The Professionals, the Principals Were Very Definitely a Trio
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TOUGH NUTS AND HARD CASES JOIN THE This image l-r: lthough The Sweeney had three Bodie (Lewis top-line artists credited in the titles, Collins and Doyle DCI Haskins (Garfield Morgan) was PROFESSIONALS(Martin Shaw), A seen above with a supporting character to DI Regan (John Cowley (Gordon Thaw) and DS Carter (Dennis Waterman), Jackson) and didn’t appear in every episode; on The Professionals, the principals were very definitely a trio. Veteran Scottish actor Gordon Jackson (1923-1990, as ex-commando Major George Cowley) took top billing over Martin Shaw The Professionals ran for four series over (Raymond ‘Ray’ Doyle) and Lewis Collins six years on ITV from 1977 with audiences (1946-2013, as William Bodie). Cowley handled the Whitehall intrigue, while of over 10 million. Robert Fairclough Bodie and Doyle handled the investigating, which always involved the gun-play, punch recounts the action-packed exploits of ups and very fast driving in Ford Capris and Escorts required to bring their cases to Bodie, Doyle and Cowley, CI5’s finest! a usually violent conclusion. “The boys did drive like mad in their cars,” Jackson noted in December 1983. “One was trying to outdo the other by being here were a lot of bad, nasty dangers coming from the better, with muggins sitting at the side. Soviet Union and its satellites,”observes David Wickes, After the first few days I said, ‘Can I have director of three episodes of The Professionals, on the a double to sit beside Martin and Lewis?’ unstable nature of national security in late 1970s because they have to twirl the car around “TBritain. “Ghastly people with thumbscrews, and all the horrors that on the brake.” existed behind the Iron Curtain. We had terrible fellow travellers in Jackson was best known at the time this country; people blowing things up, threats of anthrax in the for playing the avuncular butler Hudson in water – it was a horrible time, and The Professionals reflected the historical drama Upstairs, Downstairs that. Two guys have to put it right, and Brian Clemens said to me (1971-75). Clemens, though, had faith in before we started: ‘I’ll tell you what I want the audience to his principal actor’s versatility: “I think say: Thank God they’re out there.’” Gordon is one of the best actors in Europe Even if the inspiration for The Professionals was anarchy and because he has become so associated in the UK – and footage from real, violent political demon- with [Hudson], this will prove to be an strations of the time featured in the first series episode Look‘ interesting piece of casting.” That is something of an understatement. After Annie’ – the elite organisation that formed the basis The writers weren’t afraid to make Cowley completely ruthless and of the series, Criminal Intelligence 5 – CI5 for short – was unsympathetic when the situation demanded – notable examples a complete fiction, with a jurisdiction that handily ranged are threatening to inject heroin into a drug dealer, turning him into through organised crime, terrorism and espionage (the ‘C’ was an addict, in ‘Private Madness, Public Danger’, and, in ‘Wild Justice’, from CID, the ‘I5’ from MI5). According to advance publicity in the promising to shoot Bodie in the head if he murders a civilian. On other TV Times, “they finish jobs that the police wouldn’t even know how to occasions, Cowley is prepared to sacrifice Doyle and Bodie’s lives if the start. Keeping Britain clean sometimes calls for dirty tactics.” situation requires it. On every occasion, Jackson rose to these acting “Brian Tesler, the MD of London Weekend Television, was impressed challenges with fearless commitment. with our production record with The New Avengers and said ‘I’d like you “[Bodie and Doyle] could have been very unsympathetic,” David to do something else,’” the series’ creator Brian Clemens recalled in 2004. Wickes reasons. “They had something in common with a bouncer “At that time, The Sweeney had been running and also Starsky and Hutch outside a club – not your friend, not your friend at all – whereas Regan was just appearing, and he said ‘I want a buddy show.’ So I submitted and Carter were. You had to get [the balance] dead right.” two ideas – one was about two undercover cops, and the other was what After a misfire in the casting of Bodie – Anthony Andrews, later to became The Professionals. I’d entitled it The A-Squad, but I didn’t think become famous through Brideshead Revisited (1981), was the original that would ever be a commercial title, which is ironic, because a few years choice for the role, filming some scenes with Shaw – the production later The A Team came out and was a huge hit.” Pictures courtesy Network Distributing 50 INFINITY INFINITY 51 Public Danger’, about a chemical warfare expert, Nesbitt (a sinister Keith Barron), blackmailing the government into stopping research on chemical weapons, you want to do it properly, so we’d found set the slick, comic strip tone for the rest out how these people would behave. We’d of the series (even though it wasn’t the had days training with an SAS regimental first episode filmed). weapons instructor. And so, when were asked Directors David Wickes, Douglas Camfield, The Professionals was about cause to kick a door down and stand framed in a William Brayne, Tom Clegg, as well as Burt rather than effect, with the emphasis always doorway with the light behind us, we would himself, together with writers Roger Marshall, on the stunts and fights and double-act say, ‘No, come on, please, you’re an easy Ranald Graham and Sweeney producer Ted by-play between Bodie and Doyle, rather than target in the doorway, you’d just get cut off Childs, were all among the contributors to probing too deeply the motives of the villains at the knees. Can we do it properly?’ ‘No, Bodie and Doyle’s exploits. “All the [central] or the political or social incentives behind nobody will know,’ they said.” people who worked on The Sweeney were their crimes; this may explain why some Collins, however, fully embraced the action pulled over after it finished,” Brayham of the stories end so abruptly. As Clemens’ man opportunities the series offered: he had affirmed. “There’s the pattern - ‘How do we writers’ brief put it, “Any political motivations learned to shoot at the age of thirteen with the title sequence,” he recalled in 2002. “I The Professionals’ do it? Get the guys that did it first!’” must be subjugated to the ordinary human his father and, in between six-month filming asked who the director was and they said, stunts were One notable director not from The involvement – keep the relationship of impressively Above: team opted for between himself and his blocks on The Professionals, he would “go ‘We haven’t got him yet but we think it’s ambitious for Sweeney stable was the BAFTA-winning Ray and Bodie, with Cowley, firmly in the Bodie and Doyle Lewis Collins screen partner: “Martin and off with the Territorial Army” to become going to be David Wickes.’ So I said, ‘If you’ve a 1980s TV Martin Campbell. For the BBC, he went on to foreground: keep it moving fast.” race against time series, involving to track down an as the tough I always had a bit of a spark, “very fit.” Even though he broke a leg during got David, I think he’ll probably ask for me.’ hardware such as direct Troy Kennedy Martin’s iconic nuclear The Professionals seemed naturally more expert sniper with but approachable because we weren’t quite the a parachute jump – which closed down He did, and we did a military assault course helicopters and conspiracy thriller Edge of Darkness (1985), at ease with terrorists and foreign agents, a high-powered hovercraft. rifle able to strike ex-mercenary. same animal.” production – Collins was undoubtedly the for the [original] titles, and I also did one and in 1995 successfully relaunched the James and most of its more impressive stories over extraordinary He was paired with Eventually, Shaw conceded that most professional of the professionals. where I, famously, drove a car through a Top right: Bond franchise with Pierce Brosnan’s first film involved that combination of elements. Don distances in ‘KIller Martin Shaw as Doyle, an Andrews’ replacement was a good sheet of glass. That’s the way it started, and The villains from as OO7, Goldeneye. (Brosnan himself appeared Houghton’s ‘A Stirring of Dust’ features Darby With a Long Arm,’ ‘Killer with a Long directed by ex-CID officer with more of a choice and one he could work with. “I said HARD-HITTING STYLE I was asked to stay, as things hadn’t worked Arm’ included in a tiny role in The Professionals, as ‘radio (Robert Urquhart), a Russian defector clearly David Wickes conscience than his partner. to Lew, ‘Look, you probably know I didn’t Outside three charismatic lead actors, at the out with their original stunt guy.” Diane Keen – one man’ in ‘Blood Sports’). Campbell reinvented based on MI6 traitor Kim Philby (1912-1988), of director David However, the balance between the two want you to do this, and I was not in favour of heart of the series was Action with a capital The experience of the Euston personnel in Wickes’ favoured the movie Bond for a second time with Daniel while Philip Loraine’s ‘Dead Reckoning’ has leads didn’t synchronise straight away. it, and I absolutely fought against it, but I’ve A.