We normally look across the Atlantic for stories involving high-octane action and tough-guy maverick cops, but it's worth remembering that the UK has had its hard-men too. The rough-and-ready 1970s police show The Sweeney was a landmark in English action shows, taking off the shine of the pleasant neighbourhood police-man and showing the more rule-bending and sometimes violent methods of Flying Squad Jack Regan (a pre-Morse John Thaw) and his sidekick Carter (Dennis Waterman). The show took its name from the cockney slang for the police's multi-regional 'Flying' Squad ('Sweeney Todd').
There was long talk of a remake and we think that the long wait may have been worth it, with some superb casting. Ray Winstone takes on the Regan role with Ben Drew (alias 'Plan B') as Carter. Theis newly-released trailer suggests that it will mix some of the US-style action with a distinctly diamond geezer remit and British sensibility.
Just for grins, we've also included the original series' credit sequence from composer Ron Grainer...
"You're nicked!"
