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Target (British TV series)

January 06, 2023

For the consumer affairs program, see Target (New Zealand TV series).

Target was a British police action drama series, which ran from 1977 to 1978, on BBC1. Set in Southampton, it starred Patrick Mower as Det. Supt. Steve Hackett, Brendan Price as Det. Sgt. Frank Bonney, Vivien Heilbron as Det. Sgt. Louise Colbert and Philip Madoc as Det. Chief Supt. Tate. Seventeen fifty-minute episodes were produced and the theme music was by Dudley Simpson. It was the BBC's response to ITV's successful series The Sweeney, but received criticism for its levels of violence and lasted for just two seasons.

Target
GenreAction
Police
Created byGraham Williams
Written byBob Baker
Dave Martin
David Wickes
StarringPatrick Mower
Philip Madoc
Brendan Price
Vivien Heilbron
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series2
No. of episodes17
Production
ProducerPhilip Hinchcliffe
Production locationSouthampton
Running time50 minutes
Release
Original networkBBC1
Original release9 September 1977 (1977-09-09) –
10 November 1978 (1978-11-10)

Background

Target was set in Southampton and involved the 13th Regional Crime Squad. The series was originally developed under the title Hackett by former Z-Cars script editor Graham Williams, but he was asked to swap roles with the outgoing producer of Doctor Who, Philip Hinchcliffe. Hinchcliffe retitled the show Target. He also persuaded the BBC to make the series entirely on film instead of the usual BBC production method at the time of mixing video studio scenes with film for location work.[1]

Initial reaction

At the time, the show was criticised for its level of violence. The BBC's Director of Programmes, Alasdair Milne, reportedly received 5,000 letters of complaint from Mary Whitehouse's League of Light.[2] Its release also coincided with the publication of the Belson Report (Television violence and the adolescent boy). The first series was curtailed and the second series toned down the level of violence.

Cancellation

A third series was mooted, with Robert Banks Stewart taking over as producer. He spent two weeks in the producer's role, during which he planned to change the supporting cast, reduce the violence and steer the show further away from The Sweeney. Banks Stewart wanted James Bolam as the new lead but Bolam preferred to do one final series of When the Boat Comes In first.

Different reasons have been given for the cancellation of Target. According to Philip Hinchcliffe's account on the DVD commentary for Doctor Who serial The Seeds of Doom, the series was ultimately cancelled because Alasdair Milne didn't like it.[3] Banks Stewart said he was asked by Graeme MacDonald, the BBC's Head of Series and Serials, whether he would prefer to scrap Target altogether and produce a new series.[4] He then devised the private eye drama Shoestring. However, Patrick Mower offered a view which was slightly different: he wanted to terminate his commitment anyway. With reference to the rather unfortunate fate of The Professionals lead actor Lewis Collins, he emphasized in the late 1990s that he did not like to be identified with one particular role and, for this reason, he had made it his policy never to appear in a series for more than two years.[5]

Some of the episodes were written by David Wickes, who also wrote scripts for The Professionals and his production company, David Wickes Productions, produced The New Professionals in 1999.

Cars

Like The Sweeney, the cars used were Fords, mostly Cortinas and Granadas. However, Hackett's personal car, seen in several episodes, is a 1969 Mercury Cougar.

Official releases

In 1983, the BBC tried to relaunch the series on the then-soaring video market, releasing the pilot, Shipment, on VHS tape. However, no further releases were forthcoming.[6]

Four episodes from the first series – Shipment, Big Elephant, Lady Luck and Carve Up – were repeated out of sequence immediately after the second series, while all but two episodes of the second series – The Trouble with Charlie and Figures of Importance – were repeated in a late night slot in the spring of 1980.[7] The first series aired on now-defunct British Satellite Broadcasting cable channel, Galaxy, in 1990.

All seventeen episodes survive in C1 format (16 mm film), in the BBC archives. Some sources, such as Halliwell/Purser, claim that there were twenty-two episodes but this is simply a mistake.[8]

Novels

Two Target novels were published. It seems that writers, Michael Feeney Callan and Simon Masters, were asked to turn their scripts into novels, so that the BBC could put them on the market.[9]

Series One 1977

# Title Writer Director Airdate
1"Shipment"David Wickes & Philip HinchcliffeDavid Wickes9 September 1977
Hackett follows up on information about dodgy dealings aboard an international cargo ship provided by a murdered snitch.
2"Blow Out"Roger MarshallDouglas Camfield16 September 1977
Hackett is baffled by a series of jewel thefts and turns to a prisoner awaiting release for help.
3"Big Elephant"Bob Baker & Dave MartinDouglas Camfield23 September 1977
A sailor tries to sell a package of stolen drugs he believes to be hashish, but it is actually heroin.
4"Hunting Parties"Bob Baker & Dave MartinChristopher Menaul30 September 1977
A revolutionary action group interrupts a burglary at a former villain's home. Hackett and the victim's family try to track them down.
5"Vandraggers"Bernie Cooper & Francis MegahyFrancis Megahy14 October 1977
An electronics shipment has been hi-jacked, prompting Hackett to empty a bank's safety deposit boxes.
6"Lady Luck"Ray JenkinsTerry Green21 October 1977
Hackett quits the force in disgrace after being accused of accepting a bribe. He arranges to sell police files to people traffickers to pay for his enforced retirement.
7"Set Up"Ray JenkinsJim Goddard28 October 1977
Hackett is suspended for alleged corruption. "If you're innocent, stand and fight" pleads Ros. So why's Hackett on the run?
8"Roadrunner"James ClareMike Vardy4 November 1977
Hackett investigates the hijacking of a truck and the subsequent murder of its driver by a hitchhiker and uncovers pilfering at an electronics plant.
9"Carve Up"Bob Baker & Dave MartinBen Bolt11 November 1977
Hackett investigates possible police corruption in relation to bids for a city development project and is led into an embarrassing triangle with the daughter of a chief superintendent.

Series Two 1978

# Title Writer Director Airdate
1"Rogues' Gallery"Bob Baker & Dave MartinMike Vardy15 September 1978
Hackett investigates the curious theft of rare old paintings from wealthy homes and finds a dedicated young woman determined to advance the careers of several young artists.
2"A Good and Faithful Woman"Richard HarrisBen Bolt22 September 1978
Hackett investigates the curious theft of rare old paintings from wealthy homes and finds a dedicated young woman determined to advance the careers of several young artists.
3"Queen's Pardon"David WickesDavid Wickes29 September 1978
Hackett has to deal with a hostage situation when a disturbed father demands a pardon for his son who was executed for murder fifteen years before.
4"Fringe Banking"Ken FollettTerry Green13 October 1978
Hackett stumbles onto a scheme to acquire a struggling construction company that is in line to win a lucrative government contract.
5"Promises"Tony HoareGordon Flemyng20 October 1978
A young squad member is murdered when accompanying a key witness to the trial of a prominent gangster.
6"The Trouble with Charlie"Dave HumphriesPeter Smith27 October 1978
Hackett meets an old flame at the airport but her current boyfriend gets involved in a cocaine deal that goes wrong.
7"Figures of Importance"Christopher MenaulChristopher Menaul3 November 1978
Hackett's former fiancée is killed by a strong arm man. He and her delinquent son want to find out who killed her and why.
8"The Run"Peter J. HammondTerry Green10 November 1978
Hackett uses an accountant to get evidence against a porn publisher who is buying drugs with smuggled gold.

References

  1. ^ Interview with Philip Hinchcliffe on Life After Who: Philip Hinchcliffe, featured on the DVD of The Android Invasion (1975)
  2. ^ Mower, Patrick (2007). Patrick Mower, My Story. John Blake. p. 221. ISBN 978-1-84454-447-9.
  3. ^ Voice-over commentary on the BBC DVD "The Seeds of Doom" (1976, 2010)
  4. ^ "Target". Media Gems. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  5. ^ "Target". Media Gems. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  6. ^ "Target". Media Gems. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  7. ^ "Search – BBC Programme Index".
  8. ^ "Target". Media Gems. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  9. ^ "Target". Media Gems. Retrieved 21 July 2014.

External links

  • Target at IMDb
  • Media Gems – Target

January 06, 2023
target, british, series, consumer, affairs, program, target, zealand, series, target, british, police, action, drama, series, which, from, 1977, 1978, bbc1, southampton, starred, patrick, mower, supt, steve, hackett, brendan, price, frank, bonney, vivien, heil. For the consumer affairs program see Target New Zealand TV series Target was a British police action drama series which ran from 1977 to 1978 on BBC1 Set in Southampton it starred Patrick Mower as Det Supt Steve Hackett Brendan Price as Det Sgt Frank Bonney Vivien Heilbron as Det Sgt Louise Colbert and Philip Madoc as Det Chief Supt Tate Seventeen fifty minute episodes were produced and the theme music was by Dudley Simpson It was the BBC s response to ITV s successful series The Sweeney but received criticism for its levels of violence and lasted for just two seasons TargetGenreActionPoliceCreated byGraham WilliamsWritten byBob BakerDave MartinDavid WickesStarringPatrick MowerPhilip MadocBrendan PriceVivien HeilbronCountry of originUnited KingdomOriginal languageEnglishNo of series2No of episodes17ProductionProducerPhilip HinchcliffeProduction locationSouthamptonRunning time50 minutesReleaseOriginal networkBBC1Original release9 September 1977 1977 09 09 10 November 1978 1978 11 10 Contents 1 Background 2 Initial reaction 3 Cancellation 4 Cars 5 Official releases 6 Novels 7 Series One 1977 8 Series Two 1978 9 References 10 External linksBackground EditTarget was set in Southampton and involved the 13th Regional Crime Squad The series was originally developed under the title Hackett by former Z Cars script editor Graham Williams but he was asked to swap roles with the outgoing producer of Doctor Who Philip Hinchcliffe Hinchcliffe retitled the show Target He also persuaded the BBC to make the series entirely on film instead of the usual BBC production method at the time of mixing video studio scenes with film for location work 1 Initial reaction EditAt the time the show was criticised for its level of violence The BBC s Director of Programmes Alasdair Milne reportedly received 5 000 letters of complaint from Mary Whitehouse s League of Light 2 Its release also coincided with the publication of the Belson Report Television violence and the adolescent boy The first series was curtailed and the second series toned down the level of violence Cancellation EditA third series was mooted with Robert Banks Stewart taking over as producer He spent two weeks in the producer s role during which he planned to change the supporting cast reduce the violence and steer the show further away from The Sweeney Banks Stewart wanted James Bolam as the new lead but Bolam preferred to do one final series of When the Boat Comes In first Different reasons have been given for the cancellation of Target According to Philip Hinchcliffe s account on the DVD commentary for Doctor Who serial The Seeds of Doom the series was ultimately cancelled because Alasdair Milne didn t like it 3 Banks Stewart said he was asked by Graeme MacDonald the BBC s Head of Series and Serials whether he would prefer to scrap Target altogether and produce a new series 4 He then devised the private eye drama Shoestring However Patrick Mower offered a view which was slightly different he wanted to terminate his commitment anyway With reference to the rather unfortunate fate of The Professionals lead actor Lewis Collins he emphasized in the late 1990s that he did not like to be identified with one particular role and for this reason he had made it his policy never to appear in a series for more than two years 5 Some of the episodes were written by David Wickes who also wrote scripts for The Professionals and his production company David Wickes Productions produced The New Professionals in 1999 Cars EditLike The Sweeney the cars used were Fords mostly Cortinas and Granadas However Hackett s personal car seen in several episodes is a 1969 Mercury Cougar Official releases EditIn 1983 the BBC tried to relaunch the series on the then soaring video market releasing the pilot Shipment on VHS tape However no further releases were forthcoming 6 Four episodes from the first series Shipment Big Elephant Lady Luck and Carve Up were repeated out of sequence immediately after the second series while all but two episodes of the second series The Trouble with Charlie and Figures of Importance were repeated in a late night slot in the spring of 1980 7 The first series aired on now defunct British Satellite Broadcasting cable channel Galaxy in 1990 All seventeen episodes survive in C1 format 16 mm film in the BBC archives Some sources such as Halliwell Purser claim that there were twenty two episodes but this is simply a mistake 8 Novels EditTwo Target novels were published It seems that writers Michael Feeney Callan and Simon Masters were asked to turn their scripts into novels so that the BBC could put them on the market 9 Series One 1977 Edit Title Writer Director Airdate1 Shipment David Wickes amp Philip HinchcliffeDavid Wickes9 September 1977Hackett follows up on information about dodgy dealings aboard an international cargo ship provided by a murdered snitch 2 Blow Out Roger MarshallDouglas Camfield16 September 1977Hackett is baffled by a series of jewel thefts and turns to a prisoner awaiting release for help 3 Big Elephant Bob Baker amp Dave MartinDouglas Camfield23 September 1977A sailor tries to sell a package of stolen drugs he believes to be hashish but it is actually heroin 4 Hunting Parties Bob Baker amp Dave MartinChristopher Menaul30 September 1977A revolutionary action group interrupts a burglary at a former villain s home Hackett and the victim s family try to track them down 5 Vandraggers Bernie Cooper amp Francis MegahyFrancis Megahy14 October 1977An electronics shipment has been hi jacked prompting Hackett to empty a bank s safety deposit boxes 6 Lady Luck Ray JenkinsTerry Green21 October 1977Hackett quits the force in disgrace after being accused of accepting a bribe He arranges to sell police files to people traffickers to pay for his enforced retirement 7 Set Up Ray JenkinsJim Goddard28 October 1977Hackett is suspended for alleged corruption If you re innocent stand and fight pleads Ros So why s Hackett on the run 8 Roadrunner James ClareMike Vardy4 November 1977Hackett investigates the hijacking of a truck and the subsequent murder of its driver by a hitchhiker and uncovers pilfering at an electronics plant 9 Carve Up Bob Baker amp Dave MartinBen Bolt11 November 1977Hackett investigates possible police corruption in relation to bids for a city development project and is led into an embarrassing triangle with the daughter of a chief superintendent Series Two 1978 Edit Title Writer Director Airdate1 Rogues Gallery Bob Baker amp Dave MartinMike Vardy15 September 1978Hackett investigates the curious theft of rare old paintings from wealthy homes and finds a dedicated young woman determined to advance the careers of several young artists 2 A Good and Faithful Woman Richard HarrisBen Bolt22 September 1978Hackett investigates the curious theft of rare old paintings from wealthy homes and finds a dedicated young woman determined to advance the careers of several young artists 3 Queen s Pardon David WickesDavid Wickes29 September 1978Hackett has to deal with a hostage situation when a disturbed father demands a pardon for his son who was executed for murder fifteen years before 4 Fringe Banking Ken FollettTerry Green13 October 1978Hackett stumbles onto a scheme to acquire a struggling construction company that is in line to win a lucrative government contract 5 Promises Tony HoareGordon Flemyng20 October 1978A young squad member is murdered when accompanying a key witness to the trial of a prominent gangster 6 The Trouble with Charlie Dave HumphriesPeter Smith27 October 1978Hackett meets an old flame at the airport but her current boyfriend gets involved in a cocaine deal that goes wrong 7 Figures of Importance Christopher MenaulChristopher Menaul3 November 1978Hackett s former fiancee is killed by a strong arm man He and her delinquent son want to find out who killed her and why 8 The Run Peter J HammondTerry Green10 November 1978Hackett uses an accountant to get evidence against a porn publisher who is buying drugs with smuggled gold References Edit Interview with Philip Hinchcliffe on Life After Who Philip Hinchcliffe featured on the DVD of The Android Invasion 1975 Mower Patrick 2007 Patrick Mower My Story John Blake p 221 ISBN 978 1 84454 447 9 Voice over commentary on the BBC DVD The Seeds of Doom 1976 2010 Target Media Gems Retrieved 21 July 2014 Target Media Gems Retrieved 21 July 2014 Target Media Gems Retrieved 21 July 2014 Search BBC Programme Index Target Media Gems Retrieved 21 July 2014 Target Media Gems Retrieved 21 July 2014 External links EditTarget at IMDb Media Gems Target Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Target British TV series amp oldid 1114718302, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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