Out

In a word, they just don't make them like this anymore and most likely couldn't even if they tried!

Tom Bell is brilliant as Frank Ross in 'Out' and if you haven't seen it your're in for a real treat. Credit also to the rest of the cast who also rate very highly and it's hard to pick out anybody in particular. There're all good.

Also, unlike, say 'A Touch of Frost' or 'Midsomer Murders' etc, the plot of 'Out' is fairly easy to understand and doesn't leave you wondering "what the hell is going on here"? as it twists and turns through various sub-plots!

Anyway, watching this gem a second or third time round is in for a treat not a trick! I'm getting my copy on DVD this week along with a case of lagers and I'm going to sit back and enjoy a real TV classic. (over 2 evenings of course...)

PS Also, about this time the BBC aired another great British 4 part crime thriller (90 minutes each) called 'Law and Order' and what an addition that would make to anybody's archive DVD collection of '70's TV offerings.

Frank Ross is OUT!... and he wants revenge on whoever grassed to put him inside for eight years. This is the story of how he goes about this while rebuilding his relationships and keeping out of the clutches of the police who would be very happy to find a reason to send him back!

I had a memory of seeing this when it was originally shown in the 1970's, and I wasn't disappointed this time. Trevor Preston is one of the best writers for police and underworld drama from this time (Callan, The Sweeney) and since, and this is his personal masterpiece mini-series. The series comprises six fifty-minute episodes as now available on DVD without the original commercial breaks.

Television drama certainly hasn't moved on from this.

Out has a similar premise to Get Carter except the main character here is upsetting the underworld's status quo by trying to find the people responsible for getting him locked up. You never know how far the character of Frank Ross will go when he tracks these people down and that adds to the suspense. Perhaps I was adding that on my own because in Get Carter, Carter simply murders almost everyone involved in his brother's death.

There is alot of implied violence and near violence but ultimately only two or three characters get shot and one dies from an accident. If you watch it, you think it gets far more violent than it does but it is actually very tame for this kind of entertainment.

The ending is deliberately open ended but such is life. The resolution is never 100% resolved. I don't know if a sequel was planned. Trivia here claims Bell was offered a sequel but declined but I like that it ends a little open ended.

I thought the entire cast was excellent. I never saw Brian Croucher in as a sympathetic role as this playing Frank's financially broken best friend. Brian Cox is everything you'd expect as the sociopathic mobster. He has bright yellow hair which strangely works for the character. It is difficult to not notice the character. Tom Bell is of course the star as Frank Ross. You really are guessing how far he will go in finding answers and what he will do when he gets there. Enigmatic.

Sure, this can be considered dated but I imagine people say the same about Long Good Friday, and Get Carter. I don't mind it. This was a great mini series I had trouble shaking from my mind when it was over. Only the original Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Fear, The Wire and Breaking Bad had that effect on me after it was over. There is no higher compliment for a TV drama.

'OUT' is out on DVD (finally) and by public demand. The greatest ever TV series and staring the world class Tom Bell. The story is a simple revenge tale, concerning a bank robber (Frank) who emerges shell-shocked, after a six year term in jail. His mission is to find the grass who sent him and his gang away. Packed full of 'Sweeney' (hard man) type action and the most quotable lines; this one became an instant cult sensation. "Frank Ross is out!" and the rest, well is a glorious history.

After forty years or more, I'm amazed at house much of this show I remember, from scenes to actual dialogue - it clearly made an impression. The story is very compelling, a London version of Get Carter, though it lacks the steely edge of that movie.

Unfortunately, in many ways it has dated badly. If this were ever to be broadcast on TV or some streaming service, it would need a warning "please note that this programme contains language and attitudes that may offend".

Despite these reservations, great to see it again, and Tom Bell was superb i every scene.