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The Professionals and the like

Jimmy_CarterJimmy_Carter Posts: 1,254
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in UK TV Shows #1
I'm really enjoying these on ITV4 at the mo. I reckon this has got to be one of the finest British action series ever. I would love to get these on BlueRay when the price comes down a bit.
Thanks ITV for showing this and The Sweeney but how about some of the other classics like Dempsey and Makepiece... There must be loads more of this genre I can't think of at the moment???
What would you like to see on itv 4?
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Comments

  • ilovewallanderilovewallander Posts: 42,019
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    #2
    I'd love to see Dempsey & Makepeace again. Also The Equalizer.
  • Mark39LondonMark39London Posts: 3,977
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    #3
    I picked up the DVD box sets of The Professionals and The Sweeny from Amazon. If you keep an eye on them, they come down in price every so often.

    Both are excellent to watch, especially as I was too young to understand the finer detail when they were first broadcast. You also get the 'banned' episode of The Professionals, which I personally don't know what all the fuss is about.
  • Jimmy_CarterJimmy_Carter Posts: 1,254
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    #4
    ilovewallander wrote: »
    I'd love to see Dempsey & Makepeace again. Also The Equalizer.
    Yeah I was thinking The Equaliser... I have never seen it so would love to this aired again.
  • ShrikeShrike Posts: 16,606
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    #5
    When C4 started they showed a lot of the classics from the previous decade - which I'd been just a bit too young for!
    Highlights were:
    The Prisoner
    Callan
    Budgie
    The Avengers


    I've re-watched Budgie, The Avengers and The Sweeney recently. :)
  • Phoenix LazarusPhoenix Lazarus Posts: 17,306
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    #6
    The Professionals had some great incidental music, besides the main theme tune.
  • Ess_BeeEss_Bee Posts: 7,716
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    #7
    Jimmy_Carter wrote: »
    I'm really enjoying these on ITV4 at the mo. I reckon this has got to be one of the finest British action series ever. I would love to get these on BlueRay when the price comes down a bit.
    Thanks ITV for showing this and The Sweeney but how about some of the other classics like Dempsey and Makepiece... There must be loads more of this genre I can't think of at the moment???
    What would you like to see on itv 4?

    I'd like to see the one with Lesley Ash in it, was it Cats Eyes? :kitty:

    I loved the Sweeney too. It was filmed all round the parts of West London where I lived at the time.
  • Ess_BeeEss_Bee Posts: 7,716
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    #8
    Mark39London wrote: »
    I picked up the DVD box sets of The Professionals and The Sweeny from Amazon. If you keep an eye on them, they come down in price every so often.

    Both are excellent to watch, especially as I was too young to understand the finer detail when they were first broadcast. You also get the 'banned' episode of The Professionals, which I personally don't know what all the fuss is about.

    The Profs has a great website: http://www.mark-1.co.uk/Professionals/home.htm
  • dodger0703dodger0703 Posts: 1,957
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    #9
    http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xlx9u0_the-bullshitters-1984_shortfilms

    You might enjoy this
  • ilovewallanderilovewallander Posts: 42,019
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    #10
    Ess_Bee wrote: »
    I'd like to see the one with Lesley Ash in it, was it Cats Eyes? :kitty:

    I loved the Sweeney too. It was filmed all round the parts of West London where I lived at the time.

    Oh yes, Cat's Eyes. I remember that! Wasn't that the sequel to The Gentle Touch? I think ITV3 repeated some episodes of The Gentle Touch a couple of years ago.
  • ilovewallanderilovewallander Posts: 42,019
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    #11
    Anyone remember Bulman starring Don Henderson? I'd love to see that again, it was rather good iirc.
  • dodger0703dodger0703 Posts: 1,957
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    #12
    what was the one about some bloke on a barge who solved crimes?
  • EspressoEspresso Posts: 18,047
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    #13
    Phoenix Lazarus wrote: »
    The Professionals had some great incidental music, besides the main theme tune.

    I get home from work just in time to make a cuppa and settle down in time for the start of The Professionals. I think the theme tune is easily one of the best there is.

    I love watching it and I often miss the finer points driving myself bonkers saying "Who's he? I know that face" when you see people in with a small role who've gone on to be famous. Same goes for The Sweeney.

    Drama channel has a lot of good old British telly, too. They repeated Tenko not long ago and they often have those four or five part crime dramas on.
  • ilovewallanderilovewallander Posts: 42,019
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    #14
    dodger0703 wrote: »
    what was the one about some bloke on a barge who solved crimes?

    Was it Van der Valk?
  • dodger0703dodger0703 Posts: 1,957
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    #15
    no it was english, mid eighties
  • Gregory ShapeGregory Shape Posts: 2,595
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    #16
    dodger0703 wrote: »
    what was the one about some bloke on a barge who solved crimes?

    There was an ITV series in - I think - the early 90s called Stay Lucky. It starred Dennis Waterman, Jan Francis and Niall Tobin.

    Pretty sure there was a barge and crime-solving involved...
  • Mark39LondonMark39London Posts: 3,977
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    #17
    Ess_Bee wrote: »
    The Profs has a great website: http://www.mark-1.co.uk/Professionals/home.htm

    Thanks for that :)
  • ilovewallanderilovewallander Posts: 42,019
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    #18
    Gregory Shape wrote: »
    There was an ITV series in - I think - the early 90s called Stay Lucky. It starred Dennis Waterman, Jan Francis and Niall Tobin.

    Pretty sure there was a barge and crime-solving involved...

    I think you're probably right :) That was a good series, well worth a repeat.
  • Jimmy_CarterJimmy_Carter Posts: 1,254
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    #19
    99 to 1 with Leslie Grantham? I think only ran for one series, I was very young at the time and I've never seen this repeated.
    Theres loads of good stuff from bygone times that never sees the light of day. Its a shame.
  • Andy2Andy2 Posts: 11,949
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    #20
    The Professionals remains one of (if not *the*) my favourites. ITV4 has been grinding them out non-stop for ages, but I still find myself watching them over and over. The banter and love-hate between Bodie & Doyle provides much of the enjoyment, and Cowley's yelling at them usually mellows to a 'wee drop of Malt' at the end and a bit of a laugh. Bloody good stuff.
  • mike65mike65 Posts: 11,386
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    #21
    Its a pity the print quality is poor, clearly not remastered in any way shape or form.

    The Avengers (True Entertainment) and New Avengers (ITV4 recently) look pretty good by comparison.

    As for other titles they ought to screen - there are so many other ITC and Euston Film series out there it makes one wonder why the range is so narrow.
  • Andy2Andy2 Posts: 11,949
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    #22
    mike65 wrote: »
    Its a pity the print quality is poor, clearly not remastered in any way shape or form.

    The Avengers (True Entertainment) and New Avengers (ITV4 recently) look pretty good by comparison.

    As for other titles they ought to screen - there are so many other ITC and Euston Film series out there it makes one wonder why the range is so narrow.

    IIRC, it was made on 16mm. Could be wrong.
  • mike65mike65 Posts: 11,386
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    #23
    Andy2 wrote: »
    IIRC, it was made on 16mm. Could be wrong.

    Both Sweeney and Professionals were 16mm as you say and New Avengers was 35mm so that is a difference quality wise but none the less its clear the film stock which the current copies are struck from suffers significant green/yellow hue
  • Andy2Andy2 Posts: 11,949
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    #24
    mike65 wrote: »
    Both Sweeney and Professionals were 16mm as you say and New Avengers was 35mm so that is a difference quality wise but none the less its clear the film stock which the current copies are struck from suffers significant green/yellow hue

    Thanks. Just found this:

    http://www.bbcstudiosandpostproduction.com/our-work/deal-deal/professionals/

    I've just read the full article, and it's very interesting.
  • North DownsNorth Downs Posts: 2,471
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    #25
    I love Sweeney/Professionals. So much shot on location makes for more interest, seeing how places used to be back then. They all seem so studio bound these days.
  • swingalegswingaleg Posts: 103,106
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    #26
    Shoestring...........detective series set in Bristol

    The Beiderbecke Trilogy........3 series starring James Bolam as a teacher in Leeds. In each series he gets involved in solving crime and corruption
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