Hazell

Hazell was one of a clutch of London-based drama series of high quality which ITV produced in the 1970s, with others from this era including Minder, Budgie and Out. Minder aside, I was too young to watch these series when they were originally broadcast, however I've really enjoyed catching them on DVD. Hazell was an interesting take on the private eye genre, with the 'tec as a Cockney ex-cop with a classic car and a nice line in dialogue.

Nicholas Ball is convincing in the title role, and I'm a little surprised he didn't become a bigger name on TV post-Hazell. I didn't know the writers thought he was too young for the part, and I'm astounded they considered John Bindon for the role. Bindon could play a tough nut, which of course is what he was in real life, but as Dennis Waterman said in his autobiography, Bindon wasn't what you would call an actor.

As well as sharp dialogue, Hazell benefited from a very capable supporting cast, which included Roddy McMillan as the teetotal Scots CID officer Choc Minty, Desmond McNamara as cousin Tel, and James Faulkner as Gordon Gregory, the posh lawyer with some very dubious clients. With regard to a remake of Hazell, I did hear a rumour a while back about Ray Winstone taking the lead role (I feel Jimmy Hazell would be a better part for him than Vincent), and I'm disappointed it hasn't happened.

However, it doesn't surprise me in the slightest that the useless lot in charge of drama at ITV think Hazell is 'dated and sexist'. James Hazell was hardly someone who treated women badly, and Barbara Young played a strong (but not butch) lesbian character in the series, so go figure, as the Americans say. Nowadays, Network Centre (dubbed by one national TV critic Notwork Centre) is content to churn out endless series by Lynda La Plante and unimaginative guff by Kay Mellor, therefore how they can dismiss worthwhile ideas so freely is beyond me.

A measure of ITV's current hold on reality - phone quiz cons aside - is that they think Caroline Quentin is star material. Dearie me. Back to Hazell, and it's a great shame there's been no similar series on our screens for many years. Television drama series aimed primarily at men have been extremely thin on the ground for a very long time, and with TV advertisers said to be desperate to reach younger men, you'd think the answer was obvious. Even to the right-on dullards running drama at ITV.

You will notice Season 1 has ten episodes while Season 2 has twelve.

This is because at the time that Season 1 was being broadcast the actor John Bindon, who was playing a gangster in the episode "Hazell and the Public Enemy", was up at the Old Bailey on trial for the murder of Johnny Darke in a pub in Putney (improbably named Ranelagh Yacht Club).

At the request of Bindons defence team, who felt that a jury might confuse the character with Bindon in real life, Thames Television 'pulled' the episode from the schedule.

During the trial fellow actor Bob Hoskins was one of those who appeared as a character witness for Bindon.

By the time Season 2 of Hazell was broadcast, Bindon had been acquitted of the murder, so Thames just tagged the episode "Hazell and the Public Enemy" on to the end of Season 2.

In an era of reality TV and Netflix it's probably strange that I can be bothered to write a review? The show was created a long time ago but it's utterly brilliant. Kids would scoff at the fashions and everything else but this show portrays London and all its filthy dead end locations and weaves it into a fascinating PI detective show. Nicholas Ball was wonderful and it's a shame he didn't get a massive break from this. Raw, gritty and a little bit strange at times it represents London in the 70s In all of its glory with fascinating characters and story lines. Watch for nostalgia but definitely watch.

I loved this show. I was 18 and thought Nick Ball was the dream man. That Pam left him for the Big Yin!! (Who I thought was really funny but not a bit, well, sexy! Really unnerved me.)

I don't think the show needs a remake(other great and more modern ideas need a public airing) However, I have to say - if it were to be re-made please spare TV fans from the prospect of ex-east-ender's actors hamming it up as Hazell!

I have never really understood the need to re-film really great pieces of TV history. Very few even touch the originality or charm of the first take.

Run-down 1970s Britain proved to be a fertile backdrop for truly memorable light drama such as Budgie, The Sweeney, & Minder, and i reckon Hazell was just about as good.

James Hazell is an ex copper who left the force under a cloud, and is now working as an enquiry agent; he's a cockney charmer with an eye for the ladies, and no case is too hard as long as the money's right. His work takes him around some of the seediest, and in some cases, swankiest parts of London, and as with The Sweeney, the location work and cockney banter are a big part of the attraction of this great show.

Nicholas Ball was initially considered too young for the role, but i'm really glad he eventually got it because he absolutely nailed the part and made it his own. I particularly enjoyed the first series, which featured some great banter with one of the show's best characters Dot Wilmington. Other regulars were his cousin Tel, and his nemesis 'Choc' Minty.

Hazell ran for only two series, and in a way i'm glad, as too many good shows outstay their welcome and grow tired and flabby.

On a final note, it's sad to think that ITV, the channel that gave us Callan, Public Eye and all the aforementioned classics is now best known for making mindless drek like Love Island and Keith Lemon.