#finds some time to wrestle with moral quandries (but again‚ rather waves over Kingdom's unusual brutality in 'interviewing' a prisoner | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

mariocki · 1 month ago

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New Scotland Yard: Papa Charlie (2.7, LWT, 1972)

"You realise, of course, that anybody, no matter what their rank or position, anybody who was at that meeting - who had sight of this - is now under suspicion of passing information to that gang, don't you?"

"Yes, of course."

"Someone's working on the inside. Could be anybody. Could even be Sergeant Ward - or perhaps you?"

"No."

"Well, we'll see. I intend to find out who it is. And I'm going to give myself one hour in which to do it."

#new scotland yard #stuart douglass #john reardon #john woodvine #john carlisle #sally home #tony melody #michael turner #alison king #michael stainton #john caesar #victor brooks #susan brown #ken barker #les clark #derek ware #john hartley #dave carter #max faulkner #alan chuntz #clearly an attempt to do.. if not a 'bigger' episode exactly‚ then one with greater impact. shot entirely on film‚ we follow Kingdom during #the transport of a high profile prisoner (a gang boss) whilst simultaneously we see that his wife (hello Mrs Kingdom! back after her sole #previous appearance way back in 1.9) being kidnapped and held to ransom. it's...hmm. it's fine enough i suppose but it feels very unlike #the show to date; actually this feels almost like a watershed moment‚ the point at which heavily scripted‚ thoughtful cop drama ceased to #exist in the UK and was gradually replaced by greater emphasis on action and violence and hardness: the start of things like the second #iteration of Special Branch‚ into The Sweeney‚ into The Professionals. those shows were all capable of intelligence and nuance at times but #the focus became unmistakably Action and Spectacle (imo to the detriment of the genre). i might be egging this too much bc the ep still #finds some time to wrestle with moral quandries (but again‚ rather waves over Kingdom's unusual brutality in 'interviewing' a prisoner #suffering from Chekhov's Heart Complaint). Turner guests as another Chief Super‚ and would replace Woodvine in the 4th season #not as the same character i believe‚ but it's a safe bet this guest spot was instrumental in his later casting

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