The Sweeney: The Complete First Series

In January 1975 Jack Regan and George Carter announced themselves on British television screens in a brand-new police drama The Sweeney. The brainchild of Ian Kennedy Martin, The Sweeney was a conscious attempt to add a touch of grit and realism to the genre that had previously been represented by quaint series such as Dixon Of Dock Green.

The Sweeney follows the officers of Scotland Yards Flying Squad (for the few who dont know its coined from Cockney rhyming slang Sweeney Todd: Flying Squad get it?) who are the tough plain clothes officers generally first to the scene of serious and violent crimes. Its police officers are hard-edged: they swear, drink, smoke and fornicate. They also kick down doors, wield pistols and beat up baddies. They tackle bank robbers, murderers and gangsters, and never once stop to help old ladies cross the road or give directions to tourists.

With witty one-liners, flared trousers and filming on real London streets as the series followed the lives of rough and sometimes amoral heroes, The Sweeney eclipsed every police drama that had come before it and rewrote the genre. The British public was hooked, and television changed forever.

As well as the groundbreaking concept, there are many things that set The Sweeney on the pedestal of truly great television. Another major factor is its star performer; for although Regan and Carter were intended as a double act and the two leads undeniably have great screen chemistry, its John Thaws Jack Regan who steals the show. His magnificent piercing cobalt eyes positively burn out of the screen, especially on this Blu-ray release where you can see every hair in his voluminous eyebrows. In Jack Regan Thaw creates one of the most memorable TV characters of all time. Dennis Waterman is excellent support as George Carter, and he occasionally has moments to shine, but these are evidently sops thrown by the writers who had much more fun writing for Regan (who had after all given his name to the pilot TV film Regan, also out on Blu-ray).

This release of all thirteen episodes comprising series one of The Sweeney looks magnificent. It was shot entirely on film, which is what allows for its inherent high-definition to be picked out on modern screens with the newly remastered prints. The colours are exceptionally good. Reds, which often look washed out on film, are vibrant, and the image is crisp enough to see every weave of corduroy jacket and turtleneck sweater. The Sweeney proves that filmed television equally merits the high-definition treatment every bit as much as movies.

Discs: Good Condition

Cases: Good Condition
Sleeve: Good Condition