Hard Men (14 Sep. 1978)

Dour Scots sergeant Davy Freeth arrives from Glasgow in pursuit of three villains who, he claims, have come to kidnap somebody, but he will say no more, even when one of them is found dead.... See full summary »

Director:

Graham Baker

Writer:

Troy Kennedy-Martin

Stars:

John Thaw, Dennis Waterman, James Cosmo

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
John Thaw	...	Det. Insp. Jack Regan
Dennis Waterman	...	Det. Sgt. George Carter
James Cosmo	...	Det. Sgt. Davy Freeth
James Warrior	...	Det. Con. Jellyneck
Stewart Preston	...	Ross
Jonathan Carr	...	Stronnach
Alex Norton	...	Gibson
Ronnie Letham	...	Hodgy Laing
Brian Hoskin	...	Bramley
Michael Beint	...	Dubbin
Benjamin Whitrow	...	Det. Chief Supt. Braithwaite
Julian Hough	...	Guards Officer
Roger Davidson	...	Major Chapman
Janet Ellis	...	Susie, Marge's Friend
Miranda Forbes	...	Maggie's Mother

Storyline

Dour Scots sergeant Davy Freeth arrives from Glasgow in pursuit of three villains who, he claims, have come to kidnap somebody, but he will say no more, even when one of them is found dead. Regan is patronising towards him, calling him Jock, but when a kidnap attempt on a little girl is bungled and the girl escapes, Freeth annoys Regan by admitting he has known all along who the real intended victim is - the daughter of a Scots heavy, Boyd, living in London, and Freeth has tipped him off about the surviving pair. Between them, Boyd and Freeth do Regan's job for him whilst he is in bed with the fair Susan.

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Genres:

Action | Comedy | Crime | Drama

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Details

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 September 1978 (UK)

Filming Locations:

39 Holland Park Mews, Notting Hill, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Euston Films, Thames Television

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

When Freeth meets Gibson under the canal bridge, a barge is trundling past. When the camera cuts to Carter watching them, there is no barge in sight, nor are there even any bow waves from it.

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Quotes

[DS Freeth gives DS Carter some warrants to arrest violent criminals]
Det. Sgt. George Carter: Assault with a deadly weapon, GBH, attempted murder. What are they? Rangers supporters?

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Connections

Featured in Call the Cops: The Sweeney (2008)

User Reviews

A phenomenal episode

This is one of the most violent episodes of a TV show i ever saw. I can't remember all the details of the plot, except to say, that it is probably how crime often plays out, and the level of tragedy is higher than normal. It's one of the only episodes of the Sweeney where Regan gets really angry, the only other Sweeney I can remember such a thing happening is when at the end of the first movie, Carter yells "They didn't kill him, you did!" But I think I last saw this twenty years ago, and it really had an effect on me. The violence is amazing. Not only that, but it reminds me of the film 'Villain', which starred Richard Burton.