Review of Professionals, The: Vol. 1 (Remastered)

Introduction

In 1977 a new TV series burst onto the screens from LWT that captured the imaginations of people and became a real cult classic. The cult bit came from actor Martin Shaw`s reluctance to allow the series to be seen on terrestrial TV again, something that has now become a legend in its own right (although the reasons are not 100% clear to this day).

A new intelligence service has formed to combat the growing tide of lawlessness in the United Kingdom. Criminal Intelligence 5 (C.I.5), or The Big `A` or The Action Squad or "those nosey gits who push ordinary decent coppers off their own case without so much as a `by your leave", is headed by ex-MI5 officer George Cowley (Gordon Jackson) and his two right hand men are ex-copper Ray Doyle (Martin Shaw) and ex-mercenary and SAS paratrooper William Bodie (Lewis Collins).

C.I.5 never really had to worry about jurisdiction as they were entitled to stick their noses in basically wherever they pleased. Cowley reported directly to the Home Secretary and let Bodie and Doyle loose on whatever case caught his eye. The Bisto kids would then screech around England in a series of Ford cars, flash their ID`s in peoples faces, let off loads of ammunition and then kill the main villain in time for tea. Stirring stuff, and here is the first series presented for the second time on DVD, this time remastered according to the blurb.

Old Dog With New Tricks - an East End gangster is worried that his brother will crack up in prison and, taking a cue from terrorists, comes up with a plan to kidnap and hold the Home Secretary to ransom despite not knowing what he looks like. CI5 stumble across the plan when one of the gang, a mentally disturbed young man called Billy (Phil Davis) stuffs a hand grenade down the bra of Pamela Stephenson (yes, that one…) when he can`t find his ex-psychiatrist.

Long Shot - there`s a high profile anti-terrorism conference taking place in England and CI5 are tasked with security for the American representative after learning that one of the world`s most feared assassins, Ramos (a pre-Trigger Roger Lloyd-Pack in swarthy foreigner make-up and big sunglasses), is out to kill one of the delegates. But who is the target?

Where The Jungle Ends - a group of mercenaries set themselves up as enforcers for a big-time villain (Geoffrey Palmer) after robbing his bank and escaping the RAF by parachuting into the English countryside. Bodie knows everyone involved from his days as a mercenary and knows how they think, especially Creavus (David Suchet) with whom he still harbours a hatred for killing an old girlfriend of his.

Killer With A Long Arm - CI5 discover that a long-range sniper rifle has been smuggled into the country. From hereon in it`s a race against time to find the assassin Tarkos (Alan Tilvern) before he kills a foreign dignitary at the Men`s Final of the Wimbledon Tennis Championship.

Heroes - members of the public caught in roadworks on a motorway swing into action when they witness the murder of a security guard during what they assume is an armed robbery. Unknown to them, it was actually an assassination of an influential American politician and the gang, desperate to remain anonymous, strike it lucky when the media prints all the address details of the witnesses. Bodie, Doyle and the rest of CI5 are locked in a race against time to save these heroes.

Private Madness, Public Danger - a slightly mad chemical engineer (Keith Barron) decides that the Government should stop all research into chemical weapons by threatening to poison the water supply from a reservoir with deadly ADX. CI5 are called in after a dummy run on his employers coffee machine that leads to a number of deaths and a severe drug overdose on the girl who not only provided the key to the machine but holds the key to tracing the villain.

The Female Factor - a plot is hatched to catch a Shadow Minister in a honeytrap for the KGB. Everything threatens to go wrong when by chance high-class prostitute Ann Seaford (Pamela Salem) recognises the girl as her daughter and tries to contact Ray Doyle, who she knew from his old days in the Drugs Squad. Seaford is murdered, which puts Doyle in a bit of a bad mood and the Bisto kids are on the chase to find her killer.

Everest Was Also Conquered - the last dying words of a prominent Government official leads Lord Derrington (Michael Dennison) to instruct Cowley to re-open the investigation into the death of Susie Carter in 1953. Carter was a key witness in a corruption trial against Neil Turvey (Richard Greene), who is now much more powerful. Cowley warns the Bisto kids to tread carefully around the suspected instigator, but despite warnings Bodie ends up with pure malt Scotch in his face.

Close Quarters - Bodie has injured his hand and is put on a weeks leave, much to his disgust. Whilst out on the river with current girlfriend Julia (Gabrielle Drake), Bodie spots Franz Myer, one of the leaders of the dreaded Helmut-Myer terrorist group. Capturing Myer, Bodie and Julia are chased by the remaining members of the group led by Inge Helmut and end up holed up in a vicarage. Can they hang on long enough for Cowley and Doyle to come to their rescue?

Look After Annie - Annie Walker (Diana Fairfax) is an evangelist for the Workers Christian Association, who became more famous after an attempt on her life. Walker is visiting the UK for a speech and Cowley decides that C.I.5 will handle the security. Bodie and Doyle make all the arrangements and discover that Cowley had a relationship with Walker many years previously. Meanwhile, unknown to all, Walker`s manager and lover Stanley is plotting a martyr`s death for her.

When The Heat Cools Off - In 1971 Ray Doyle was a young copper who arrested big-time villain Bill Haydon (Peter Hughes) for the murder of a suspected informant and his Doyle`s partner. Seven years later, Haydon`s daughter Jill (Lalla Ward) stalks Doyle until he agrees to re-examine the case. The evidence he finds leads him to doubt the original conviction and brings him closer to Jill. Is Haydon really innocent?


Stakeout - Fraser, a CI5 operative, stumbles onto something big whilst working on a drugs case. Overhearing a plot in a bowling alley, he attempts to contact Cowley but is spotted and killed before he is able to tell what he knows. Bodie and Doyle are sent back to the bowling alley on a stakeout and observe many characters whilst there including Pamela Stephenson (again…). What eventually becomes clear is that a South African white supremacist group is planning to detonate a nuclear device in London.

Klansmen - this controversial and hard-hitting episode (never broadcast on UK terrestrial TV) sees the men of CI5 line up against racism, with one of the team having to re-examine his own prejudices after a brush with death. Investigating a series of KKK-style attacks on prominent black lawyer Zadie (Trevor Moore), the Bisto kids stumble across the murder of petty thief Arty (George Harris). The local racist group The Empire Society appears to be behind the trouble, so Doyle goes undercover in an attempt to find the truth. Is someone-else using the activities of the group to further their own interests though?

Rogue - Two witnesses against drug smuggler and Russian sympathiser Paul Culbertson (Tony Steedman) eventually lead Cowley and the Bisto kids to look at CI5 recruit no. 1, and the younger duo`s mentor, Barry Martin (Glyn Owen) who also served with Cowley during the war. Martin has a much younger girlfriend, Maggie (Pamela Stephenson, again…) who may be able to help them find him and get to the bottom of what happened.

Video

No massive difference from the first released set. It looks a little cleaner and appears to have less print damage than the previous set, but not too much of a difference if you already have the first set as I do.

The title sequence changes somewhat throughout the series and there are numerous explanations for this. The original title sequence for series one was known as The Assault Course, which also had a voiceover from Gordon Jackson. The better known, and still mightily impressive, later title sequence with the CI5 ID card and the Ford Granada crashing through a window replaced the original sequence for subsequent repeats. Some of these carried the Jackson voiceover from the first sequence but most didn`t. There are examples of each on this set, although the normal later one is seen most. There is a train of thought that those containing earlier title sequences come from Mark 1 Productions stock rather than LWT, although this is somewhat unimportant in the grand scheme of things.

Audio

The soundtrack is Mono, as is the first DVD set, split across both channels. The sound seems to have been boosted a bit though as Laurie Johnson`s memorable theme tune with the legendary brass riffs, hi-hats and stuttering guitar blasts out of the speakers. His incidental music isn`t bad either.

No subtitles.

Features

Nothing, which is a massive disappointment. OK, the budget may not have been there for anything new, but the original release of this set had some extras which, although mostly text-based, were also interesting to fans of the series.

Conclusion

The Professionals were a defining part of my childhood. Everyone has that one series that they have this unbreakable link with as their childhood favourite. Cowley, Bodie and Doyle were that series for me. I collected all the annuals (when they actually meant something) and had the accessory kit complete with ID card, handcuffs, pistol and water pistol walkie talkie. I lived and breathed for years through CI5, even picked up the paperbacks so I could relive the adventures through print in a time long before domestic video release was an affordable or viable hobby.

I don`t think I was the only one either, as The Professionals made a cultural impact that is still viewed fondly today. I guess part of that is caused by the reluctance of Martin Shaw to allow repeats of the series on terrestrial TV, but it`s definitely not just that. The stories were gritty in a similar fashion to The Sweeney, but here was an organisation that knew no bounds and could go where Regan and Carter had no jurisdiction.

So what about the characters? Cowley is possibly Gordon Jackson`s finest hour; the gruff ex-soldier who has worked his way to the top of a powerful intelligence organisation and as ruthless as they come. Except when it comes to the Bisto kids, of course. Collins plays Bodie, the ex-mercenary, as a quiet and cool type with a clipped English accent that isn`t quite sure whether it`s working class or aspiring middle class. Collins later revamped this role slightly for the excellent Who Dares Wins film in 1982. Meanwhile Martin Shaw plays the permed thinking, caring copper with a heart in what is surely his defining role. Judge John Deed? Pah!

This series was universally panned by critics at the time, and some criticisms do bear closer examination when looking back. It is odd to see how every location is within close range of heroes, no matter where they are. This is quite obvious in Heroes, where Bodie and Doyle not only drive to the Scottish Highlands in record time, but also find the exact spot in the exact forest where the guy they`ve come to protect is. And this is the age before mobile phones and instant communication. In Old Dog, New Tricks, the plan to foil the bad guys is based on the fact that no-one knows who the Home Secretary is. A bit odd that the bad guys don`t have a clue who they`re going to kidnap, and just take the word of a Scottish bloke in a black trench coat. The duo also have a penchant for driving extremely fast and skidding to a halt, mostly with handbrake turns, no matter what the location. Oh, and what`s this about drinking on duty? Don`t think you`d quite get away with that nowadays, but seems to be something that was OK back in the seventies.

The episode Klansmen was controversially banned when originally made and it`s easy to see why. The intentions of Clemens was good, he clearly wanted to show that racism was unacceptable, but his writing was flawed. The whole thing of hooded racist thugs in the style of the Klu Klux Klan is just laughable, riding round in bed linen and lighting crosses in suburban gardens. Bodie also finds himself saddled with racist attitudes for 50 minutes, which for an ex-mercenary who served in Africa is stretching it a bit. Doyle, though, obviously couldn`t have that problem as he was the caring sharing one. Collins was rumoured to be very unhappy at this character flaw and it shows in his delivery, although the resolution to this whole incident is just jaw dropping in its crassness (although so is the unveiling of the boss who is instigating these racist attacks).

Despite its flaws, The Professionals is a class act for those who like escapism, a bit of Cold War-era spy busting and crime fighting, lots of high speed driving and shooting. The rapport between the three main characters is superb, the abrasiveness between Collins and Shaw the highlight. Some of it is a bit daft, but it was a product of the time and for those of a certain age as unmissable now as it was then.

The only people who should not bother with this series are those lucky enough to already own the first boxset release (me, me!). The artwork may more professional and the picture may be slightly better, but that`s it. Stick with the old.

Everyone-else? Get it and find out what the fuss was all about. I dare you not to get the hair standing on the back of your neck when that Ford Granada comes crashing through the window and THAT theme tune starts…