Special Branch: Set 1 [DVD] [1969] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

1973 UK spy/crime drama targeted for America. Even hostage demands come in dollars, not pounds. Action, violence, and on-location filming (not sets), new at the time. A huge change from "Special Branch" of earlier years, including cast. DCI Craven (George Sewell- Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) leads and is capable of break & entry, blackmail, and assault when off or on duty. Patrick Mower (Callan; Sweeney) plays DCI Haggerty in 7 episodes. DS North (Roger Rowland) shares Craven's office.

National security is the theme in this Special Branch series. Perfection 1970s period crime mystery since it was filmed as contemporary in the 70s. Stories are good but lack the special final surprise twist built into 21st Century TV cop episodes. This series is liberally sprinkled with big guest stars, fun for nostalgia lovers. A few noted below.

SDH SUBTITLES for all episodes. Details for those who like them.
~~1 A Copper Called Craven
Smuggler claims he bribed D.C.I. Craven, who's suspended, & needs to clear his name. Pettiford (Peter Jeffrey -Middlemarch) treats him harsh. His boss is Nicholls (Richard Butler- Middlemarch). Craven's black lover, Pam (Sheila Scott-Wilkinson), also a nurse, appears in 7 episodes.
~~2 Round the Clock
Stakeout with partner DCI Haggerty is long & filled with tension.
~~3 Inquisition
Craven nicks a bloke (Clifford Rose- G.B.H. & Iron Lady) on small crimes, an effort to get more important secrets from the suspect.
~~4 Assault
Haggerty's dad's beating resulting in a coma is out of Special Branch jurisdiction until another victim (Richard Vernon- Duchess of Duke Street) leads to a manhunt.
~~5 Polonaise
Polish ship Capt/former Nazi collaborator will be a hard man for Craven & North to protect.
~~6 Red Herring
Can a Spec. Branch team and an explosive expert stop Comm. Party youth bombs?
~~7 Death by Drowning
A drowning is suspicious requiring Spec. Branch to prove murder, suicide, or accident. See Doreen Mantle (One foot in the Grave).
~~8 All the King's Men
Computer expert psycho (Geoffrey Bayldon) who threatens London with hostage and bombs, tests Craven's team's skill. Wife played by Ursula Howells.
~~9 Threat
Threatened actress (Stephanie Beacham -Bad Girls) gets protection assistance from Sp. Branch, on the QT. She has other plans.
~~10 The Other Man
Is the Doc a traitor, leaking sensitive secrets while under surveillance? Craven must answer the question. Dr. wife played by a young perky Annette Crosbie (One foot in the Grave, Little Dorrit).
~~11 You won't remember me
Special Branch has a young newly engaged couple under surveillance & not for premarital bliss. The guy played by Michael Latimer (Van der Valk).
~~12 Hostage
A German diplomat's (Michael Gambon- H. Potter) daughter of 8 years is kidnapped and Craven and team race the clock to a rescue.
~~13 Blueprint for Murder
African diplomat given protection from potential assassination. Craven finds little help from Sgt. North and the targeted diplomat.

This show ran for four seasons, in 1969, 70, 73 and 74. This is the 1973 season and it featured a new leading man, George Sewell as the lead inspector Craven. The cases here are very realistic though, cases where special branch investigates leaks from government officials or they deal with terrotists. (leftist hippie types financed by the communist states), and other cases. THat means this is a slow moving show that has little action in it. Sure special branch did in fact have real action adventures but usually most of the work was more mundane , just like some FBI work would be. (as in mnitoring emails of generals and uncovering scandals like the Petrasis scandal of 2012). The show on that level is good. It does reflect its time though, a time when cops could hit suspects and detain them for long periods. The system was not reformed until the late seventies. And this was the case for many U.S. police departments too. SO the two star reviewer is wrong on this being unbelievable , in fact this show is very believable. And therefore the cases are uually nonviolent and plodding just like most real cases are! the film itself is in sad shape though, at that time the uk tv industry often destroyed their shows after airing them. So good copys do not exist of these programs. Some shows were treated worse than this and they don't even exist anymore. But there are endless scratches and nicks etc on these episodes. The colour is faded badly too. Still we have all seen alot worse because this is still viewable. The other seasons still exist too though and are available in the uk on their dvd's. This isn't a show like the sweeney though. The sweeney is a group of swat like cops over there who had lots of action and that show is a action fest. It's available on dvd and it was far better perserved than this series was. Still it's a good view of the early seventies in many ways. A time of upheaval and change. after all craven is dating a black woman and some parts of the uk were basically segregated by color just a few years earlier!. There is one episode in which a actress wears a type of hat that is so hideous that it defies description. it looks like a dead racoon on her head and yet that hat was popular for a while. still at least most seventies clothes fit well unlike the terrible styles of recently. Anyways this is worth watching if you are patient with it. It moves slow ,but realistically and that's saying something.

Not exactly what I was looking for but not entirely a dud. A 70's era action series set in London. Good acting but not a lot of action. Slow moving.