray in the past, including a double bill. I haven’t got those editions though, I think because I didn’t have a Blu-ray player at the time they came out. Instead, I have a DVD set of both films, which is good enough for me. There was another release that included a commentary and a trailer, but I’m not bothered about that.

If they do get reissued on Blu-ray at some point, which one hopes could happen given the 50th anniversary TV box sets, then I’ll probably upgrade, but it’s not a big deal.

Front cover of the DVD for both Sweeney films. On the top half, next to the title Sweeney, is a photo of Regan on the phone, while on the bottom half, next to the title Sweeney 2, is a photo of Regan and Carter standing together.
Back cover of the DVD for both Sweeney films. On the top half, next to the description of the first film, is a photo of Regan blowing into a breathalyser bag while watched by a policeman. On the bottom half, next to the description of the second film, is a photo of two men with guns, one of whom is threatening a uniformed man.
  • Sweeney! (1977, 1½ hours) – Informant Ronnie Brent (Joe Melia) asks Regan to investigate the possible murder of Janice Wyatt (Lynda Bellingham), which had been ruled as suicide, but Regan doesn’t believe his claims at first. But then Ronnie is killed, and so is a journalist, while two fake policemen ambush Regan and get him suspended for dangerous driving. And when he tries to dig deeper, attempts are made to kill him as well, to stop him uncovering a political conspiracy led by Elliot McQueen (Barry Foster). There are a few nice fights and chase scenes along the way, and there’s a powerful ending when Carter holds Regan responsible for the final outcome. The trailer is included in the Series 2 box set (with an interesting intro by Lynda), while the theme music and score is by Denis King.
  • Sweeney 2 (1978, 1¾ hours) – Regan and Carter investigate a gang responsible for a series of armed bank robberies, who have a strange habit of keeping a very specific amount of money and dumping the rest. Along the way there’s a major accident during a police chase (where Regan’s driver loses his leg), a bomb disposal scene (where Regan chats up the lady who’s giving instructions), a trip to Malta (though not a lot happens there really), an exploding car (shot by a gang member to hide evidence), and a musical finish (where Regan and Carter have joined others for a knees-up in the pub). In the absence of Haskins, it’s also fun to see that Regan’s commander DCI Dilke is played by Nigel Hawthorne, who is brilliant as Sir Humphrey in Yes Minister. The trailer and a promo pack for the film are in the Series 4 box set. And the music by Tony Hatch is alright, but the classic Sweeney theme doesn’t feature this time, which is a shame.

Incidentally, as mentioned in my review of the Lovers Arms episode above, I know there was also a 2012 film inspired by the series starring Ray Winstone as Regan, Plan B as Carter and Damian Lewis as Haskins, but I’m not interested in seeing it. I know it won’t be the same in a different setting with different actors, and the reviews aren’t great, so it sounds like a waste of time.

Series 4

Front cover for The Sweeney Series 4 on Blu-ray, showing a large colour image of Regan and Carter, played by John Thaw and Dennis Waterman. Below them are images from the series including Haskins cuddling a young girl, a figure holding a gun, a couple of cars, and a few other characters from the series.
Back cover for The Sweeney Series 4 on Blu-ray. At the top is a description of the series, followed by 3 photos from the series, showing Regan held at a gunpoint while driving a car, Regan and 2 officers pointing guns as they look down towards us, and Carter pointing a gun towards us. Below that is a long list of special features, followed by technical and copyright information.
Cover spread for the inner box for The Sweeney Series 4 on Blu-ray, with a gold background behind the imagery and text. On the right is a large colour image of Regan and Carter, played by John Thaw and Dennis Waterman. Below them are images from the series including Haskins cuddling a young girl, a figure holding a gun, a couple of cars, and a few other characters from the series. On the left is a black and white photo of Regan looking series as he squats on the ground next to a dead body. The thick spine in between the two panels says The Sweeney, Series Four.

Series 3 had nearly been the end of the show, with serious discussions taking place about ending it then and there. But the success of the movies convinced them to do one more series, which hit TV screens from September to December 1978. There were 14 episodes rather than 13, because of the addition of the Morecambe & Wise story, with a couple of 2-week gaps between the last few episodes to ensure the big finale aired during the Christmas period.

The opening titles and closing credits are very different for this series. They do retain their respective versions of the theme tune, but there are sound effects over the top of the opening theme that unfairly drown it out a bit. And there are completely different visuals, with a big chase at the start of the show, followed by Regan and Carter having a night-time walk during the end credits. It’s nice footage in each case, but the kaleidoscope prism effect that was added to it is confusing, jarring and unnecessary.

So I much prefer the original titles in the first 3 series, as the tinted imagery feels right and goes nicely with the music. And the new widescreen masters for Series 4 actually use the Series 1-3 style of credits, as noted in the extra features, with one such example included in this box set.

There are also two versions of the opening titles in Series 4, to account for the fact that Haskins is absent for half of the episodes, due to Garfield Morgan having other work commitments at the Exeter Northcott Theatre. In the first 3 series he was always in the titles, even for episodes he wasn’t part of. Benjamin Whitrow plays a guest commander in 4 of the episodes, while a couple of other huge actors fill the slot for a single episode each, who I’ll mention as we go along, though they don’t appear in the titles.

2 pages from the booklet in the Blu-ray set for The Sweeney Series 4, showing the episodes and extra features on discs 1 to 3 for episodes 1 to 9.
  1. Messenger Of The Gods – This is a brilliant episode to open the series, with a great balance of drama and humour. Regan and Carter arrest Lukey Sparrow (Malcolm McFee) for his suspected involvement in a theft of mercury, but when other people back up his alibi they have to let him go. Yet Lukey isn’t out of the woods by any means. For starters, Regan is convinced he’s guilty, so is still trying to pin it on him. And the others who were involved are angry that he might have grassed on them, so are out to kill him, leading to some great fight scenes as the Sweeney deal with them. But for both Lukey and the police there is a far greater terror, in the form of Mrs Rix (Diana Dors), whose daughter Linda (Dawn Perllman) is due to marry Lukey the next day. As much as she openly despises Lukey, Mrs Rix is determined for the wedding to be a success, so is furious with Regan for ruining her plans. She’s a right old battleaxe, and it’s hilarious to see her interactions with Regan and Carter, especially when she slaps Regan and later chases them both down the street!
  2. Hard Men – Scottish detective Davy Freeth (James Cosmo) comes to London on the hunt for some men who are planning to do a kidnapping. He’s a tough guy too, who doesn’t take any nonsense from people who mock the Scots, and thinks nothing of using his head to smash open doors! But he’s also rather sparing with the facts, and it becomes increasingly apparent to Regan that he’s not being given the full story, which naturally makes him angry. So it’s interesting to watch the interactions between them. Meanwhile Regan also has to investigate a stolen painting from Windsor Castle, Carter has to help rescue a little girl and one of the villains is set on fire. So it’s quite an eventful episode.
  3. Drag Act – The Sweeney are having trouble catching a gang who are stealing lorries, even killing a driver on one occasion, and injuring a policeman in a big car crash. But they get a bit of help from young PC Julie Kingdom (Kate Fahy), who is keen to make a good impression, so takes it upon herself to conduct surveillance after Carter takes her out on a date and tells her about the case. Regan isn’t at all pleased when he finds out she’s involved and is putting herself in danger, and doesn’t want her to get any credit for her contribution in recovering the stolen goods and making an arrest, despite Carter’s objections. So once again poor Carter doesn’t get the girl in the end, as she refuses to talk to him.
A black and white photo of Regan standing and looking thoughtful as he rests his elbow on a tall piece of furniture next to him. Carter is sat down in front of him, resting his hands on his head with the fingers interlocked. The image is placed on a gold background, and is from one of the panels in the Blu-ray box set for The Sweeney Series 4.
A black and white photo of Regan talking on the telephone. The image is placed on a gold background, and is from one of the panels in the Blu-ray box set for The Sweeney Series 4.
  1. Trust Red – Mr Redgrave AKA ‘Red’ (John Ronane) is forced to consider the realities of middle age, when he’s unable to move fast enough to stop a friend falling to his death during a burglary, and discovers that his eyesight is starting to deteriorate. On top of that, his wife wants a divorce and his young, pregnant girlfriend is upset with him for going out at odd hours. So he’s not in the best frame of mind as he and his remaining two gang members plan their next break-in, aided by photos taken by cleaner Florence (Gretchen Franklin). And as Regan learns more about Red, it gives him pause for thought about his own lifestyle, while at Carter’s birthday party he’s less eager than his drunk friend to go chasing after the ladies. In the end it all comes to a head for Red when the Sweeney turn up to arrest the gang, with a big fight and chase scene, but it’s most interesting for the seeds it plants in Regan’s head about his own life and career, which is a bit of a running theme in this final series.
  2. Nightmare – Having had Scottish villains earlier this series, now it’s the turn of the Irish, as Michael Farrell and Sean Flynn (Paul Antrim and Tony Rohr) are after a truck-load of cigars, as some of the cases contain drugs. Another gang hijacks the lorry first though, after a big fight in which one of them is shot dead, so Farrell and Flynn go after them. The Sweeney are of course investigating too, although when they recover some of the cigars, Regan is unnerved by the fact that their logo is similar to an image his girlfriend Jane (Lea Brodie) had during a bad dream about him being in danger. And she’s not entirely wrong, as Regan and Carter are nearly run over by a lorry, and then when they decide to move in on the gang during a stakeout, they learn the drugs were being exchanged for laser-guided rifles, one of which temporarily blinds Regan. So while the dream stuff is a bit odd by this show’s standards, there are some good action scenes here.
  3. Money, Money, Money – Lucky ex-con Eddie Monk (Edward Judd) wins big on the pools, but makes the mistake of telling people, so he’s then blackmailed for some of the cash by Brian Fischer (Linal Haft), who knows about an old crime he was never arrested for. He talks to his accomplice Alec (John Cater), who refuses to help, but doesn’t tell the truth to his wife Ann (Vilma Hollingbery), even slapping her when she presses him about his large withdrawals. And when Eddie then confronts Brian, there’s a tragic end in a big car stunt as he tries to stop him driving away. So Regan and Carter have to find out why Eddie was taking out so much money, who killed him and where to find them. Alongside all of that, Carter gets quite friendly with Eddie’s daughter Kath (Tina Martin), while Regan and Haskins try to convince a very anxious Maurice Pope (William Simons) to testify as a key witness in a trial, and the latter is just padding as it has nothing to do with the main story and nothing comes of it.
2 black and white photos. The top photo shows a confrontation at the back of a van, with one man pointing a gun at three others men. The bottom photo shows Carter and Regan standing outside with serious expressions on their faces. The images are placed on a gold background, and are from one of the panels in the Blu-ray box set for The Sweeney Series 4.
2 black and white photos. The top photo shows Regan and Carter sat down on adjacent sides of a table, with their feet resting up on the table. The bottom photo shows a car smashing through a gate. The images are placed on a gold background, and are from one of the panels in the Blu-ray box set for The Sweeney Series 4.
  1. Bait – When Lynn Hurst (Di Trevis) is involved in a car crash, but pulls a gun on the paramedics to force them to let her go, the news reaches Regan and spurs him into action. He’s been after her violent criminal boyfriend Vic Tolman (George Sewell) ever since she helped him escape from prison, so if she’s back in town, then he is too. So Regan and Carter go on the hunt, though they’re unable to stop Lynn posing as an office worker and drugging the staff, so she and Vic can steal the cash for everyone’s wages, aided by Lennie (Edward Peel), a man with learning difficulties who is a nod to Lennie from the novel Of Mice And Men. Meanwhile Lynn’s sister Joan Maskall (Barbara Ewing) is looking after her daughter, and an opportunity arises for the Sweeney to use her house to lure in Vic, though it has dangerous consequences for Regan. So it’s another great episode, as Vic is very menacing. He vows revenge on Regan at the end, but doesn’t get a chance to return to the series for that.
  2. The Bigger They Are – I don’t believe it! Richard Wilson of One Foot In The Grave fame makes a guest appearance as Regan’s stern governor DCI Anderson in this episode, which is fun to see. And he’s not the only sitcom star I know here. The central character, Leonard Gold, is played by Colin Jeavons, who I recognise as dodgy lawyer Solly Atwell from the classic episode of Only Fools And Horses where Uncle Albert falls down a hole. And Leonard’s friend John Masterson is played by Tony Steedman, marking his second appearance in The Sweeney as a different character, who was Shirley’s father Charlie in two series of Citizen Smith. So in this story, Leonard is being blackmailed by Harold Collins (Raymond Skipp) over photos of him posing with dead civilians in Malaya, and he approaches John to help him. And in turn, when it becomes apparent that the Sweeney are watching Harold, John blackmails Chief Superintendent Grey (Donald Burton), who was also on the Malaysian operation, to get the police to leave Collins alone. Regan and Carter don’t give up though, and are eventually able to coerce information out of Leroy Garner (Trevor Thomas), who we first see taking photos of a lady called Sharon (Jenny Runacre), marking a rare sight of full frontal nudity on the show.
  3. Feet Of Clay – Regan and Carter are on detachment to the Serious Crime Squad, trying to catch some violent thieves who are robbing rich tourists, and their commander is played by the legendary Geoffrey Palmer, a veteran star of many TV shows and films. But Regan becomes more interested in Alan and Margot Ember (Joss Ackland and Thelma Whiteley), whose son Paul (David Wilkinson) has been kidnapped. Before Regan can track down who’s responsible though, Alan gives in and pays the ransom. There’s then a big twist, which we’re let in on during the story, and it’s good to see Regan calling upon his years of experience to get to the truth at the end. The Sweeney do catch the tourist attackers as well though, with a nice fight scene.
2 pages from the booklet in the Blu-ray set for The Sweeney Series 4, showing the episodes and extra features on discs 3 to 4 for episodes 10 to 14, along with the production schedule outlining when all the episodes were filmed.
  1. One Of Your Own – This is an interesting story, as we get to see Carter going undercover for a change, much to his reluctance as he had a date arranged. He’s tasked with befriending Jimmy Fleet (Michael Elphick) to try and find out where he’s hidden some stolen diamonds, and they develop a good rapport together. But then they encounter Patsy Kearney, who wants the diamonds for himself, and neither Jimmy nor Carter come out of it well. Patsy is played by Nick Stringer, who was born in my old neck of the woods in Torquay, and is very recognisable to me for playing two Australian characters in my favourite sitcom Only Fools And Horses – one who buys a dodgy car, and the other who tries to persuade Del to emigrate with him. He’s also popped up in several other comedies and dramas I like, including Minder (like many guests from the Sweeney have done), and he’s really good as a scary villain in this Sweeney episode.
  2. Hearts And Minds – This is the episode that famously features Morecambe & Wise as themselves, following John & Dennis’ appearance on their Christmas show. It’s the reason this series was extended to 14 episodes, and was thus the last ever Sweeney episode to be filmed. It’s a silly story really, purely designed to engineer the duo’s meeting with Regan and Carter (who are clearly enjoying it) and the crazy car chase the comedic couple get into at the end, where even the police are sent for a spin! But if you just let the episode take you along for the ride without taking it too seriously, it is fun. The plot revolves around Freddie Busby (Edward de Souza), who has invented special pills for heart disease, but a man called Danilov (George Mikell) is keen to get hold of them by any means necessary. So Regan and Carter work with Justin Bellcourt (Edward Hardwicke) from the government to try and sort it out, while by chance the pills end up in the possession of Morecambe & Wise as they perform on stage. As noted at the end of this post, the old DVD sets included the BBC sketch and an extract from Gary Morecambe’s book Behind The Sunshine about the making of the episode, so it’s a shame they’re not on the Blu-rays.
2 black and white photos. The top photo shows two men shaking hands, while the man on the left raises his other arm. The bottom photo shows two policeman running up to a man who is getting out of a car, with Regan catching them up in the background. The images are placed on a gold background, and are from one of the panels in the Blu-ray box set for The Sweeney Series 4.
2 black and white photos. The top photo shows Carter and a man wearing dark glasses sat against a brick wall in a shadowy space. The bottom photo shows Regan and Carter talking to a man outside, while a couple of other men watch on in the background. The images are placed on a gold background, and are from one of the panels in the Blu-ray box set for The Sweeney Series 4.
  1. Latin Lady – When Dr Delacroix (Donald Morley) is ambushed and has a couple of suitcases stolen, he refuses to tell Regan and Carter what was in them and lies about where he was going. Likewise James Knox (Stuart Wilson), a member of the gang who was arrested at the scene, refuses to cooperate until he’s allowed to see a solicitor, and the police holding him insist that he’ll be released on bail unless Regan comes up with evidence to hold him longer. The key to getting James to talk appears to lie with Christobel Delgado (Meg Davies), who Regan gets intimate with in the hope of getting information out of her. But it turns out she’s not being straight with him either. So there are a few twists and turns in the story, while some light relief is provided when Regan is in a pub singing When Irish Eyes Are Smiling with some of the other customers.
  2. Victims – Regan and Carter are on the hunt for Jimmy Park (Peter Wight), who shot a policeman through a car window. But his girlfriend Eve Fisher doesn’t want to help, and isn’t shy about telling the Flying Squad exactly what she thinks of them, especially given how things pan out at the end of the episode, at the empty warehouse he’s set up camp in. Eve is played by Lynda Marchal, who would later become very well known as the writer Lynda La Plante, most famous for her creation of the series Prime Suspect. Meanwhile, Regan senses that something is wrong with Haskins as well, and learns that his wife Doreen (Sheila Reid) has gone missing, so Regan and Carter work to track her down. It’s nice that Haskins gets a final big story this way, and it reaches a sweet conclusion.
  3. Jack Or Knave – After an attack on a security van in which one guard is killed and the other seriously injured, the Sweeney are called in to help the local police – led by DCS Canning (Barrie Ingham) – with their investigation. And during their enquiries they talk to Ronnie, a maker of car registration plates, who is played by Richard Griffiths, later to be famous for his lead role in Pie in the Sky, among other things. But when Regan tracks down and arrests the gang without involving Canning, the DCS lodges a formal complaint, which is ultimately dropped. But then Regan is charged with corruption relating to a case he worked on back in 1968, and it’s only thanks to Carter tracking down Gloria (Jo Warne), who worked with Regan at the time, that he’s able to prove his innocence. But it’s the final straw for Regan, who rages to Haskins about the way he’s been treated, and vows to quit the job. Refusing an offer of a drink from Carter, he heads off in a taxi, and it’s the last we see of him. Haskins feels sure that he’ll be back, but it seems unlikely. So it’s not a big and glorious ending for Regan or the show, but it’s the one that makes the most sense. Someone was always going to try and do him for corruption, and given his state of mind about the job at this point, it was inevitably going to push him over the edge. So it feels natural for him to get out while he can.

Blu-ray Extras

There are lots of extra features in the Series 1-4 box sets, most of which are ported over from the original Network DVDs, but there are a few new items as well.

Music Tracks

All of the episodes can be watched with their original mono soundtrack or in a 5.1 surround mix. The latter is obviously punchier and I really like it, but purists may well prefer the standard version that was broadcast back in the day.

However, it’s also possible to watch every episode with just the music in isolation, which is very cool if you hear a piece that you like and want to hear it properly, and it is quite interesting in places. A small number of the tracks were included on a 2001 compilation called Shut it! The Music Of The Sweeney, even incorporating some dialogue from the show, but I don’t own that.

Obviously Harry South’s excellent theme music, which was specially made for the show, can be heard clearly during the main soundtrack anyway. I really like how the two variations are so different, with an action-packed opening to set the tone and then a much calmer credits theme to let viewers reflect and get their breath back, much like the characters in the show would have been doing after another tough day. Full-length versions of the opening and closing themes, which are different recordings to the ones used on TV, were included on the Shut It! compilation mentioned above, and I do have those two tracks in my music collection.

Beyond that, library music was used throughout the series, and I love the fact that the isolated music tracks often play these pieces in their entirety where time allows, not just the snippets that appear in the episodes. They even start a few seconds or even minutes earlier as necessary, to ensure that the relevant segments play at the correct moments in the show.

Perhaps the most recognisable of these tracks to some people is Holy Mackerel! by Brian Bennett, used in a couple of episodes, because it was also used as the theme tune of the BBC’s Rugby Special programme. And Brian Bennett himself is quite well known as the drummer for The Shadows.

A lot of Brian’s library tracks are used in The Sweeney, along with tunes by other prolific composers and performers including Alan Hawkshaw, Johnny Pearson, Keith Mansfield, Dave Richmond, Steve Gray, Simon Park, Alan Parker, John Cameron, Herbie Flowers, Barry Morgan, David Lindup, Duncan Lamont, Reg Tilsley and Alan Tew, to name a small selection. The names might not be familiar to you, but I guarantee you’ll know TV theme tunes by at least one or two of them, or songs by artists that some of them have been involved with. A lot of library and session musicians don’t get the wider credit and recognition they deserve, although Alan Hawkshaw’s death in 2021 did make the headlines, because his themes for Grange Hill and Countdown are perennial classics known and loved by millions.

Ultimately, it’s impossible to try and pick favourites from the huge number of tracks used in The Sweeney, as so many of them have funky riffs, catchy rhythms or nice melodies, or are just very atmospheric. So I’ve compiled a playlist on Youtube of over 200 pieces of music, based on the intricately researched fan-compiled list on the Mark-1 website, and I’ve added some other relevant videos as a bonus as well.

Commentaries

There are audio commentaries for 17 episodes across the 4 series. They will mainly appeal to die-hard fans who were into the show when it originally aired, but there are interesting bits of trivia within them and it’s nice to hear how people enjoyed working on the series.

The most common voices you hear on these tracks are:

Other participants are indicated in the full list below.

  • Series 1:
    • Pilot: Regan – Dennis Waterman, Ted Childs & Tom Clegg
    • 1. Ringer – Dennis Waterman, Garfield Morgan, writer Trevor Preston & editor Chris Burt
    • 2. Jackpot – Robert Fairclough & Mike Kenwood
    • 3. Thin Ice – Ted Childs, Tom Clegg & writer Troy Kennedy-Martin
    • 6. Night Out (1) – Director David Wickes & assistant director Bill Westley
    • 6. Night Out (2) – Ted Childs & writer Troy Kennedy-Martin
    • 10. Stoppo Driver – Dennis Waterman & Garfield Morgan
    • 13. Abduction – Dennis Waterman, Garfield Morgan, Tom Clegg & writer Trevor Preston
  • Series 2:
    • 1. Chalk And Cheese – Robert Fairclough & Mike Kenwood
    • 5. Hit And Run – Dennis Waterman & Garfield Morgan
  • Series 3:
    • 5. Taste Of Fear – Robert Fairclough & Mike Kenwood
    • 10. Pay Off – Dennis Waterman & Garfield Morgan
  • Series 4:
    • 1. Messenger Of The Gods – Restorer/grader Jonathan Wood, home entertainment producer Grant Taylor & guest star Dawn Perllman (Linda Rix)
    • 3. Drag Act – Ted Childs & Tom Clegg
    • 10. One Of Your Own – Writer Tony Hoare
    • 11. Hearts And Minds – Robert Fairclough & Mike Kenwood
    • 14. Jack Or Knave – Ted Childs & Tom Clegg

Introductions

Some of the episodes come with an optional introduction, where a guest star fondly reflects on their experience of being part of the show. They’re worth watching, as they’re only short and include some nice anecdotes.

Restoration

The extensive restoration process for all 4 series is highlighted in a few extra features:

  • Series 1:
    • Restoring The Sweeney (4:54) – This replaces the 2-minute feature of the same name from the old DVD set, and gives a nice glimpse into the meticulous work that went into the remastering of the episodes. It shows photos and video footage overlaid with captions to explain things rather than audio narration, so it isn’t informative if you can’t see it unfortunately. Granted, if you can’t see, you can’t appreciate the work anyway, but it’s still interesting to learn about what they did regardless.
    • Reconstructed Titles (0:42) – This is a slideshow of the still images used for the opening titles in Series 1-3, so you can see them without credits over the top, but still with their blue tint. A wider selection of untinted black and white images from the filming of the titles can be seen in the image gallery in the Series 4 box set.
  • Series 4:
    • Completing The Sweeney in High Definition (10:12) – An interesting feature about the long journey taken to restore the series, and the challenges that were faced along the way. This is a slightly trimmed version of the Youtube video, just to cut the mentions about the Blu-rays coming soon.

Widescreen Editions

While these box sets present the episodes in their original 4:3 aspect ratio, widescreen editions were also produced during the restoration process, honouring the wishes of Network’s late founder Tim Beddows when the original remastering began way back in 2011. This is explained in the “Completing The Sweeney” feature mentioned above.

No decision has yet been made as to what will become of the widescreen versions, but they were a way to future-proof the series for potential distribution in that format. So in theory there could be widescreen Blu-rays or a release on streaming services one day, we just don’t know.

By way of comparison, however, a couple of the widescreen versions have been included as bonus features, namely In From The Cold (Series 3) and Money, Money, Money (Series 4). These versions don’t include the ad break bumpers (for the end of Part 1, start of Part 2, etc), and because all of the original audio tracks were available, the team were able to remix the sound at those junctions to remove the music sting that fades out at the start of each part. This allows the episodes to flow continuously without any action or dialogue being lost. I still prefer having the bumpers in place though, as they’re part of the original presentation and often provide very dramatic pauses.

The widescreen versions also include brand new recreations of the opening titles and closing credits, because they were able to use the original negatives for the stills and show much more detail on screen, taking advantage of the additional real estate available. This is explained, with side-by-side comparisons, in a bonus feature with Series 4 called Widening The Titles (8:48).

For example, towards the end of the closing credits there’s a shot of Carter, Regan and Haskins standing together in a corridor, but in the original 4:3 version Carter gets completely cut off when the background for the names sweeps in. For the widescreen edition they’ve been able to retain more empty space on the left of the photo, so that when the names come in, Carter remains in view on the right.

They’ve also been consistent, using the same opening and closing sequences for all the widescreen episodes, so that Series 4 continues with the original titles instead of the new ones it had, as should always have been the case.

Interviews & Awards

  • Series 1:
    • lan Kennedy Martin Interview (12:06) – Here the creator of the series gives a really nice overview of how it was developed and produced, and pays tribute to John Thaw.
  • Series 2:
    • Peter Brayham Interview (14:06) – Some great insights from the stunt arranger.
    • Roger Marshall Interview (5:52) – An interesting chat with the writer, whose first job on the Sweeney was to get rid of Alison Carter in the story Hit and Run, as it had been agreed to write her out of the series to focus more on Regan and Carter’s friendship.
    • Wild Boys (11:32) – An enjoyable featurette about the making of the Golden Fleece and Trojan Bus episodes with the 2 Australian villains, consisting of interviews with guest stars Patrick Mower, George Layton and Lynda Bellingham, along with writer Roger Marshall.
  • Series 3:
    • The Evening News British Films Awards 1977 (6:10) – John and Dennis win Best Actor and Most Promising Male Newcomer respectively for their roles in the first Sweeney film at this ceremony. Both are very surprised and only give short speeches to say thank you, but Dennis does joke about how long he’s been acting to only now get a newcomer award.
    • This Is Your Life 1976 (7:39) – In this extract from a special episode marking 21 years of ITV, John and Dennis appear with Raymond Francis and Eric Lander from No Hiding Place, to discuss how the channel’s detective dramas have evolved, with clips from their respective shows. It’s not particularly fascinating, but it’s a nice reminder of how things had changed by then.
  • Series 4:
    • The Electric Theatre Show 1978 (8:56) – A nice interview with John Thaw and Dennis Waterman, alongside one with producer Ted Childs, talking about the characters of Carter and Regan, the physical demands of the show, the levels of violence, working with the real police, ad-libbing on set, and more.
    • This Is Your Life 1978 (5:22) – An excerpt from Dennis Waterman’s episode, where he’s surprised on the set of The Sweeney, and he’s joined in the studio by his co-star John Thaw and wife Patricia Maynard. They show a few outtakes from The Sweeney as well.
    • This Is Your Life 1981 (6:47) – An extract from John Thaw’s episode, where he’s pounced upon at the National Theatre. A lot of people are in the studio to celebrate his career, including Dennis Waterman, Ian Kennedy Martin and Ted Childs from The Sweeney, along with his wife Sheila Hancock.

Trailers, PDFs & More

You’ll need a Blu-ray drive connected to your computer to access the PDFs – unless, like me, you already have the PDFs from the old DVD sets.

  • Series 1:
    • Jackpot Trailer (0:34) – An old Thames trailer for this episode. Hardly essential, but nice to have anyway.
  • Series 2:
    • Golden Fleece Script (PDF, 80MB, 74 pages) – Roger Marshall’s complete script for the episode. I haven’t bothered reading it all, obviously, but giving it a quick glance it is interesting to see how an episode starts out on the page before it’s filmed.
    • Sweeney! Film Trailer 1977 (7:17) – Includes a nearly 5-minute introduction by Lynda Bellingham, who reflects on being cast as a call girl and how they staged her murder in the opening of the film.
  • Series 4:
    • Blu-ray Promotional Trailers (5:15) – The 4 trailers for these Blu-ray sets.
    • Out-takes (6:58) – A selection of bloopers and people being silly on set, some of which is fairly amusing.
    • Image Gallery (21:03) – A comprehensive slideshow of photos from all 4 series, including the pilot and the stills from the titles. It’s a shame they didn’t take the opportunity to include music from the show though.
    • Sweeney 2 Film Trailer 1978 (8:07) – The trailer for the 1978 spin-off film, with an interesting and reflective 5½-minute introduction by actors Ken Hutchison and James Warrior.
    • Sweeney 2 Promotion Pack (PDF, 70MB, 16 pages) – A great collection of material promoting the film, including photos, posters, a synopsis, actor biographies, interviews, behind the scenes insights and information about the real Flying Squad.
    • Sweeney Annuals (PDFs, nearly 1GB, 208 pages total) – The complete annuals from 1976, 1977 and 1978 are included on the last disc, and they’re a lot of fun. They contain specially written stories and comic strips featuring the characters, biographies and Q&As about the stars, behind the scenes information about how the show was made, and fun activities like crosswords, quizzes and board games. There are also a variety of interesting articles on topics relating to the show, including Cockney rhyming slang, famous East End criminals, forensic science, famous fighting forces, courageous cops, famous detectives and how police officers are trained. So you could spend a good few hours reading through these quite easily.

Booklets

The comprehensive books about the series by Andrew Pixley, commissioned for the old Network releases, are not included with these sets. However, there’s still a small booklet with each series that’s worth a look through. As well as details of the episodes and extras on each disc, the booklets also contain short essays about the series, accompanied by some nice photos, and a comparison of the production sequence to the televised running order, in case you want to watch the series in the order it was filmed rather than broadcast.

  • Series 1 – This booklet has an all-too-brief piece by Dennis Waterman, written in 2002, where he reflects on making the show with great fondness, and gives some nice little behind the scenes insights. Plus there’s an even shorter article about casting for the show by Matthew Lee, which you don’t really learn much from, but it pays tribute to the series nicely and makes valid points about why it was so successful.
  • Series 2-4 – These booklets each contain a nice essay about the relevant series by Official Companion authors Robert Fairclough & Mike Kenwood, talking about how the show has evolved, and giving little insights into the writing and filming of each episode.
Front cover of the booklet included in the Blu-ray boxset for The Sweeney Series 1. It shows a blue-tinted image of Regan and Carter squatting as they look at a dead body on the ground.
Back cover of the booklet included in the Blu-ray boxset for The Sweeney Series 1. It shows a blue-tinted image of a car driving towards us down a street, taken from the opening titles of the series, below which is text explaining how the episodes were restored and remastered from 16mm negatives.
Front cover of the booklet included in the Blu-ray boxset for The Sweeney Series 2. It shows a green-tinted image of Regan wearing a thick coat over his shirt and tie.
Back cover of the booklet included in the Blu-ray boxset for The Sweeney Series 2. It shows a blue-tinted image of Regan talking into a car radio as he's driven along, taken from the opening titles of the series, below which is text explaining how the episodes were restored and remastered from the original 16mm negatives.
Front cover of the booklet included in the Blu-ray boxset for The Sweeney Series 3. It shows a red-tinted image of Regan and Carter observing something unseen to the right.
Back cover of the booklet included in the Blu-ray boxset for The Sweeney Series 3. It shows a blue-tinted image of Carter sitting in a car and holding a gun, taken from the opening titles of the series, below which is text explaining how the episodes were restored and remastered from the original 16mm negatives.
Front cover of the booklet included in the Blu-ray boxset for The Sweeney Series 4. It shows a gol-tinted image of George Carter wearing a roll-neck sweater.
Back cover of the booklet included in the Blu-ray boxset for The Sweeney Series 4. It shows a gold-tinted image of Carter, Regan and Haskins standing in a line, looking to the right, with Carter closest to us, taken from the closing titles of the series. Below the image is text explaining how the episodes were restored and remastered from the original 16mm negatives.

Old DVD Extras

There are a few bonus features from the old Network DVDs that haven’t been carried over, so I had another look at those before ditching the old discs, as I don’t need to keep them now.

The majority are episodes of other programmes that John Thaw and Dennis Waterman also appeared in, clearly left off the new sets to save on licensing costs. They’re interesting to look at once out of curiosity, but I’m not bothered about seeing them again. Beyond that, I already have the Morecambe & Wise sketch in a box set of their shows, I’ve got a copy of the Behind The Sunshine PDF on my computer, and the film gallery is short and unimportant.

  • Series 1:
    • Thick As Thieves: The Homecoming (24:25) – The very first episode from this short-lived ITV sitcom. John Thaw plays Stan, who has moved in with a lady called Annie (Pat Ashton) while her husband George (Bob Hoskins) is in prison. So naturally George isn’t happy when he’s released and discovers what’s changed, and Annie is torn as to who should stay. It only lasted one series and it’s not difficult to see why, it’s quite dull. Writers Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais produced a much better crime-related comedy in Porridge, one of the best sitcoms ever made, and several actors from that show also appeared in The Sweeney, some of whom I’ve noted in my reviews above.
    • Special Branch: Stand And Deliver (51:12) – This police drama is led by George Sewell as DCI Alan Craven, alongside Patrick Mower and Paul Eddington. Patrick is now best known to many people for being Rodney Blackstock in Emmerdale, while I love Paul as Jerry Leadbetter in The Good Life and Jim Hacker in Yes Minister. This particular episode features Dennis Waterman playing Frank, who steals an anti-tank gun with a special laser sight from an army test site, only for his plans to go awry. It’s fairly good, but it’s not a series I’d want to watch in full, and The Sweeney is a lot better. George Sewell later appeared in The Sweeney, in the Series 4 episode Bait.
  • Series 2:
    • Sweeney! Film: Promotional Gallery – 12 posters from the film, some showing photos and the others featuring artwork.
  • Series 3:
    • Strange Report: Revenge – When A Man Hates (49:02) – A young John Thaw guest stars as Inspector Jenner, who is a lot calmer than Regan, in this drama from 1969. He visits criminologist Adam Strange (Anthony Quayle) to tell him that his life might be in danger, as newly-released prisoner James Hansen is looking to kill Strange and others he deems responsible for his incarceration, and his wife is too scared to tell the police where he is. So the race is on to find James and the others in the firing line before it’s too late. It’s a good story, but it’s still not a series I’d watch in full. James is played by Julian Glover, who later appeared in Series 1 of The Sweeney (in Queen’s Pawn), while one of his targets is played by James Cossins, who was in Series 3 of The Sweeney (in Lady Luck).
    • Redcap: It’s What Comes After (46:33) – An even younger John Thaw stars in this first episode of the series from 1964, playing Sergeant Mann from the Special Investigation Branch of the Royal Military Police. He feels a little bit like Regan when he gets angry with anyone being uncooperative. His investigation into a private going AWOL takes a dark turn when he learns that their superior Captain Lynne (Keith Barron) hasn’t been as focused as usual, because of something that happened to his wife Jean (Miranda Connell) that has made her crazy and frightened, for quite understandable reasons when we learn the cause. So it is an interesting and well-acted story, but I still much prefer John in The Sweeney.
    • The Morecambe & Wise Show: Christmas 1976 (22:05) – This is a brilliant World War I sketch featuring John Thaw and Dennis Waterman playing both British and German officers, and they’re really good sports, especially John considering he gets sprayed with mud several times! There’s a lovely gasp of recognition and applause when John is revealed, with more delighted clapping when Dennis marches in. Eric and Ernie play volunteers who have been recruited to deliver false information across enemy lines, but when they eventually get to Germany they’re captured, and Eric is seduced by beautiful spy Kate O’Mata Hari (Kate O’Mara). And there’s a surprise cameo from Des O’Connor as well. The sketch directly led to Eric and Ernie appearing in Series 4 of The Sweeney, so it’s a great shame it isn’t in the new Blu-ray sets, but as with the other programmes I know it saves on licensing not to include it.
  • Series 4:
    • Behind The Sunshine Extracts (PDF, 5MB, 4 pages) – A short but very interesting extract from Gary Morecambe’s book about Morecambe & Wise, in which John Thaw recalls being on their Christmas show and discusses the duo’s subsequent appearance on The Sweeney. It’s lovely to hear how the pair were welcomed into the production family to help them overcome their nerves. But, to Eric’s frustration in particular, it’s also a shame that nobody else gave them the opportunity to work on something that challenged them to go beyond their comedy personas like The Sweeney did, despite showing that they were clearly capable of it.

Conclusion

It’s been a delight going through The Sweeney again. It still holds up really well, especially now it’s been fully restored, thanks to the stellar actors they had, the great writing, its combination of action, drama and humour, and its atmospheric music. There are a nice variety of extras in the new box sets as well, and I’m not bothered about the ones that weren’t carried over from the old DVDs.

So if you made it to the end, thank you for reading this epic rundown of the show, which I hope you enjoyed. Now, be on your way before I set the boys on you for loitering and obstruction

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Author: Glen

Love London, love a laugh, love life. Visually impaired blogger, culture vulture & accessibility advocate, with aniridia & nystagmus, posting about my experiences & adventures.

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