Your favourite scenes from plod procedurals

[shiftwork2]

I suppose it's not a TV genre that lends itself to favourite scenes, but your favourite remembered bits anyway.  Neither of the following are exactly unknown or uncelebrated.  Looking for half-remembered moments of brilliance that you, er, remember.  Do better than these.  Doesn't have to be action.

1. Pre-credit sequence from Stoppo Driver S1E10 The Sweeney

This was hard-boiled as fuck for ITV in 1975 at 9pm.  The Sweeney got a kitsch reputation in the 90s for the cardboard boxes (tick) and the 70s machismo (tick) but this is a riveting bit of stunt driving with the tan Ford Consul and perhaps less so with the 1 mph ejection through the windscreen, and the Benny off Crossroads.

2. Brother's Keeper S1E1 Miami Vice

Sonny Crockett has just learned of his partner's corruption and is struggling to process it.  Fortunately Phil Collins (who recently dumped his wife by fax machine) is on hand to provide the soundtrack which a) sounds impossibly, ridiculously cool against these visuals and b) sets the pace as key bits of the dialogue and action are placed around the music ('It's all been a pack of lies' and 'well I remember' and the bit where they razz the fuck off into the TOMS) as a reverse video.  'MTV cops' supposedly, and I don't think the show ever did this again but it's an amazing three minutes and it probably influenced a video games franchise and a BBC TV show about cars more than I could ever be the best person to describe.

[A Hat Like That]

The Sweeney remains reliably entertaining, great cast, usually strong scripts, action scenes comparable with action films of the era.

There was a Professionals episode on last week (it had Ron Pember in it) with some great helicopter footage over early eighties London, just capturing enough of e.g. isle of dogs to see things changing.

[studpuppet]

[Dr Rock]

1. Pre-credit sequence from Stoppo Driver S1E10 The Sweeney

John Thaw was only 32 years old in that scene.

[Cuellar]

Bit in a Morse where his boss (not big boss guy some minor police chief) rolls up to a crime scene outside a public toilet in Oxford and asks of Morse "What is it, gays?"

Also sounds like he's calling Morse and Lewis gays.

[Glebe]

1. Pre-credit sequence from Stoppo Driver S1E10 The Sweeney

ITV4 are doing another Sweeney rerun at the mo, top stuff. Great performances, love the non-PC 'banter' and London locations!

John Thaw was only 32 years old in that scene.

Oh fuck don't say that.

[shoulders]

When Cagney shot meth off Lacey's tits

[Glebe]

When Cagney shot meth off Lacey's tits

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but I believe that may be just another one of your fantasies, Shoulders?

[monkfromhavana]

Another Miami Vice one. Think it's in the one where they go to the Caribbean to finally get the guy who murdered Tubbs' brother. Sonny's family are in protective custody and he walks with his wife by the sea and the dialogue is fantastic. I haven't described it well.

Also in the same episode, the helicopter shot of Crockett & Tubbs in the speedboat set to the fantastic sounds of "Voices" by Russ Ballard.

[studpuppet]

If we're on a Miami Vice tip, then Phil Collins and Emo Philips on 'Rat Race'...

Frank Zappa as a drug kingpin...

Miles Davies as a pimp...

[Uncle TechTip]

When Cagney shot meth off Lacey's tits

I always liked that bit where the two would walk through a door, but then encountered Al Waxman coming the other way, who looks at the cop duo and makes a gesture indicating "turn around, and go back that way". That was my favourite scene.

[gilbertharding]

I always liked that bit where the two would walk through a door, but then encountered Al Waxman coming the other way, who looks at the cop duo and makes a gesture indicating "turn around, and go back that way". That was my favourite scene.

I liked the bit where Cagney and Lacey are frog-marching a perp to the precinct, and a guy opens his mac at them all and Cagney tells him to fuck off.

I am trying to remember whether it's Bill Bryson or Thurston Moore (or possibly both, independently of each other) who expressed surprise that Cagney and Lacey was much more popular as a BBC show than it was in the USA. I definitely remember one or other of them commenting on it.

[Glebe]

I always liked that bit where the two would walk through a door, but then encountered Al Waxman coming the other way, who looks at the cop duo and makes a gesture indicating "turn around, and go back that way". That was my favourite scene.

I was confused by that then assumed it meant "My office - NOW!"

[Uncle TechTip]

I liked the bit where Cagney and Lacey are frog-marching a perp to the precinct, and a guy opens his mac at them all and Cagney tells him to fuck off.

I am trying to remember whether it's Bill Bryson or Thurston Moore (or possibly both, independently of each other) who expressed surprise that Cagney and Lacey was much more popular as a BBC show than it was in the USA. I definitely remember one or other of them commenting on it.

Yes I believe the BBC contributed to the budget for the latter series that were not so popular in the US.

I was confused by that then assumed it meant "My office - NOW!"

I took it to mean sorry ladies, it's not the end of your shift, they found a body down by the docks.

[monkfromhavana]

There's a bit in Morse where Lewis, after being hit on the head with a cricket bat, declares that he has "high quality bone" which always made me laugh.

I watch all these kind of shows, so I'm sure I have a reservoir of untapped scenes and shite.

[gilbertharding]

Yes I believe the BBC contributed to the budget for the latter series that were not so popular in the US.

Cagney and Lacey HONKS of Saturday nights when I was old enough to stay up to watch it, but too young to go out. I liked Juliet Bravo, but C&L was more exotic.

[gilbertharding]

I suppose it's not a TV genre that lends itself to favourite scenes, but your favourite remembered bits anyway.  Neither of the following are exactly unknown or uncelebrated.  Looking for half-remembered moments of brilliance that you, er, remember.  Do better than these.  Doesn't have to be action.

1. Pre-credit sequence from Stoppo Driver S1E10 The Sweeney

This was hard-boiled as fuck for ITV in 1975 at 9pm.  The Sweeney got a kitsch reputation in the 90s for the cardboard boxes (tick) and the 70s machismo (tick) but this is a riveting bit of stunt driving with the tan Ford Consul and perhaps less so with the 1 mph ejection through the windscreen, and the Benny off Crossroads.

Stoppo Driver was this morning's ITV4 repeat. Cracking episode.


Yes the streetscapes, but I always like looking at the interior design -  whether it's the scuzzy, stinking police station or the hideout. or the low-brow high glamour of the mid-late 70s jet-setting criminal mastermind.  Parlour palms, split level, stainless steel and very low sofas.
And have you noticed that 'it's funny how the Missus always looks the bleedin' same'?

[gilbertharding]

Back to the Sweeney, yesterday's ITV4 repeat featured a scene in a strip club - Jack had a meeting with a snout... they kept cutting between closeups of the stripper, the seedy old men in the audience, and Jack and the informant, who were having a conversation with lots of drawn out pauses...

Anyway, during these silences, the woman who does the sign interpretation for the deaf, in the bottom right corner of the screen kept looking straight down her camera with an absolutely STINKING look on her face.

[madhair60]

fucking hell that Frank Zappa video made me download all of Miami Vice

[Sebastian Cobb]

Bit in a Morse where his boss (not big boss guy some minor police chief) rolls up to a crime scene outside a public toilet in Oxford and asks of Morse "What is it, gays?"

Also sounds like he's calling Morse and Lewis gays.

I've been meaning to watch the Morse ep Cherubim & Seraphim where they end up going to to a rave.

The Quietus did a piece on it https://thequietus.com/articles/32846-inspector-morse-cherubim-seraphim-rave-episode-pingers-ale

looks like it's on Dailymotion https://www.dailymotion.com/search/inspector%20morse%20Cherubim%20%20Seraphim/videos

[Sebastian Cobb]

[gilbertharding]

I've been meaning to watch the Morse ep Cherubim & Seraphim where they end up going to to a rave.

The Quietus did a piece on it https://thequietus.com/articles/32846-inspector-morse-cherubim-seraphim-rave-episode-pingers-ale

looks like it's on Dailymotion https://www.dailymotion.com/search/inspector%20morse%20Cherubim%20%20Seraphim/videos

If I remember correctly, it was only marginally less risible than the infamous Quincey episode where he confronts the Punks on a chat show.

[Gurke and Hare]

If I remember correctly, it was only marginally less risible than the infamous Quincey episode where he confronts the Punks on a chat show.

Or any cop show where they do an undercover in a football hooligan gang episode.

[monkfromhavana]

If I remember correctly, it was only marginally less risible than the infamous Quincey episode where he confronts the Punks on a chat show.

It wasn't that bad actually, and treated the subject matter pretty fairly. It's not as if Morse starts double-dropping pills and throwing shapes.

The 'undercover' cops are pretty funny.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Or any cop show where they do an undercover in a football hooligan gang episode.

Quite like the film I.D. where this happens, what with the copper getting sucked in and getting a Shadwell Town tattoo on his bum, putting smack (or is it speed?) on his cornflakes etc.

[MoreauVasz]

The opening episode to Law & Order: Criminal intent.

There's a jewellery heist involving a tight gang of crims, two lads and a girl. The cops manage to grab the girl and try to flip her but she won't rat on her mates.

So they concoct this story that one of the lads had HIV and gave it to the other lad while they're in prison and now the second lad has given it to her. Girl is so outraged that she's been given HIV and that her boyfriend is bisexual that she rats them both out. Cops then laugh it up, turns out none of them had HIV.

ACAB, hilariously so.

[MoreauVasz]

Quite like the film I.D. where this happens, what with the copper getting sucked in and getting a Shadwell Town tattoo on his bum, putting smack (or is it speed?) on his cornflakes etc.

Fahkin love you Gumbo!

[Ambient Sheep]

It wasn't that bad actually, and treated the subject matter pretty fairly. It's not as if Morse starts double-dropping pills and throwing shapes.

Yeah, I lean more towards this view.

I haven't seen it since it went out, but I remember being pleasantly surprised.

Maybe that's just 'cos I was expecting something worse, though?

Definitely worth a watch, in any case.

[Sonny_Jim]

It's going to be hard to not just bring up all the 'gotcha' moments from Columbo, but my favourite is probably this moment from 'Suitable for framing':



It's a bit convoluted, but it revolves around Columbo leaving his fingerprints on a painting, but oh no he's actually wearing gloves and the killer has outed himself.

[gilbertharding]

It wasn't that bad actually, and treated the subject matter pretty fairly. It's not as if Morse starts double-dropping pills and throwing shapes.

Well, of course I was being unfair - and I admit I haven't seen it since it was first broadcast. But it is pretty clear (I think) that the author and producers had a very sketchy idea of the culture into which their protagonists were blundering.