Travelling Man

I first watched this series when it was shown in 1984/5. I really enjoyed it at the time and became interested in the canals and canal boats and the possibility of living on a boat. That didn't happen but I did go on several canal holidays, firstly in 1985 with a school friend and his brother and with other friends after that.

Of course the series is dated but isn't that part of the appeal of rediscovering old TV programmes from our youth. I find it fascinating watching this, a time when no one had a personal computer, mobile phone etc. The episode called The Quiet Chapter where Lomax and the pub landlord are terrorised by a bunch of hooray henrys whilst inside an isolated pub is notable for its total lack of technology, which of course is taken for granted now - the only connection with the outside world an old Bakelite GPO phone. The fashions, haircuts, cars - it all adds to the sense of nostalgia.

I bought and still have the cassette soundtrack by Duncan Browne, in addition to the single and the blue padded Berghaus jacket as worn by Max on the canal in winter. Still keeps me warm and one day I'll take it on another canal holiday but this time with my wife and kids.

I should confess that I am biased as my father created and wrote this series in the mid-1980s. Nevertheless, having recently purchased and watched this thirty years on, I think it is still a wonderful drama series. It offers the three key ingredients which any successful detective series requires: a fascinating but flawed protagonist; a memorable setting; first class guest actors/characters. Leigh Lawson plays the framed ex-cop to perfection, setting off on a series of one-off tales while also searching for both his missing son and the diabolical mastermind who put him in jail for two years. The canals allow the show to have an ever-changing backdrop and dictate the delightfully leisurely pace. Harmony, Lomax's narrow-boat, becomes both his home and his means of transport. Drawing on the Western tradition, it is his horse and wagon. The guest actors are, generally speaking, superb: Colin Jeavons, Tony Doyle, John Bird, Tom Wilkinson, Julian Glover, Morag Hood, Lindsay Duncan, Susan Fleetwood. Terry Taplin steals the 'guest' billing as a surprisingly complex gutter journalist. Travelling Man is both a series and a serial, with self-contained stories and overarching narratives. The fact that one writer wrote every script provides an organic consistency. Private detective, Western, action adventure, drugs...there is a fascinating blend. Twelve of the thirteen episodes are first class. (I enjoyed re-watching the series so much that it inspired me to write a critical guide. The show really is that good.)

I was sufficiently old enough to have a memory of this show when it would have first aired. I do not. So, this review is on the basis of watching a forty year old programme for the first time after many years of improved production across the board in TV series. My estimate being that a standard episode shown today on a terrestrial/linear network would probably cost as much as one of the entire two of the series that were made of Travelling Man.

The back story is well detailed on Imdb so I will not bother writing further on that. Whether it was only intended to be a two series run is unknown, but the final episode is a conclusion of sorts.

Lomax, 'Max', (Leigh Lawson) the apparently wrongly convicted ex cop is a travelling man by virtue of his post custodial life being a canal barge as he seeks to both clear his name and find his son who left home after feeling betrayed by his father when he was convicted.

Each week Max finds himself involved in some local matter that requires his ex cop nous to solve whatever crime or event that Max finds in his path. Some of these storylines are poorly crafted and would sit well with the incredulity that you would expect of a soap opera narrative.

In the second series, which builds on the story arc at the back of series one, there are some repeating characters who are brought together for the finale in a reasonably well storyboarded approach. In particular John Bird, as a mafioso type, has some good chemistry with Max and is one of the stand outs of this programme.

But it is the quality of the supporting cast that at times reduces the viewing experience. The programme was filmed in and around Manchester but often suggests episodes are based in London and other areas. The former in particular leads to some accents that would sit will with Dickensian London. This distracts. Also, as much as some actors were well established on stage and television and provide solid performances, others read their lines as if from a teleprompter offering little emotion which jars on the ears.

Both series - thirteen episodes in total - appear written by Roger Marshall who provides some decent one liners that Lawson clearly enjoys delivering. But overall the language use, with plenty of urbanisms, is 'cod'.

A nice museum piece but nothing more.

I must confess that I only watched two episodes of this brilliant series, when it was first broadcast in 1984. However, on seeing the first episode repeated on Talking Pictures TV, I was hooked, and couldn't wait for the next episode. So I bought the DVD set. Roger Marshall was one of the best writers in TV history, having seen some of his Sweeney episodes, I noticed one episode of Travelling Man featured a similar plot to one of his Sweeney episodes. I won't give any clues, as that would be a spoiler. I loved this series so much, I only wish it had been shot on 16mm film. I guess there wasn't the budget for it, but I can highly recommend this series. Get it on DVD whilst it's still available.