Special Branch

This cop show about Britain's police force which fights crime with a national security angle is actually two almost completely different series, each of which ran for two seasons.

The first is a studio-made production from the late 1960s starring Derren Nesbitt (Jordan), with Wensley Pithey (Eden) and then Fulton Mackay (Inman) as his superiors, all three putting in excellent performances. Nesbitt in particular, looking immensely trendy, is magnificent, characteristically twitchy.

This Special Branch is in a state of perpetual tension with MI5, Britain's spy service, represented by the wily Moxon, who makes Machiavelli look naive. The first season contains a running thread following a failed case in the first episode, 'Troika', which puts Eden under pressure from his mysterious superiors.

The quality of script and acting of these two seasons is marvellous, but the productions mix studio-bound scenes, with the painted 'view' from Eden/Inman's window particularly obvious, with location-filmed inserts. Excellent, and very much of its time.

The third and fourth seasons are totally different under the same brand or banner, with virtually no overlap in cast with the first two seasons. These were entirely filmed by Euston, and intended to look gritty and realistic - and so it seemed at the time, but it looks a bit pedestrian in comparison with, say, The Sweeney, never mind The Wire. Compared with the first two seasons, it shifted the focus from talk to action, from internal politics to enemy action, and was much less cerebral and concerned with character. Not quite dumbed down, but the last two seasons were certainly inferior to the first two.

The star of the show was George Sewell. He had a posh sidekick, Roger Rowland who proved extremely boring (he was one of the very few cast overlaps with the first two seasons, having appeared in a small part in an early show), so while the third season was being filmed they pepped up the cast with the addition of Patrick Mower, who quickly added a bit of tension and his peculiar brand of sleazy glam.

All four seasons are available on DVD in the UK, but make sure you know what you are buying. Seasons 1 & 2 are traditional, talky and studio set, so comparable with something like the Sandbaggers (not as good, I should add, but not unlike in style). Seasons 3 & 4 are location-filmed, gritty and action-oriented, so more like The Sweeney (not as good either).

A television series like "Special Branch" existed at different times and as two different programmes. The early episodes - broadcast in 1969 and 1970 - were filmed on videotape with inserts shot on 16 mm film added into the episode. The leading man of this particular series was Derren Nesbitt, a popular actor from the 50s til the early 70s. He played the tough but honest police officer Detective Inspector Elliott Jordan. This character specialised in cases of investigating security leaks, drug trafficking,people smuggling, political activists etc. He had a whole team of officers who worked alongside him. On frequent occasions, a rather shadowy civil servant by the name of Moxon would liason with Special Branch but usually hindered them in their investigations. The character was played by Morris Perry. The series was broadcast by "Thames Television" and was popular in the ratings. You had the usual modest studio production values but I always overlook that if a series has good storytelling. By the time "Special Branch" was being broadcast in colour in 1970, Derren Nesbitt and Morris Perry were about the only actors remaining from the black and white series but they were joined by Fulton MacKay, who played Jordan's superior at New Scotland Yard. All kinds of cases are investigated and they are very good. Altogether, 27 episodes were made and they are the best in my opinion. For many years, the early instalments were hard to obtain. Then when the "Euston Films" episodes were first issued on DVD, on each set was an episode with Derren Nesbitt. I was delighted as he is an actor I always enjoy watching. Then in 2007 and 2008, all 27 episodes from 1969 and 1970 were finally released on DVD. The series was laid to rest for a while. Then in 1972, "Euston Films" began producing their own version of "Special Branch." These were all shot entirely on film and technically, was the new look for British television. However, it wasn't the first of its kind. A programme like "I.T.V Play of the Week" was making episodes on film as far back as 1969. But "Euston Films" was the company that really introduced this new kind of television to the masses. George Sewell and Patrick Mower were cast for this series as characters Detective Inspector Alan Craven and Detective Inspector Tom Haggerty respectively. The plots of these later episodes cover the same kind of stories pretty much as before. The episodes were broadcast in 1973 and 1974. Personally, most of these episodes are a disappointment. There are 26 altogether and I would say 7 are pretty good but the majority feel rather half-baked and boring. The problem is, is that the opening credit sequence gives a strong impression of "Special Branch" being an action series. This is shown via a car chase, Craven punching someone and of his firing a gun at a target range. Now, taking all this into account, you could be forgiven for thinking this is a "Sweeney" type series before that show came along. However, "Special Branch" isn't and never was an action series. It is motivated by drama and by character. So "Euston Films" were slightly guilty of misleading their viewers by advertising their series incorrectly. I didn't really take to Craven as a character. I know his job calls for him to be tough and even ruthless on occasion but I found him to be a rather unpleasant, obstinate, unreasonable and bullying character. Just watching the 1973 episode "Inquisition" confirms this for me. I thought Patrick Mowers character was much more affable and sympathetic. Paul Eddington was cast as the civil servant, Strand. Just like with Moxon, Strand was a bit of a thorn in the side of Craven and Haggerty. The storytelling side and the writing are both routine and just about watchable. It was the series of "Sweeney" that really brought British television up to date in how that series was made. In addition, it is also a far more exciting and entertaining show in ways that "Special Branch" could only dream of.

I am too young to have seen the first series. But I used to love the 1973/1974 series with Sewell and Mower. After Euston Films made Special Branch they made The Sweeney and it is still on tv all the time.

I prefer Special Branch because it assumes the viewer is smarter than The Sweeney does. I like The Sweeney,it was required viewing when I was at school in the 1970s but many of the episodes are predictable. A Special Branch episode is liable to name drop a then well known spy or politician and there is some social and political comment. While praising Special Branch episodes vary a lot in quality but I like tough guy Craven (Sewell) and trendy copper Haggerty (Mower).

For a television series that is now dated, SPECIAL BRANCH is the worth the time to watched out of curiosity.

It was a modern ITV police drama, that had the edge over the old fashioned police television series' that BBC were making at the time, such as DIXON OF DOCK GREEN and Z CARS.

Derren Nesbitt and Fulton Mackay were the stars of seasons one and two.

For seasons three and four, they were replaced by George Sewell and Patrick Mower.

Seasons one and two were very different to the later seasons. It was shot on videotape, while series three and four were shot on film.

It was made by THAMES TELEVISION, and later by there film department EUSTON FILMS.

Some of the episodes had some good action sequences, supported by excellent story lines.

The episodes I recommend to watch:

TROIKA.

SHORT CHANGE.

CARE OF HER MAJESTY.

A COPPER CALLED CRAVEN.

ASSAULT.

DIVERSION.

It is worth comparing this series to THE SWEENEY.