The Sweeney...
Discussion
Apologies if this has been done before but I've done a search and nothing specific came up so here goes...
Being of a certain age, The Sweeney has always been my all time fave TV show, I watched it first the time round with my Dad and watching the dvds now brings it all flooding back......the music, the backdrop of a very grey looking London, the motors, the character actors in supporting roles, the often downbeat ending...... I'd be interested to hear other PH'ers thoughts and memories on the best British TV prog ever ;O)
I've just finished watching the pilot episode from 1974 'Regan' and the first two series from 1975 over the last few weeks, and apart from one duff episode in the first series it still looks and feels as good as it ever was. Some folk think overall it's quite dated but I honestly don't think so, that may be because I grew up with it and used to live in the area where most of it was filmed (around Hammersmith)..... what do you think?
Of course, one of the best things about watching the show now is the ace old motors they used.... after watching each episode, I want to go out and buy a Mk1 Consul / Mk3 Cortina / Rover P6 etc.... I bought two P6s in the past for this reason and boy do I want another.
Over to you 'squad'..... ;o)
Being of a certain age, The Sweeney has always been my all time fave TV show, I watched it first the time round with my Dad and watching the dvds now brings it all flooding back......the music, the backdrop of a very grey looking London, the motors, the character actors in supporting roles, the often downbeat ending...... I'd be interested to hear other PH'ers thoughts and memories on the best British TV prog ever ;O)
I've just finished watching the pilot episode from 1974 'Regan' and the first two series from 1975 over the last few weeks, and apart from one duff episode in the first series it still looks and feels as good as it ever was. Some folk think overall it's quite dated but I honestly don't think so, that may be because I grew up with it and used to live in the area where most of it was filmed (around Hammersmith)..... what do you think?
Of course, one of the best things about watching the show now is the ace old motors they used.... after watching each episode, I want to go out and buy a Mk1 Consul / Mk3 Cortina / Rover P6 etc.... I bought two P6s in the past for this reason and boy do I want another.
Over to you 'squad'..... ;o)
Edited by P5Nij on Thursday 31st December 13:12
Blimey that didn't take long ;o)
Might as well get this one out of the way as well.... "Shut it!" ..... John Thaw always said in interviews that he never uttered these much quoted words but he did, in 'Faces' from the first series he says "ah, shut it Bill" to his driver sat in the Consul.
N ;O)
Might as well get this one out of the way as well.... "Shut it!" ..... John Thaw always said in interviews that he never uttered these much quoted words but he did, in 'Faces' from the first series he says "ah, shut it Bill" to his driver sat in the Consul.
N ;O)
I like playing spot the star, either before they were famous or as special guest appearances.
People like George Layton & Patrick mower as the actors with the worst Australian accents, Roy Kinnear, Warren Mitchell, Patrick Troughton, Morecambe & Wise, Bill Maynard, BRIAN BLESSED, Denholm Elliot, Diana Dors, Colin "Chariots of Fire" Welland and many more.
People like George Layton & Patrick mower as the actors with the worst Australian accents, Roy Kinnear, Warren Mitchell, Patrick Troughton, Morecambe & Wise, Bill Maynard, BRIAN BLESSED, Denholm Elliot, Diana Dors, Colin "Chariots of Fire" Welland and many more.
I always wanted to be Bill, Regans driver! Must have been the best job in the world, ragging around all day in the big Consul GT! 
When i was young, my dad used to work in Liverpool Road in Islington & they used to do a lot of filming of the Sweeny round there, went to work with him when i was 5 or 6 for the day, remember seeing them film parts of it! Happy memories!
When i was young, my dad used to work in Liverpool Road in Islington & they used to do a lot of filming of the Sweeny round there, went to work with him when i was 5 or 6 for the day, remember seeing them film parts of it! Happy memories!
Edited by Gareth350 on Thursday 31st December 13:42
FourWheelDrift said:
I like playing spot the star, either before they were famous or as special guest appearances.
People like George Layton & Patrick mower as the actors with the worst Australian accents, Roy Kinnear, Warren Mitchell, Patrick Troughton, Morecambe & Wise, Bill Maynard, BRIAN BLESSED, Denholm Elliot, Diana Dors, Colin "Chariots of Fire" Welland and many more.
Some of them even ended up playing different characters in the spin off films in '76 and '78..... Colin Welland, Ken Hutchinson and Linda Bellingham.People like George Layton & Patrick mower as the actors with the worst Australian accents, Roy Kinnear, Warren Mitchell, Patrick Troughton, Morecambe & Wise, Bill Maynard, BRIAN BLESSED, Denholm Elliot, Diana Dors, Colin "Chariots of Fire" Welland and many more.
BTW, the entire series has just been released on Blu-Ray apparently ;o)
FourWheelDrift said:
I like playing spot the star, either before they were famous or as special guest appearances.
People like George Layton & Patrick mower as the actors with the worst Australian accents, Roy Kinnear, Warren Mitchell, Patrick Troughton, Morecambe & Wise, Bill Maynard, BRIAN BLESSED, Denholm Elliot, Diana Dors, Colin "Chariots of Fire" Welland and many more.
"The Professionals" is also good for star spotting, and also still watchable today.People like George Layton & Patrick mower as the actors with the worst Australian accents, Roy Kinnear, Warren Mitchell, Patrick Troughton, Morecambe & Wise, Bill Maynard, BRIAN BLESSED, Denholm Elliot, Diana Dors, Colin "Chariots of Fire" Welland and many more.
I usually find when I'm in the mood for the Sweeney it's soon followed by watching The Profs ;-)
No probs if anyone wants to expand the thread to cover both progs.
Had a nice package arrive from Amazon this morning, I ordered a few things yesterday including a cd, 'Cult TV Themes' by Laurie Johnson which features The Professionals. Top stuff.
No probs if anyone wants to expand the thread to cover both progs.
Had a nice package arrive from Amazon this morning, I ordered a few things yesterday including a cd, 'Cult TV Themes' by Laurie Johnson which features The Professionals. Top stuff.
Edited by P5Nij on Thursday 31st December 15:18
Ah, the end titles and slow theme tune..... always reminds me of my Dad looking round the corner of his armchair and saying "right you, bed, NOW!".
On the dvd's they've thankfully left in the short bursts of music / 'end of part one' inserts which for me, makes it all the more nostalgic.... I keep expecting to see adverts for R-Whites lemonade and the man from Milk Tray diving off a cliff..... happy days.
Where have the last 35 odd years gone?
On the dvd's they've thankfully left in the short bursts of music / 'end of part one' inserts which for me, makes it all the more nostalgic.... I keep expecting to see adverts for R-Whites lemonade and the man from Milk Tray diving off a cliff..... happy days.
Where have the last 35 odd years gone?
Edited by P5Nij on Thursday 31st December 17:45
FourWheelDrift said:
I like playing spot the star, either before they were famous or as special guest appearances.
People like George Layton & Patrick mower as the actors with the worst Australian accents, Roy Kinnear, Warren Mitchell, Patrick Troughton, Morecambe & Wise, Bill Maynard, BRIAN BLESSED, Denholm Elliot, Diana Dors, Colin "Chariots of Fire" Welland and many more.
I reckon they were all pretty well known faces even in teh mid 1970s - some had even been major movie stars (Diana Dors).People like George Layton & Patrick mower as the actors with the worst Australian accents, Roy Kinnear, Warren Mitchell, Patrick Troughton, Morecambe & Wise, Bill Maynard, BRIAN BLESSED, Denholm Elliot, Diana Dors, Colin "Chariots of Fire" Welland and many more.
P5Nij said:
Might as well get this one out of the way as well.... "Shut it!" ..... John Thaw always said in interviews that he never uttered these much quoted words but he did, in 'Faces' from the first series he says "ah, shut it Bill" to his driver sat in the Consul.
He said it more than once. Don't know what the episode was called, but I remember him sitting in a Transit on an 'obbo', another copper in the van (not Carter) makes a comment - Regan says "Shut iiit!"Love the Sweeney, best cop show ever made for my money. It got a bit silly in the last series (Morecambe & Wise etc..) but the early ones were mint. Pretty true to life too according to period flying squad members I've seen interviewed.
In the movie "Sweeney" both Linda Bellingham and Diane Keen got them out for the lads IIRC.
In the movie "Sweeney" both Linda Bellingham and Diane Keen got them out for the lads IIRC.
I've got The Sweeney on series record on the V+, (ITV4) must have seen 20 episodes in the last month or so. I was born in '70 so loads of nostalgia to be seen each episode. The stories are quite simple but some of the stuff they say cracks me up. PC obviously hadn't been invented back then!
Great quote from one of the films " He's so bent his picture won't hang straight on the wall"
Great quote from one of the films " He's so bent his picture won't hang straight on the wall"
Edited by Mark34bn on Friday 1st January 00:24
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