All the King's Men

Episode aired May 23, 1973
52m

IMDb RATING

7.8/10

YOUR RATING

Roger Rowland and George Sewell in Special Branch (1969)

Action Crime Drama

When a psychotic ex-CID officer barricades himself and a hostage in an office building, lacing it with multiple bombs, Craven and the Special Branch team are called in. Time ticks down as ne... Read allWhen a psychotic ex-CID officer barricades himself and a hostage in an office building, lacing it with multiple bombs, Craven and the Special Branch team are called in. Time ticks down as negotiation fails and the man threatens to set off the detonator.When a psychotic ex-CID officer barricades himself and a hostage in an office building, lacing it with multiple bombs, Craven and the Special Branch team are called in. Time ticks down as negotiation fails and the man threatens to set off the detonator.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.8/10

YOUR RATING

2User reviews

See production info at IMDbPro

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Goofs
The location of the building where the action takes place is described as being in 'Millbank' but actually takes place on the other side of the river, at Alembic House. In fact Millbank Tower is shown in an establishing shot at the beginning of the show which then pans across the river to Alembic House.

User reviews2

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Featured review

6/10

All the King's Men

The episode has a disturbing opening. A camera sweeps around some kind of computer room in an office block.

The room is wired with explosives and there is a frightened cleaner tied up and held hostage.

A man silently watches and puts out a cigarette. What a weazel, cigarettes in a room full of explosives!

The disturbed man is computer expert Sumner (Geoffrey Bayldon) who demands the release of political activist Sheila Fenner, a woman that he does not even know. Sumner is worried that she will not get a fair trial.

Craven talks to Sumner and realises that he is suffering from a nervous breakdown. The police officers surrounding the building just seem out of their depth.

Craven needs to take a gambit to resolve the situation.

Cigarettes seem to be a motif in this episode. When Craven gets a call of the incident, he returns to pick up his fags. Sumner runs out and borrows some from his hostage. He even tells her that he will pay her back.

Some prescient themes can be picked up in this episode. Sumner worrying that government plans to have data on everyone, very much anticipating a surveillance society.

Sumner realises his error when Fenner talks to him. He totally misread her agenda, someone willing to be in jail for her cause.