Thief Takers

Last updated

Thief Takers
ThiefTakersTitle.jpg
Thief Takers title screen
Genre Crime drama
Created byRoy Mitchell
Written byVarious
Directed byVarious
Starring Reece Dinsdale
Grant Masters
Brendan Coyle
David Sterne
Nicholas Ball
Lynda Steadman
Amanda Pays
Robert Willox
Gary McDonald
Pooky Quesnel
Simone Lahbib
ComposerMark Ryder
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes25 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers Ted Childs (Series 1–2)
Jonathan Powell (Series 3)
ProducersGina Cronk
Colin McKeown
Running time50 minutes
Production company Central Independent Television
Original release
Network ITV
Release1 February 1995 (1995-02-01) 
18 December 1997 (1997-12-18)

Thief Takers is a British television crime drama series, created by Roy Mitchell, and produced by Central Independent Television for the ITV network. The series depicts the work of a team of officers based in the Metropolitan Police Service's Flying Squad, which Reece Dinsdale, Brendan Coyle, Grant Masters and Nicholas Ball appearing in the principal roles. The series was Carlton's attempt to rival Thames Television's The Bill , after the producer unexpectedly retained the series despite a major take-over by Carlton. [1] A total of three series were broadcast between 1 February 1995 and 18 December 1997, with a total of twenty-five episodes broadcast. Each episode features a stand-alone case, with the exception of a small number of two-part episodes. However, the personal lives of each of the officers in the team provide the backdrop for a continuing story arc throughout all three series.

Contents

Reception for the third and final series was mixed, and a major shake-up in the main cast was cited as the main reason for declining viewing figures. Subsequently, the series was axed in 1998 shortly before a fourth series was set to go into production. [2] All three series, plus the pilot episode, were released on VHS on 26 January 2000. [3] [4] [5] An official book, entitled "The Inside Story", written by Geoff Tibballs, was also published to coincide with the first series. [6] An official novelisation, written by Lee O'Keefe, was also published on 11 January 1996. [7] Notably, the series has yet to be released on DVD.

Cast

Episodes

Pilot (1995)

EpisodeTitleWritten byDirected byOriginal airdate
1"Cash and Carry"Roy MitchellColin Gregg1 February 1995 (1995-02-01)
Flying Squad officer Micky Dawes and his team trap a gang of desperate crooks specialising in supermarket heists.

Series 1 (1996)

EpisodeTitleWritten byDirected byOriginal airdate
1"No One Likes to See That"Roy MitchellColin Gregg25 January 1996 (1996-01-25)
A heavy-duty villain escapes from jail to help pull off an audacious robbery and bump off his wife's lover into the bargain.
2"Company of Strangers"Brendan J. CassinTerry Winsor1 February 1996 (1996-02-01)
A building society is raided by three crack addicts in debt to a gangster and Oxford's investigations result in the murder of his informant Marcus. More violence erupts as the robbers turn on their boss prompting the impulsive Tate to rush unarmed into a deadly confrontation.
3"Whispers in the Dark"Steve GriffithsColin Gregg8 February 1996 (1996-02-08)
Three ex-Army men raid a security van and use their military training to stay one step ahead of Charlie's squad, who for once find themselves hopelessly outclassed. The case is given a tragic dimension by one of the crooks' twisted relationship with his daughter, which is casting a shadow over her life, but provides Ash with the clue she needs to get a result.
4"Wild Card"Sian OrrellsTerry Winsor15 February 1996 (1996-02-15)
Tate is shot while trying to thwart a raid on a casino and rushed to hospital in a critical condition. Harris goes undercover to nab the thugs responsible, but gives herself away by lapsing into police jargon. And as if that weren't bad enough, a highly unprofessional session between the sheets with Donachie diverts her even further away from official duties.
5"Lie Down with Dragons (Part 1)"Steve GriffithsTerry Winsor22 February 1996 (1996-02-22)
Having recovered from being shot, Tate infiltrates a Chinese crime gang. Unfortunately, his cover is blown and he's forced to make a desperate deal to stay alive using a consignment of machine guns as a bargaining chip.
6"Hungry Ghosts (Part 2)"Steve GriffithsTerry Winsor29 February 1996 (1996-02-29)
As the Chinatown robberies continue, Charlie takes a desperate risk, asking New Scotland Yard for a consignment of dummy weapons to lure the Big Circle into a trap. Tate reluctantly agrees to continue working undercover, but at the crucial moment crime boss Chan Ming realises he's wired for sound and it takes a bloody shoot-out to resolve the situation.
7"The Outcasts"Brendan J. CassinDouglas Mackinnon7 March 1996 (1996-03-07)
Two teenagers pull a string of audacious armed robberies, soon adding arson and murder to their list of crimes. Charlie and his squad race helter-skelter to catch them, scouring London's population of rent boys and underage prostitutes for leads but getting a result proves easier said than done.
8"Wasteland"Len CollinDouglas Mackinnon22 July 1996 (1996-07-22)
A bank is ram-raided in broad daylight and Charlie's investigations lead him to a fanatical religious cult whose members are prepared to die for their charismatic leader. While wife Steph is in hospital giving birth to their first child, he spearheads a raid on the sect's base but a gunfight breaks out and it soon starts to look like he won't be around to enjoy the pleasures of family life.

Series 2 (1996)

EpisodeTitleWritten byDirected byOriginal airdate
1"Going Under"Roy MitchellColin Gregg10 October 1996 (1996-10-10)
Whilst working undercover to expose an armed gang responsible for drug smuggling and armed robbery, Oxford is taken hostage when his true identity is leaked by a bent officer from Manchester CID. Scott is forced to plead a member of the gang for help as it becomes apparent that Oxford may be in serious danger.
2"Nasty Boys"Steve GriffithsColin Gregg17 October 1996 (1996-10-17)
Following a spectacular but unsuccessful raid on a security depot, Tate decides to infiltrate the gang responsible. He makes the acquaintance of their getaway driver and persuades him to turn informer little suspecting the multiple crises of loyalty his actions will trigger.
3"A Dead Man"Roy MitchellCrispin Reece24 October 1996 (1996-10-24)
Charlie makes a disturbing discovery while investigating an audacious robbery an old enemy he thought he'd killed years ago is very much alive and out for revenge against him and his family. The race is on to bring the villain to book before more corpses are added to his already impressive tally.
4"Bad Blood"Brendan J. CassinCrispin Reece31 October 1996 (1996-10-31)
Two female crooks raid a security van, temporarily taking a handsome passer-by hostage while they make their escape. DC Harris interviews him about his ordeal and succumbs to his charms, ending up spending the night at his flat a lapse of judgement that ultimately proves very costly indeed.
5"Remember Me"Brendan J. CassinAlex Pillai7 November 1996 (1996-11-07)
A man Donachie arrested on a rape charge 12 years earlier is released from prison and sets out for revenge, committing an armed robbery and setting up an elaborate plot to pin the blame on his old enemy. The outraged detective insists he's innocent but is his conscience entirely clear?
6"Black Russian"Len CollinAlex Pillai14 November 1996 (1996-11-14)
Ruthless Russian gangsters determined to carve a niche in London's underworld steal items worth millions from a safety deposit centre, with a little help from the crooked manager. Dryden poses as a prostitute to flush them out and finds herself forced to confront demons from her past.
7"Collateral Damage"Steve GriffithsColin Gregg21 November 1996 (1996-11-21)
The Squad get their knuckles rapped for arresting an Irish ex-terrorist who turns out to be working undercover for Special Branch and DS Tate's further investigations lead him into some very murky waters indeed, uncovering a conspiracy involving his first wife and the faceless spooks of MI5.
8"Déjà Vu"Roy MitchellColin Gregg28 November 1996 (1996-11-28)
The trial of DI Scott's arch-enemy Frank McGrath gets under way, with the smooth-talking defence lawyer leaving the police testimony in tatters. Following the inevitable acquittal, Scott considers his future in the force but it becomes all too clear that McGrath is not about to let bygones be bygones.

Series 3 (1997)

EpisodeTitleWritten byDirected byOriginal airdate
1"Shadows"David Joss BuckleyKeith Boak23 October 1997 (1997-10-23)
DI Glenn Matteo takes over from DI Scott as guvnor of the Met's Armed Robbery Squad immediately finds himself caught up in a robbery case with racial overtones.
2"Fashion Victims"Andy LynchKeith Washington30 October 1997 (1997-10-30)
Gun-toting robbers gatecrash trendy designer's fashion show and make off with thousands of pounds' worth of clothes, leaving the Flying Squad with a puzzle on their hands. Investigations are hampered by a visiting Dutch policeman bent on catching a murderous arms dealer until a possible link emerges between his obsessive quest and the haute couture heist.
3"One Last Hurrah"Matthew GrahamTerry Daw6 November 1997 (1997-11-06)
DCI Hall believes the theft of plastic explosives is the work of ruthless armed robbers he tangled with back in the 1970s. Matteo isn't convinced until several violent incidents suggest rival underworld gangs are gearing up for a full-scale shoot-out.
4"Sisters in Arms"Tony JordanKeith Washington13 November 1997 (1997-11-13)
A pregnant woman is so disgusted at her husband for committing a violent robbery that she goes off the rails herself, shooting a security guard during a bungled hold-up. Persuaded by her no-good sister to persevere in her life of crime, the mixed-up mother-to-be heads for the nearest jeweller's where she promptly goes into labour.
5"Road Rage"James QuirkNicholas Prosser20 November 1997 (1997-11-20)
Villains kill two patrolmen during a shoot-out and compound the felony by taunting the Flying Squad about their crimes at every turn, leading to a final tense showdown at a service station.
6"After the Goldrush"David Joss BuckleyNicholas Prosser4 December 1997 (1997-12-04)
The squad's investigation into an audacious bullion robbery leads Matteo to probe the relationship between a veteran armed robber and a stripper, while Hall faces danger among the local Asian business community.
7"Black Mist"Rob HeylandDavid Innes Edwards11 December 1997 (1997-12-11)
Japanese crooks try to kidnap a leading stock market trader and the squad's investigations soon take on a deadly international dimension. Pitted against two of the world's most feared and formidable crime cartels, they face a fight for survival and the odds are made worse by tensions in their own ranks.
8"Brand Loyalty"Rob HeylandDavid Innes Edwards18 December 1997 (1997-12-18)
DC Oxford fights alone and unarmed to save the witnesses, while DI Matteo jeopardises both personal and professional relationships in his desperate search for Takahashi. With an all-out war between the Mafia and their Japanese Yakuza counterparts looming, the squad find they have to use every trick in the book just to stay alive.

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Cracker</i> (British TV series) British television crime drama series (1993–2006)

Cracker is a British crime drama series produced by Granada Television for ITV, created and principally written by Jimmy McGovern. Set in Manchester, the series follows a criminal psychologist, Dr Edward "Fitz" Fitzgerald, played by Robbie Coltrane, who works with the Greater Manchester Police (GMP) to help them solve crimes.

<i>Taggart</i> Scottish television detective series (1985–2010)

Taggart is a Scottish detective fiction television programme created by Glenn Chandler, who wrote many of the episodes, and made by STV Studios for the ITV network. It originally ran as the miniseries Killer from 6 until 20 September 1983, before a full series was commissioned that ran from 2 July 1985 until 7 November 2010. The series revolved around a group of detectives initially in the Maryhill CID of Strathclyde Police, though various storylines were set in other parts of Greater Glasgow and in other areas of Scotland. The team operated out of the fictional John Street police station. Mark McManus, who played the title character Jim Taggart, died in 1994. However, the series continued under the same name. Taggart is one of the UK's longest-running television dramas.

<i>Murphys Law</i> (British TV series) Television series

Murphy's Law is a BBC television drama, produced by Tiger Aspect Productions for BBC Northern Ireland, starring James Nesbitt as an undercover police officer, Tommy Murphy. There were five series of the drama, shown on BBC One. The first two were composed of individual stories. Series three, four and five were each single stories composed over multiple episodes. Colin Bateman adapted the pilot for a novel.

<i>Strangers</i> (1978 TV series) British TV series or programme

Strangers is a British television crime drama series, principally written and created by Murray Smith, and first broadcast on ITV on 5 June 1978. The series, featuring the characters of Detective Sergeant George Bulman and his assistant Detective Constable Derek Willis, was a spin-off from the 1976 TV series The XYY Man, adapted from the novels of Kenneth Royce. The series was first suggested by Granada Television executives, who in 1977, outlined their plan to devise a new series to feature the regular characters of Bulman and Willis.

"... I was sent here to be a stranger in town, a face they didn't recognise ..." - George Bulman

Reece Dinsdale is an English actor and director of stage, film and television. He is a Huddersfield Town fan. In 2017 he became a patron of the Square Chapel, an arts centre in Halifax. He is also an honorary patron of The Old Courts multi-arts centre in Wigan

<i>Murder Investigation Team</i> (TV series) British police procedural TV series (2003–2005)

Murder Investigation Team was a British police procedural drama/cop thriller series produced by the ITV network as a spin-off from the long-running series, The Bill. The series recounts the activities of the Metropolitan Police's Murder Investigation Team, who are led in Series 1 by D.I. Vivien Friend and her more intuitive colleague D.C. Rosie MacManus. Series 2 sees old-school copper Trevor Hand taking the reins under D.C.I. Anita Wishart and manage the newly transferred D.C. Eva Sharpe. The series produced 12 episodes between 3 May 2003 and 1 August 2005. In September 2005, The Sun reported that ITV would not be commissioning a third series.

<i>Trial & Retribution</i> Television series

Trial & Retribution is a feature-length ITV police procedural television drama series that first aired on 19 October 1997. Written and devised by Lynda La Plante as a follow-on from her successful television series Prime Suspect, each episode was typically broadcast over two nights. David Hayman stars as the main protagonist of the series, DCS Michael "Mike" Walker. Throughout the series, he has two main sidekicks: DI Pat North in Series 1–6 and DCI Róisín Connor in Series 7–12.

Blue Murder is a British crime drama television series based in Manchester, originally broadcast on ITV from 2003 until 2009, starring Caroline Quentin as DCI Janine Lewis and Ian Kelsey as DI Richard Mayne. Five series of the programme were broadcast over the course of six years. Reruns have aired on ITV3.

<i>The Commander</i> (TV series) British television crime drama series (2003–2008)

The Commander is a British crime drama, broadcast on ITV, starring Amanda Burton as the principal character, Commander Clare Blake. The series first broadcast on 16 February 2003, and a total of five series were produced over a five-year-period, with the last episode airing on 12 November 2008.

Above Suspicion is a British crime drama based on the series of Anna Travis novels written by Lynda La Plante. The series stars Kelly Reilly and Ciarán Hinds as the protagonists Anna Travis and James Langton. Four series were broadcast over a total of four years on ITV. The first episode was broadcast on 4 January 2009, and the final episode on 28 January 2012. The first three series all aired on consecutive nights; whereas the fourth series a more traditional weekly format.

<i>DCI Banks</i> British television crime drama series

DCI Banks is a British television crime drama series produced by Left Bank Pictures for the ITV network. Originally broadcast over five series in 2010–2016, the series was based on Peter Robinson's Inspector Alan Banks novels and stars Stephen Tompkinson as Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks. In 2013, the series won in the drama category at the regional Royal Television Society Yorkshire Programme Awards.

<i>Endeavour</i> (TV series) British television detective series (2012–2023)

Endeavour is a British television detective drama series on ITV. It is a prequel to the long-running Inspector Morse series. Shaun Evans portrays the young Endeavour Morse beginning his career as a detective constable, and later as a detective sergeant, with the Oxford City Police CID. Endeavour is the third of the Inspector Morse series following the original Inspector Morse (1987–2000) and its spin-off, Lewis (2006–2015).

<i>Bliss</i> (1995 TV series) British TV series or programme

Bliss is a British television science thriller series first broadcast on 11 October 1995. It ran for a total of five episodes on ITV. The series starred Simon Shepherd as Dr. Sam Bliss, a medical research scientist based at Cambridge University, and widowed father-of-two, who often finds himself investigating bizarre and unexplained deaths, with the help of his assistant, Dr. Melanie Kilpatrick. Initially broadcast as a single stand-alone pilot episode in 1995, Bliss spawned a run of four episodes, which followed in 1997.

<i>Supply & Demand</i> (TV series) British television crime drama series (1997–1998)

Supply & Demand is a British television crime drama series, written and devised by Lynda La Plante, first broadcast as a single feature-length pilot on ITV on 5 February 1997. The series follows the work of ESUS, a crack team of detectives tasked with investigating some of the country's biggest criminal importers and smugglers. The pilot was written in 1996, the year that La Plante's most notable television series, Prime Suspect, went on hiatus. Adé Sapara, Eamonn Walker, Benedict Wong, Juliet Aubrey and Ramon Tikaram were credited as principal cast members for the pilot.

<i>Chasing Shadows</i> (TV series) British TV series or programme

Chasing Shadows is an ITV crime drama first aired on 4 September 2014. The series follows the work of a missing persons unit, and stars Reece Shearsmith as protagonist Sean Stone, a detective Sergeant, and Alex Kingston, as advisor Ruth Hattersley. The series of four episodes concluded on 25 September 2014. On 7 April 2016, the series was made available to view on the ITV Hub.

<i>Unforgotten</i> British crime drama series

Unforgotten is a British crime drama television series, which initially aired on ITV on 8 October 2015. It was created and written by Chris Lang and directed by Andy Wilson. The programme follows a team of London detectives led by DCI Cassie Stuart, DCI Jessie James and DI Sunny Khan as they solve cold cases of disappearance and murder.

Lenny Blue is a British television crime drama series first broadcast on ITV between 1 October 2000 and 2 July 2002, under the title of Tough Love. Two series were broadcast, each starring Ray Winstone as protagonist DC Lenny Milton, an officer tasked by the IPCC to go undercover to investigate claims of corruption against his boss, Mike Love. The series also follows his dogged pursuit of drug dealer Barry Hindes. The first series was released on VHS only on 1 July 2002, having never been released on DVD. The second series was released on DVD on 15 October 2008.

Life of Crime is a British television crime drama series first broadcast on ITV in May 2013. The three-part serial stars Hayley Atwell as Denise Woods, who tries to solve the murders of three seemingly connected victims across three decades, each of which she believes has been committed by the same offender, Mike Holland. Declining ratings across the series resulted in a second run not being commissioned; the series was however received well by critics and viewers.

<i>The Guilty</i> (TV series) British TV series or programme

The Guilty is a three-part television drama, broadcast on ITV from 5 to 19 September 2013. The drama stars Tamsin Greig, Darren Boyd and Katherine Kelly, and involves the police investigation into the disappearance of young boy, Callum Reid. In 2008, DCI Maggie Brand (Greig) is tasked with finding the missing boy, while dealing with her own personal problems – but he remains missing. Five years on, Callum's body is recovered and Maggie is determined to discover what happened. The series was subsequently released on DVD in the Netherlands in 2014, but as of 2016, remains unreleased in the UK.

References

  1. "Thief Takers". Tv.com. Archived from the original on 27 May 2017. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  2. "ITV Studios - Thief Takers". Archived from the original on 27 April 2017. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  3. "Thief Takers – Series 1". Amazon. 16 June 1997. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  4. "Thief Takers: The Complete Series 2". Amazon. 13 October 1997. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  5. "Thief Takers: The Complete Series 3". Amazon. 9 March 1998. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  6. [ dead link ]
  7. Thief Takers. Carlton Books. 11 January 1996. ISBN   9780747525219.