Out

This whole mini series is absolute class. British gangster Frank ross is just out of the nick and cant believe the changes on his manor in the east end of london. All his criminal mates have either called it quits or went on their own endeavors over his period of incarceration. But one question lingers,who informed on him and his mates leading to them being caught red handed during the teams last robbery!? This is absolutely required viewing if u enjoy films like get carter and long good friday! Will take a couple viewing to piece every little sub plot together but totally worth it!

Frank Ross is out. And he wants to know who grassed. Who informed on him. Who caused him to serve years in prison.

This was a truly brilliant mini-series shown in England during the late '70s, about a failed bank robbery. The main character Ross, played by Tom Bell, is seeking revenge and the culprit behind his incarceration. I saw this again recently, and despite the flared trousers and floppy hair styles, it was still compelling to watch because of the acting by all concerned. And the build up to the climactic confrontation at the end is hard to compare with other TV series. It also stars Derrick O'Connor, who has appeared in Lethal Weapon 2, and Alias on TV.

They don't make 'em like this anymore...Unfortunately.

What was brilliant, absolutely unmissable TV in 1978 looks dated nearly 40 years on. Other than Tom Bell most of the supporting cast look quite wooden, but this could be due to 1970s direction. The story line is excellent and it would be good to see it done today for a new audience. I think the rhyming slang used put a lot of people off as they would not have a clue what 'reels of cotton' meant; or 'dabs'; 'the island'. It was alright for me as I was in that world, but this may have been one of the reasons why it won just one award for Editing... It's a shame that they used a fleet of Ford cars all beginning with the same three letters as you never knew if it was the old bill or the villains pulling up! It was worth another watch after so long, but don't expect it to feel as good as it did back then. Euston Films did some great stuff back then, classic TV, but style has changed and moved on with television.

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.