The Sweeney: Series 4 – Review
By Sarah Morgan
Shut it – it’s time for the last-ever season of The Sweeney.
Yes, DI Jack Regan and DS George Carter are back on Blu-ray for the final time, and they’re going out in fine style.
By the time these 14 episodes were made, you get the feeling that the crew, alongside stars John Thaw and Dennis Waterman, could have made the crime show in their sleep. Not that it ever appears they were snoozing their way through it – if anything, these are the best stories yet, which means everyone bows out on a genuine high.
“Highly dangerous”
There are some great guest stars to look out for too, including in the opening edition, ‘Messenger of the Gods’, which features a memorable appearance from Diana Dors as the fearsome Lily Rix, a matriarch who isn’t pleased about her daughter’s impending marriage to ne’er-do-well Lukey Sparrow. She’s even less impressed by his impending absence from the wedding rehearsal due to the fact he’s been arrested – her insistence on calling Regan ‘Regal’ is a delight. It’s a shame Dors never reprised the role, because you get the feeling there was more mileage in the character.
Morecambe and Wise also pop us as fictional versions of themselves. They were in the process of moving from the BBC to Thames TV and, having had Thaw and Waterman on their own show the previous year, were keen to work with the duo again.
Eric and Ernie are unwittingly caught up in a case involving a research scientist who has created a revolutionary pill, making him the target of some highly dangerous terrorists; they’re behind a proposed coup in their home country and don’t want the life-saving pills to be given to the ailing current leader whose regime they despise.
“Sight to behold”
The sight of Eric climbing into the back of a lorry before throwing frozen fish at the villains in order to put them off is a sight to behold. In all seriousness, however, his acting skills suggest he could have become a decent character actor had he wanted to.
Other recognisable faces, including those of James Cosmo, Richard Griffiths, George Sewell, Richard Wilson, Peter Wight, Edward Judd and Joss Ackland – as well as Lynda La Plante before she turned to writing – also appear throughout the run. The only bum note comes from Benjamin Whitrow, a usually reliable thespian who’s simply awful as a stereotypical senior officer; presumably Garfield Morgan was unavailable to play regular boss Haskins during these episodes.
As ever, the chemistry between Thaw and Waterman is what makes the show work. The final episode must have hit hard when it aired in 1978, with Regan accused of corruption – the sad, slowed-down version of Harry South’s memorable theme regularly heard over the end credits has never been more poignant.
Sarah Morgan studied film journalism at post-graduate level with the BFI and has been writing about TV and film for PA Media’s newspaper, magazine and new media customers since 1996. She’s also written for a wide range of other publications, both online and in print, including the book Offbeat and Intermission magazine, and is a regular contributor to the Talking Pictures TV podcast. When she isn’t watching movies, she’s collecting and reading vintage crime and horror paperback books or, for her sins, watching her beloved Sheffield Wednesday.
