Re-running The Sweeney, one of the greatest British cop shows to ever grace our screens, has been a masterstroke by ITV4.
The show featured two disenchanted members of the Flying Squad: gritty, no-nonsense, corner-cutting, rule-bending DI Jack Regan (played magnificently by John Thaw, pictured, right), ably assisted by DS George Carter (Dennis Waterman, pictured, left). With its hard-edged realism, colourful language, strong plots, car chases and ferocious action, the show set new standards for TV detective drama and was highly influential (an obvious more recent candidate being the pastiche Life on Mars). It had a solid run, stretching for more than 50 episodes from 1975 to 1978.
The fourth and final series - originally shown in 1978 - is generally regarded as inferior to the previous three. Jack or Knave is the very last episode that was shown and has a slightly ambigious ending. Regan finds himself in deep trouble when an old allegation of corruption rears its ugly head.
Although the ending of Jack or Knave left open the possiblity of another series, it was not to be. By now Thaw and Waterman were disenchanted by the drop in quality and bravely decided to quit while ahead. Their careers flourished. Thaw emerged triumphant in Inspector Morse while Waterman went on to greater heights in Minder. But The Sweeney is where it all started. A great series, despite the flagging shows towards the end.
You only showed The Sweeney episode "Hard Men" (Series 4 - Ep 2) once - on Saturday, which I missed as it was on in the afternoon, and yet I saw "Drag Act2 this evening (Series 4 - Ep 3) and yet it is on twice more on Monday morning.
Grateful if you could show "Drag Act2 again - or at least ensure that all episodes are repeated more than once.
(4 Star)
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