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'The Sweeney' TV Series - The British Flying Squad.

13

Comments

  • stagstag In the thick of it!
    Posts: 1,053
    Just one small point about the TV programme. The overlaying of sound effects is obvious in certain circumstances. Take note when watching the car chase scenes, whenever a FS vehicle passes the camera with its siren on, there is no Doppler effect. I am also perplexed by the lack of visual warning on the unmarked vehicles during high speed pursuits.

  • tanaka123tanaka123
    Posts: 4,325
    stag wrote: »
    Just one small point about the TV programme. The overlaying of sound effects is obvious in certain circumstances. Take note when watching the car chase scenes, whenever a FS vehicle passes the camera with its siren on, there is no Doppler effect. I am also perplexed by the lack of visual warning on the unmarked vehicles during high speed pursuits.

    Absolutely.
  • barryt007barryt007
    Posts: 19,339
    stag wrote: »
    Just one small point about the TV programme. The overlaying of sound effects is obvious in certain circumstances. Take note when watching the car chase scenes, whenever a FS vehicle passes the camera with its siren on, there is no Doppler effect. I am also perplexed by the lack of visual warning on the unmarked vehicles during high speed pursuits.

    I noticed that when I watched an episode from series 3 last night..i would like to know the amount of police car accidents around the time that involved pedestrians !

  • stagstag In the thick of it!
    Posts: 1,053
    As far as I'm aware, all unmarked (CID) vehicles were always equipped with blue lights which could be attached, by way of a magnet, to the roof when needed. I'm guessing this would have been the same for the FS.
  • barryt007barryt007
    edited May 2017 Posts: 19,339
    That does seem to be the case,although I have seen Regan and Carter bombing around in the brown Granada without any lights or bells :

    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTSRnlI82CuHQg_Vxr4njWxi3lgdqtRj44VrPNPLww0GkLwDEKJ

    hqdefault.jpg
  • stagstag In the thick of it!
    Posts: 1,053
    The lights/siren is an audible and visual aid for other road users and pedestrians. The siren on its own would not be enough to give adequate warning of the approach of a speeding vehicle. Although a light could be used on its own in some circumstances.

    I guess that when filming on the open road, permission couldn't be granted for the use of blue lights, that said when marked vehicles are shown they usually have their blue lights on. I can't see it being an omission by the shows makers, so I wonder what the reason was?
  • barryt007barryt007
    Posts: 19,339
    I have been scrolling through lots of pictures and not one of them have the Granada with a light on.

    However,in a few instances ,it does have spotlights on,whether these were meant to flash or not is something I will have a look at next time there is a chase in the episodes I have left to watch :

    6a00d83451cbb069e201676953f23d970b-pi
  • stagstag In the thick of it!
    Posts: 1,053
    I don't think I've seen any Sweeney cars on the show with 'wig-wag' lights. Head/spotlamps are again inadequate. As far as I recall, hidden grill lights would not have been in use in those days.
  • barryt007barryt007
    Posts: 19,339
    Fair point.

    I will have to pay extra attention when I watch it next.
  • stagstag In the thick of it!
    Posts: 1,053
    I've been involved in a car chase or two at that period in time (the 1970's - doing the chasing I may add!) and it just doesn't add up to me.
  • barryt007barryt007
    Posts: 19,339
    what doesn't add up ?
  • stagstag In the thick of it!
    Posts: 1,053
    The lights thing. It would have been SOP to use some form of visual warning when engaged in a pursuit. The siren alone would not have been enough to provide other road users/pedestrians with adequate warning. To hear a siren but not allow people to pinpoint the location of an approaching police vehicle with a visual marker.
  • barryt007barryt007
    Posts: 19,339
    Exactly,it does seem odd.
  • stagstag In the thick of it!
    edited May 2017 Posts: 1,053
    If I can expand a little, the next time you are travelling by car and hear an emergency vehicle siren, you'll notice that without visual reference (the flashing lights) it is difficult to determine where said vehicle is in relation to you. You will automatically look for the lights, a police or other emergency vehicle passing through traffic at speed without the aid of a blue light(s) is creating an unnecessary risk.

    I can't understand why the programme makers didn't use lights - it could be of course that the FS didn't use them in real life, but I cannot see that being the case for the reasons I mention.
  • barryt007barryt007
    Posts: 19,339
    That's spot on....I remember being at traffic lights and hearing a siren and looking everywhere to see where it was coming from....the rear-view mirror,the side mirrors etc..
  • stagstag In the thick of it!
    Posts: 1,053
    I've found a clip from The Sweeney. Here both FS vehicles have sirens (overlayed) but no lights. In another clip, it shows a marked police vehicle with a blue light?! I guess that restrictions weren't in place WRT the use of lights for filming purposes, but it is puzzling indeed to see that no lights were used.



    Just as an aside, my attitude (and those of my of my colleagues) towards villains were the same as Reagan. Those were the days when you could 'express' yourself more clearly to people for whom you had little or no regard!
  • barryt007barryt007
    Posts: 19,339
    stag wrote: »
    I've found a clip from The Sweeney. Here both FS vehicles have sirens (overlayed) but no lights. In another clip, it shows a marked police vehicle with a blue light?! I guess that restrictions weren't in place WRT the use of lights for filming purposes, but it is puzzling indeed to see that no lights were used.



    Just as an aside, my attitude (and those of my of my colleagues) towards villains were the same as Reagan. Those were the days when you could 'express' yourself more clearly to people for whom you had little or no regard!

    Interesting....and I bet you had a lot more freedom and less red tape and paperwork eh ?

    And probably got more results.

  • stagstag In the thick of it!
    Posts: 1,053
    A lot of paperwork, but most definitely more freedom to deal with people on the level with which they would sometimes try to deal with you if you see what I mean! I was fortunate enough to be mentored by an old time bobby who began his own service in the 1950s. As far as he was concerned things had 'gone soft' since his day. I remember him telling a story about when he himself was just out of training school. His own mentor instructed him to bring his gloves (issue leather gloves) and a pocket full of copper coins. Doing as he was told, he turned up for night duty with the glove/penny combo. The old timer instructed him to fill the fingers of the glove with the coins and return the glove to his pocket. Whilst on the beat (Friday night) they entered the city bus station, whereby the old timer began to order all the youths gathered there to disperse and get the buses home. Those who didn't do as they were told quick enough were treated to a sharp smack round the back of the head with the glove full of copper!
  • barryt007barryt007
    Posts: 19,339
    Im on to the final series (series 4) and STILL the unmarked police cars have no flashing lights,just the siren.

    Still cant work out why that is.
  • stagstag In the thick of it!
    edited June 2017 Posts: 1,053
    barryt007 wrote: »
    Im on to the final series (series 4) and STILL the unmarked police cars have no flashing lights,just the siren.

    Still cant work out why that is.

    Me neither. I recently saw an episode of 'The Professionals' and they were driving about with sirens blaring but no visual markers. I wonder if it was just the way things were filmed? We know that the sirens are sound effects, so I thought the shows makers may not have permission to use blue lights on public highways, but the shows marked vehicles which are involved in chases always have them switched on, so why not the unmarked cars? It's an enigma indeed.
  • barryt007barryt007
    edited June 2017 Posts: 19,339
    stag wrote: »
    barryt007 wrote: »
    Im on to the final series (series 4) and STILL the unmarked police cars have no flashing lights,just the siren.

    Still cant work out why that is.

    Me neither. I recently saw an episode of 'The Professionals' and they were driving about with sirens blaring but no visual markers. I wonder if it was just the way things were filmed? We know that the sirens are sound effects, so I thought the shows makers may not have permission to use blue lights on public highways, but marked vehicles involved in chases always have them, so why not the unmarked cars? It's an enigma indeed.

    It is indeed.
    I mean the roads used are obviously closed off to the public while they are filming in the cars ,so I don't think it can be based on permission.

    I was going to check my 'Professionals' boxset but you have beaten me to it,getting the same 'mystery of the flashing lights' situation there as well.

  • stagstag In the thick of it!
    edited June 2017 Posts: 1,053
    BTW I've been busy doing some exterior DIY over the past few days. The combination of sun and bald head has resulted in a red dome which, if stuck through the sunroof, is powerful enough to warn any amount of traffic!
  • barryt007barryt007
    Posts: 19,339
    stag wrote: »
    BTW I've been busy doing some exterior DIY over the past few days. The combination of sun and bald head has resulted in a red dome which, if stuck through the sunroof, is powerful enough to warn any amount of traffic!

    Hahaha just attach a flashing torch to your head and problem solved !

  • LeonardPineLeonardPine The Bar on the Beach
    Posts: 4,007
    Great series and I also like the two films they made, Sweeny! and Sweeney II

    The first one dealt with deep reaching government corruption and the second was about a gang of British bank robbers who lived in Malta.
  • barryt007barryt007
    Posts: 19,339
    LeonardPine wrote: »
    Great series and I also like the two films they made, Sweeny! and Sweeney II

    The first one dealt with deep reaching government corruption and the second was about a gang of British bank robbers who lived in Malta.

    Indeed,both films are very good.

    Not shown on TV that much though anymore,even late at night.

  • LeonardPineLeonardPine The Bar on the Beach
    Posts: 4,007
    No. I remember the second one was heavily cut whenever it was shown on ITV...

    I have them on DVD though.
  • barryt007barryt007
    Posts: 19,339
    That's why im waiting for SKY or FILM4 to show them,they never cut the films like ITV & BBC do.
  • stagstag In the thick of it!
    Posts: 1,053
    I've never seen The Sweeney films - in fact I didn't know there were any.

    Any progress on tracking down the reason for the lights thing? It's still bugging me as to why they did't use lights on the show.

  • barryt007barryt007
    Posts: 19,339
    stag wrote: »
    I've never seen The Sweeney films - in fact I didn't know there were any.

    Any progress on tracking down the reason for the lights thing? It's still bugging me as to why they did't use lights on the show.

    They made 2 Sweeney films but they are rarely shown,always helps to check 'through the night' schedules on ITV4 !

    The lights situation is still unsolved i'm afraid..i'm actually on series 4,the final series,and its she same scenario - sirens but no lights,so far.

  • stagstag In the thick of it!
    Posts: 1,053
    Thanks. Will do.

    Just one other small point. In those days - as far as I'm aware - the standard UK police issue personal radio was the Burndept. It was certainly in service with my force. It was a big blue thing with a stubby aeriel, all branches including CID used it. Before that was another radio - 'Pye' I think. I would imagine that the Met also used Burndepts. I don't believe I've ever seen any on any cop shows of the time. I'm not sure what the radios Regan & co use, but they're certainly neither of those I mention. It's possible of course that the FS would have different radios but, apart from operating on a different net, I see no reason why.

    Also in car radios (again including unmarked vehicles) had telephone type handsets as opposed the the those shown on The Sweeney. I think I've already mentioned this, but in case I haven't, the unofficial method of identifying an unmarked police vehicle which was parked on double yellows and such, was to hang the handset over the rear view mirror. That way traffic wardens would leave them alone.

    Perhaps the radio thing carries the same artistic license as the lights?
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