Mitch

Anything starring John Thaw is always worth looking out for, and you can say the same for Mitch. Sure it's not among Thaw's best work but it's still very good and it is a shame that it is as undervalued as it is, if remembered correctly it was pretty obscure when he was alive. Mitch doesn't see Thaw at his best but he is still great in the role, which is testament as to how fine an actor he was and how many good performances he did. The cast support him more than reliably too, if you liked the support casting in something like The Sweeney then you will like the cast here too. The dialogue is written very thoughtfully and there is plenty of entertainment to be had as well, while the stories are well paced, are compelling and easy to follow if somewhat toned-down-Sweeney-style(which is in no way a bad thing, I love The Sweeney). Edgy topics(like the death of a child) are also dealt with in Mitch, and Mitch handles them with intelligence and in no way watered-down or overwrought. For example there's the death of a child and that issue is done in a way that wrenches the gut, another example is the race relations, something that could have easily been offensive or one-sided(considering that the series revolves around a reporter, and we all know what the media is like now) and it was neither in Mitch, instead it was incredibly truthful and painfully so. The characters are well-written and engaging, although only Mitch is really, really interesting, and all the episodes are directed strongly. The opening music and the music in general while somewhat of the time is very fitting with the tone Mitch adopts. There is very little wrong with Mitch at all, though a couple of episodes could have been more rounded off and while I liked the gritty look of the series and the fashions are interesting the production values at times do feel very 1970s. These are minor personal complaints though compared to how well Mitch did turn out to be, much of it is very very good and more people should see it. 8/10 Bethany Cox

The ever reliable John Thaw slows down the pace somewhat since his action-packed days in The Sweeney for the title role in this watchable London Weekend Television series about a likeable Fleet Street crime reporter and the different stories he covers.

As a bloke Mitch is tough, honourable and intelligent...full of principles, and respected by his colleagues. For a Fleet Street reporter he's well-intentioned and liked by most, especially the down-to-earth everyday-folk.

The character was devised by former Daily Mirror journalist Donald Zec and writer Roger Marshall. I believe this series was filmed in early 1982, but was inexplicably left over until late '84. It's laidback style is in stark contrast to John Thaws earlier successful ITV drama 'The Sweeney', Mitch probably has more in common with BBC's equally successful 'Shoestring'.

As usual John Thaw really is excellent in every aspect, and naturally it is him who leads the series in the right direction, & he's involved in most scenes, supporting cast members like David Calder are excellent too. With talented writers like Roger Marshall & Tony Hoare involved you know you're in good hands (especially if you enjoyed The Sweeney, Minder etc & early episodes of The Bill).

This series ran for 10 episodes, and as is often the case some episodes are stronger than others and some have aged better over the years. Watching it now seems more appealing when viewing on dark-nights after 10pm, it somehow adds to the atmosphere & vibe of each showing of Mitch (I think episodes originally aired after News At Ten at that time of the year in the UK when the night's start drawing-in).

As an actor with such a deservedly fine reputation John Thaw showcases his versatility & depth in Mitch, he famously went on in the 1980s to explore other different roles in Home to Roost, Cry Freedom and arguably his joint signature role of Inspector Morse. Whatever telly programmes he appeared in (Mitch included) it was always top-notch stuff not just down to his inimitable acting talents but he did have a knack of picking winners and being an integral part of classic British TV Shows that were excellent successful and have stood the test of time. I must confess I'm a massive fan of TV from the 1970s & 1980s, as it was definitely an era when the British produced superb & compelling TV Programmes. Most of which still stands-up today. I personally feel the 70s & 80s were much grittier with more character & consequently were more interesting times compared to nowadays and TV obviously reflects this. If you're a fan too of 70s/80s TV especially The Sweeney or anything similar I'd definitely recommend Mitch, there's certainly something charming & intriguing about its appeal...stick with it though as it is laidback and can be a slow-burner but still-waters run deep.

Just watched the DVD and would highly recommend it. There should have been more made. A shame really as it could have run for a few years. Mr Thaw is at his very best and the co-stars were from The Sweeney era. Mitch is a journalist who cares about what and who he writes about. Some of the stories are about the harsh times of the early eighties when i grew up. This tackles both racial issues, political and extremist issues which were in the headlines all the time, plus the strikes which had an impact on the consumer purchasing a newspaper. Worth watching and buying from e-bay or amazon. John Thaw is sadly missed by all his fans including myself.