Pilot: Regan (The Sweeney)

You know from the first scene this is going to be good. By the end you can't but notice the obvious series material of Regan. When broadcast , it went under the Armchair Cinema title. The film starts off in a London pub. It's very 70s, very cockney and very villainy (insert manic laughter here perhaps?). Everything is set. Everyone inside the pub looks like your typical gangster, very loud and expensive tacky tastes. Then you get your cockney pub singer and the cliches are complete.

But wait. There's something wrong. Someone doesn't fit in this cosy atmosphere. The publican realises this and the main man, Mr. Dale, about a certain man in the pub: " Sweeney". Says it all really. But wait, there's more. Dale and his "lads" leave the pub for the dark, cold wet, windy night, laughing and kicking a can around (shit, everyone wants to be a footballer). The Sweeney's man follows. The 16mm film that Euston Films uses on this production adds to the grittiness of the surroundings, enhancing the noirness of the film. As things work out Dale and his lads know they're being followed and lead the Sweeney man to a disused warehouse. The man from the Sweeney is trapped. So what does Dale want? Information perhaps? Not a chance. Dale (Lee Montague ) is a first division gangster that grew up in the street. He's confident, arrogant even. He smokes expensive cigars and wears large over-expensive overcoats. He wants everyone to know that he has the dosh. Dale is the top man in the manor and he wants everyone to know: "Get rid of this filth". That's his answer. His cronies do the work like they did on that can. They leave him close to death near the Thames. These criminals are so powerful that they wouldn't give a second thought to killing a copper, a member of the Sweeney no less. These guys are tough, but so are the Sweeney and revenge is a powerful emotion. Roll opening credits.

Thescript is by Ian Kennedy-Martin is a good one too. The length of the film allows Kennedy-Martin to work on the characterisation of the two main protagonists, Regan (John Thaw) and Carter (Dennis Waterman), by showing that their actions are due to the approaching reorganisation of New Scotland Yard and the type of criminals they have to deal with on an everyday basis: criminals like Dale who are not prepared to take prisoners, whoever they might be.

After the credits, morning has returned to London and the Sweeney man, is bleeding and badly hurt but not quite dead. He stumbles away, and the hostility of "modern" London life is immediately exposed as a middle-aged couple are too frightened to involve themselves in aiding our "hero". London is portrayed as a threatening environment, where people are too afraid to get involved. Ironically, the Sweeney man survives the massive beating, but is accidentally hit by a car. The scene is set for us. We have a victim and we have the perpetrators, and we have witnessed a violent crime. As viewers we want justice. We want revenge. Enter the Sweeney.

The first scenes we see of the Sweeney in action are adrenalin pumping and quick cutting. The Sweeney race down the street in their cars and brake loudly (thankfully the screeching tyres aren't as loud and over the top as they would become in the Professionals). The foot soldiers run up, down and over flats and houses and jump over fences. They are shouting it loud and clear: we are the lads! They are the Sweeney! They're street smart. They wear very 70s gear (once you get passed the ludicrous fashions you can follow the story) and use the lingo of the crims. This initial raid doesn't progress the plot but really depicts what the Sweeney are capable of.

Back at the office, the plot thickens. The injured Sweeney man is Cowley (Del Baker) He's been doing some moonlighting investigating of his own as he hasn't written anything in his diary. However, the biggest mystery is why George Mallory's firm (which are from the West End) were in South London drinking in a Tusser firm pub. Added to this mystery, is the conflict the case has with Serious Crime Squad, the gangbusters of New Scotland Yard. The gangbusters have been investigating these gangs for a long time and they are pissed off that the Sweeney are trying to muscle in on their territory. Oh, office politics, don't you just love it.

Haskins, (Detective Chief Inspector to you) played by Garfield Morgan is Regan's immediate superior and his role in the hierarchy is made immediately clear. He is an office-type nine to five, don't rock the boat career man. Basically, the total opposite to Regan and by his consumption of pills and milk you realise how much aggravation Regan is causing him (and his career prospects ). In this initial meeting Haskings warns Regan off. This is the gangbusters case and he shouldn't interfere. You can almost read Regan's thought on that suggestion: "Bollocks to that". We also learn that there are new changes happening at the Yard and Regan's "wings will be clipped".

However, Regan doesn't care. "One of his boys" has been done in and he's going to investigate anyway. It takes 16 minutes of the film before Carter is introduced. He's boxing and losing badly. He falls to the ground with a hit to the stomach. Regan smiles and cringes. There's a history between them. Carter is now a nine to five divisional cop, but he had worked for the Sweeney for 18 months. It's a quiet life now for Carter.:

Carter: The hours are regular and the wife's happy. And I'm up for a promotion. Well... not only that... Quite frankly, I didn't like your methods very much.

So Carter's private life is more stable. His job is dull but he has peace of mind. It shows how dedicated one must be to be successful in the Sweeney. But Carter knows South (or Souf) London too well for Regan to give up on him, so he pulls the them vs us routine.

Regan: They've done one of ours.

Regan's social life is in a mess. He can't even see his girlfriend regularly because of the job and she is the wife of someone Regan put inside. As for his ex-wife and his daughter he is always late when he has to visit.

Kate: (Janet Key) You're late.

Regan: What's new about that?

His inability to get along shows up his social failures. The job is too important and his alienation from society compounds that. Later on, he can't even hold on to his girlfriend.

Regan and Carter investigate on their own. What he's doing is against orders, yet it shows the single mindedness of the man, but it also allows the bond between Regan and Carter to form for the audience. By the end they realise that they are more alike than they ever thought.

Regan's methods become more and more "unconventional". He "duffs up" Miriam Lesley's (Mallory's girlfriend) minder (off screen) to get to question Lesley. Even Carter objects but Regan is undaunted. He needs the result or else he's out. The new changes will force him out. If he solves the case, he gets commended and he survives. It's off to see Ernie South, a photographer. This scene adds some much needed humour as South is a typical tv cockney hustler, a pedlar of photographic pictures and fake passports. Even the delivery of his dialogue is tv stereotypical with lines such as "Leave it out. Do me favours". and "I run a legitimate business here". Lines that George Cole will go and make famous in the 1980s in another Euston production. Some of the best banter is between Regan and Carter, especially when they go to see a certain Andy Morton at an ice ring.

Regan: Bit cold in here.

Carter: Yea, it's cause of the ice.

Regan: Thanks. How many 'O' Levels have you got?

The investigation continues and Regan deduces that Tusser had Mallory killed and that Mallory's firm is now working for Tusser and when Cowley saw both organisations drinking together, they were celebrating the new union,so he had to be sorted out. Dale is running the gang until Tusser is released from jail. The momentum is now building up. There has to be a confrontation between him and Dale through the auspiciounesss of a blackmail threat. But before that a few loose ends are tied up. Firstly, we have to been shown how violent Dale can be compared to Regan. While Regan can be violent, Dale is the quiet psychotic type who is violent against "his own". Dale thinks Morgan is involved in blackmailing him, so Morgan loses his hand via the helpful assistance of Dale's cronies and an ice skate. We also learn that it was actually Mallory's boys who murdered their boss. Violence doesn't excite Dale. He uses it as a tool as he quietly tells Morgan:

Dale: Just going to teach you a little lesson, Andy. You seem to have forgotten what loyalty's about. You'll have to learn it again. Oh, you're not gonna die. Just a...hospital for a few months. Give you time to think things over and decide never to mess with me or the lads or Mr. Tusser again.

Down goes the skate. A very cool customer indeed (bad joke, I know).

Everything is fitting into place. Regan might actually get away with it. The Serious Crime Squad find Mallory's body exactly where Regan instructs them. In the internal politics stakes, Regan has won. Then comes the confrontation between Regan and Dale. This is where Tom Clegg excels as director. It is this confrontation scene where everything that has come before climaxes and Clegg handles it very well adding tension with stark lighting and low camera angles, elevating the two main participants to almost titanic symbols.

The warehouse where Dale and Regan finally confront each other is dark and menacing which emphasises the bright car lights on the duo. Dale is there with his cronies George, Tony and Eddie while Regan and Carter face them. Regan and Dale step close to each other. The dialogue is strong and to the point.

Regan: I'm Regan. Flying Squad.

It's almost a calling card as if there shouldn't be any more explanation. Regan is hard. He doesn't boast about it. To him, it's a fact. To Dale it means nothing. The duo play out a verbal sparring game.

Dale: D'you mean I'm under arrest? I've got three boys here,
with three shooters. You wanna live? Either of you
wanna live? Yes?

Regan: You don't understand. My skipper's got the guts
to blow your head off the minute I tell 'im.

Dale: Are you stupid? You can't kill me. You'll be
dead two seconds after.

Regan: Why?

Dale: 'Cause my boys'll zero you.

Regan: Will they? Will you? Tony? Eddie? George?

Dale: Come on in lads.

(The trio move in closer).

This is great stuff. Both are confident of their position. There are close ups from a low angle with the lighting coming from below to add to the tension. The confrontation continues:

Regan: We're the Sweeney. We kill him, nothing.
You kill us, thirty years.

The shots are intercut between Regan's face and the group of three hoods as they back away and leave. Dale panics for the first time. This instance juxtaposes the foundation of the two power bases, a fight between quality and quantity. Regan has Carter, a person he trusts implicitly. If Regan is in trouble Carter will help no matter what the circumstances or outcomes. Even alone Regan has the same confidence. On the other hand, Dale relies in having more heavies than anyone else to get what he wants. Once the numbers dwindle and he's on his own, he loses the battle. Finally, the end of the confrontation. A close up of Regan's face is drowned in a bright spotlight, almost a ghostly face with his blue eyes piercing through the brightness.

Regan: Looks like it's you and us, Dale.
Now are we gonna blow your head off
or you gonna point that gun down?

Regan moves even closer and Dale's gun is now mere inches from Regan's heart. This cuts to a long shot with Regan and Dale in the foreground while Carter is in the close background pointing his gun at Dale's head. It's a terrific shot adding so much tension to an already tense scene. In the end Dale relents and Regan gives him a few for revenge with the words: "Cowley was a good copper". This scene exemplifies how good the production was. They filmed to their limitations, not providing any grand scale scenes or extensive characterisation. The film provided action, tension and good plotting and eventually under Ted Childs supervision The Sweeney became a groundbreaking action drama programme. More importantly, Regan introduced two good anti-hero characters and, in Jack Regan, as his superior describes him:

You're a gambler, Jack. You played a long shot and
it came out. That's why we're ringing the changes.
No more lone rangers.

Well, the changes might be rung but Regan will continue to do what he has to do to meet out justice.