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Reviews
The Sweeney: Ringer (1975)
Ringer - Why every 12 year old asked to stay up late on a Monday night in 1975
Following the successful "Armchair Cinema" television pilot Regan, Euston Films got the nod from Thames Television to go into production withThe Sweeney in 1974. Filmed on location around London (mainly Hammersmith, Shepherds Bush, Fulham and Chelsea/Kensington) on 16mm film. Office scenes were filmed from Euston Films production offices at Colet Court, Hammersmith Road, London.
Euston Films other successes were Van der Valk (1977), Minder (1979-1994), Quatermass (1979), Danger UXB (1979), and Reilly: Ace of Spies (1983).
The three main characters in the Ringer (and the subsequent four The Sweeney series) were Det. Chief Insp. Frank Haskins - Garfield Morgan,Det. Sgt. George Carter - Dennis Waterman and. Det. Insp. Jack Regan - John Thaw. These were original characters from the pilot episode Regan,working in the Fying Squad, a police unit specifically investigating robberies in the capital. The Sweeney had a fearsome reputation among criminals as a no-nonsense, tough group of armed coppers, which was unusual for British police at the time to be armed. Later eisodes showed the main characters had a keen interest sexual liasions with any female who offered an interest. Macho stuff but the women didnt complain and it quite realistic how a single guy might pull a single woman in a public environment.
The first episode Ringer was a corker, using well known established actors usually as the baddies to get the series off to a good start. Brian Blessed is the king pin criminal, as Frank Kemble, Ian Hendry henchman, as Dave Brooker and Alan Lake as. John Merrick. Many British actors got some screen time in The Sweeney in the start of their careers and went on to be household names, like June Brown (Eastenders), aka Mrs Martin in Ringer.
In this episode, without spoling the plot, Kemble is planning a robbery, although he is aware he is being monitored by the Sweeney. But he is smart and clever and always evades the police. Fatefully, a small time crook in the shadow of his famoius elder brother, steals Regans car which contains surveilance evidence on Kemble. It later comes to Kembles attention that the Sweeney are really on to him but the plan is in full swing and no time to back out. There's chases and fights around this plot line, which pretty much defines the format for all 4 series. The Sweeney became well known for its car chases and stunts, usually culminating in a right royal punch up where Regan and Carter got just as battered and bruised as the criminals...
Even in this first episode, you feel the team were established colleagues. A testimonial to the quality of the acting of Garfield, Thaw and Waterman. It could have been the 100th episode, you wouldnt have known.
The filming in this episode was around Dulwich and East Dulwich in london and shows the area quite well and locals would recognise many of the landmarks, though Kembles garage in now a block of flats. The great thing about the filimng is it shows the heart of working London as it really was, warts and all in the 1970's. Many areas were still derelict after war damage, even in the 1970's. It reminds us of how London and the UK in general really was before the developers took over, Londoners ejected for the overseas property owners and mass EU immigration.
Ringer was the very first episode and by Series 4 in 1978 very little about London had changed. A great visual time capsule for the period.
Hard hitting classic Brit tv. Whats not to like. 10/10.
Minder: The Loneliness of the Long Distance Entrepreneur (1991)
A good start
It's Minder minus Terry ... and that's not necessarily a bad thing. Not that Waterman's character Terry was needing to be changed. I liked Terry. Earlier series were all about Terry & Arthur's escapades in London in the 70's and early 80's. Which worked really well in the ruins of London, that never really got rebuilt after WW2.
I never have seen this first episode of Series 8 in its entirety but quite quickly Ray grew on me, even with his awful 80's wardrobe of padded shoulders and paisley shirts. He's not Terry, move on. It felt like the original series, which is an accomplishment. But the Euston Film production and scripts takes care of that. They were well produced, well cast. and well acted. I liked the story line of this episode. Though, Arthur had seemed to take on a Mafia Don like character in the new series, whereas with Terry, he was very much the coward. Like all previous episodes, you get glimpses of tv and film stars to be, like Roberta Taylor, of Eastenders & The Bill fame in this one. It typifies a changing London and UK. Its all about the entrepreneur and London is smartening up as the developers took over and relinquished Londoners of their homes for property investors. All the Minders reflected London and the UK of the time and this series highlights an ever closening ties with our Europe.
The only thing I do not like is the awful sound track which beset all 90's tv in the UK. An eerie synth background noise, its not melodic at all. Programs like Bergerac started it and others followed...