Fraud Squad

"The Fraud Squad" isn't the kind of series that is exactly ground-breaking but it is still enjoyable enough. The leading actors are mainly obscure to todays audiences but they play their roles well. The characters in question don't usually investigate hardened criminals like murderers or armed robbers. Cases of fraud is their forte, hence the name of the series. This lasted 2 seasons but I can't imagine the television ratings would have been outstanding. There are some good actors amongst the supporting players, such as Paul Eddington, Andrew Sachs, Derek Fowlds, Colin Gordon amongst others.

I love the shows from the sixties. Always nice to find wellknown faces in the cast. Quite a few in this show besides the older berother from THE BROTHERS and even Marigold Featherstone from RUMPOLE. Not to forget Claude Erskine-Brown from RUMPOLE as badguy in one episode. Sadly I have now watched it all and can only hope to find something simulare. Among the ther shows I recently watched that I had never seen before I could mention THE PROTECTORS 1964, SCOTLAND YARD 1952 (really short b-movies) and THE SCALES OF JUSTICE (that I liked the least).

Inspector Gamble (Patrick O'Connell) and Detective Sergeant Vicky Hicks (Joanna Van Gyseghem) pursue fraudsters, racketeers, and dodgy businessmen. I watched it alongside an anthology about 19th century emperors, Fraud Squad is almost as much a portrait of a bygone age.

The focus on financial crime means there is little violence, except in the last episode, so it's a bit tame for modern tastes. Having a financial services background I appreciated this aspect, though a few episodes are rather wordy and convoluted. The unpretentious Gamble has a stockbroker, his (ahem) gambling on shares would hardly do in a 21st century police drama, far too elitist. Conversations about money usually refer to guineas rather than pounds.

Among other anachronisms, Pros and Cons (which I rate an 8) recalls that splendid time when a businessman could employ a "dolly bird" to do very little except look good. The Hot Money Man (7), in the era of exchange controls, concerns the archaic crime of taking ones own money out of the country. The Great Blanket Factory Swindle (5) may have been satire, the firm's office wouldn't have looked out of place in The Forsyte Saga.

Two more I rate among the best. Run for Your Money (8) is about a gang of crooks who sell catalogues advertising non-existent houses for rent. In Double Deal (9) Charlie Dickens (Dinsdale Landen) steals every scene as the most outrageous conman since Horatio Bottomley. Smooth-talking Dickens is the only villain to get a date with Hicks, and it's one of only a couple of episodes in colour.

Patrick Connell went into the brothers Colin Gordon was in many films Andrew Sachs faulty towers Derek Fowler heartbeat great actors black and white series the series was well known I was too young to appreciate series like this I'm now watching it at the age of 56 and I find series like this magical

Inspector Gamble and Detective Sergeant Hicks investigate all manner of frauds, watched by the eagle eye of Superintendent Proud.

A very, very watchable series, different, you won't see the duo investigate burglaries and murders, but cases of fraud, some large scale, some very much smaller scale.

Patrick O'Connell and Joanna van Gyseghem are both great, and share a level of chemistry, you'll see then work in harmony, clash, and flirt.

Wonderfully watchable, it's a great format, and you will see plenty of well known faces, so many to see and enjoy, the likes of Anton Rodgers, George Baker and Michael Gambon. For me, Angela Browne and Dinsdale Landed shine in particular.

If you love the visuals of the 60's like I do, then you're in for a treat, it looks great, love the fashions, cars, but also the music.

Double Deal, and Pros and cons are my favourite episodes, both featured awesome central characters, both brilliant, and so original. Overall I thought Series one was more consistent, but the second features a mix of brilliant, and weaker stories.

I think it perhaps ended at the right time, but there are twenty six episodes to sit back, and enjoy.

8/10.