Review by dgraywatson

The last time I recalled a series being based up in the northeast of England it was a drama called "Barriers" made about 10 years earlier. This 1991 production was put together by Jimmy Nail and Ian la Frenais, the latter being well known for comedy, although that show "the likely lads" was also based in the north-east of England. A few years after playing the loveable and popular Oz in tv comedy Auf Wiedersehen pet - Jimmy Nail now a household name in tv and music was back on the screen playing a detective called Spender. Despite being based for many years with the Metropolitan police in London, much to his chagrin, he was reassigned back to the north-east to work as an undercover police officer. Looking scruffy and bedraggled, the lanky but tough looking Spender with a strong Geordie accent would fit right in with nobody suspecting he was a copper. In fact, apart from his boss and a desk bound detective being his contacts, nobody else in the force would know he was undercover either

He was able to see his kids on a regular basis who lived with his former wife although she was in another relationship. He was also able to lean on a former friend who had done some time behind bars and could be useful to him with his work, although he himself had to get "Stick" as he was known out of some scrapes a few times but, in many ways, was often more trouble than he was worth, but nevertheless he dependable and loyal.

Although Spender had some humorous moments, it was broadcast after 9pm the traditional water shed hour for more serious drama on the BBC. It ran a respectable 3 seasons starting in 1991 with a Christmas special at the end of 1993 wrapping up the series. The show itself was a typical production of its time as all outdoor and indoor scenes were on film which highlighted some of the grim and raw scenery of the northeast in the aftermath of the Thatcher years. Spender certainly wasn't glamour, the stories centered around some of the seedy areas and characters that he had to knock heads with during his investigations. The first season his boss was the impatient but the smooth superintendent Yelland and the following two seasons it was the hardheaded and intense looking superintendent Gillespie. Detective sergeant Boyd who was mostly deskbound was his sidekick in the force that he could rely on for all three seasons. It's also worth noting that that former Auf Wiedersehen pet actors Chris Fairbank and Timothy Spall would appear in an episode each. If you like old BBC dramas when they liked to entertain the viewer rather than browbeat the license payer with political correctness, I'd recommend this show for a blast from the past.