Yes, we're still here! I can't believe it's been ten months since the last update.

Anyway this is a quick plug for a new 3-CD set of music by Laurie Johnson, the first disc of which concentrates on music from The Professionals and contains not only the original TV theme but pieces used as incidentals in several episodes. The only downside is that they are in mono (it's not clear whether the stereo versions have been lost or the pieces were simply never recorded that way in the first place.)

The set should be out on 7th July - several online retailers allow you to pre-order it. In the meantime, here is a publicity sheet for it. (Adobe Acrobat)

If this new set sells well, a similar set concentrating on The New Avengers will follow.

Many thanks to Val Jennings at Demon Music.

Martin Shaw's mooted "Apparitions" drama was filmed some time ago but had its transmission held back - apparently additional episodes are currently under consideration, so we are going to see this show... eventually!

More site updates to follow soon....

Martin Shaw is to star in a new drama named "Apparitions", concerning an exorcist! It sounds fascinating and it's good to see him given the opportunity to move away from the rather "traditional" roles he has had of late. Much more info on the BBC website. (Many thanks to Lin Reid)

No news as such but today marks precisely thirty years since cameras first rolled on an action/adventure series that was to become a global hit. Admittedly - as many readers will be aware - this turned out to be somewhat of a false start as Anthony Andrews, playing Bodie, was replaced a week later by Lewis Collins and much reshooting was required. Nevertheless 13th June 1977 marks the official start of a show that, whichever way it splits critics and viewers, is still fondly remembered - and, thankfully easily accessible - three decades later.

The pilot episode of Martin Shaw's new (old!) police show, George Gently, is to be screened on BBC1 next Sunday, 8th April. Meanwhile you can read an interview with the star here.

Viewers who can receive the BBC's High Definition channel can see a repeat of the current Judge John Deed ep on Sunday night at 10pm. (Thanks to Angela Smyth)

It's been confirmed that Martin has filmed a pilot for the proposed Inspector Gently to be screened some time in the spring by the BBC. Presently there are no definite plans for an entire series - presumably the BBC will gauge audience eraction to this first effort. (Thanks to Lin Reid)

A quick note to say that the last outstanding epiodes of "Judge John Deed" are to be broadcast on BBC1 from Tuesday 9th January. (Many thanks to Helen Moore and Joyce Chumbley).

With 2006 rapidly disappearnig, it's just occurred to me that it has been a relatively quiet year for Professionals. Yet interest in the show continues apace with new DVD releases in the UK, Australia and Japan. The TV Lounge discussion forum has exploded with activity over the last twelve months, boasting several hundred members.

Meanwhile Messrs Clemens and Johnson have been approaching various broadcasters to tempt them into creating a new series. I have to admit there has yet to be definite news on this, though occasional newspaper and radio articles earlier in the year seem to show that the media would support the idea, particularly given the outright success of other "relaunched" shows such Doctor Who.

So what can we expect for 2007? The thirtieth anniversary of the show in June will coincide with the pubilcation of Bob Rocca's book on the series. Those of you who frequent the aforementioned TV Lounge forum will have seen snippets from it and know that it's going to contain a huge amount of previously unpublished information and quotes from actors and crew - it's shaping up to be the definitive "bible" on the series!

Earlier this year it was suggested that Martin Shaw would take on the role of yet another law enforcer, this time Constable George Gently in a series - as yet untitled - set in 1950s East Anglia. As far as I'm aware this project has still to be green-lighted but the indications are that it will go ahead.

Of more immediate interest, next Wednesday at 9pm BBC2 will screen "Beefcake - A Very British Sex Symbol", featuring the boys from CI5, Special Branch, and The Sweeney in a look at the "no-nonsense, hard-living, hard-drinking British action man". The show appears to be concentrating on the 1970s, so here we have a major broadcaster seeing mileage, albeit probably in a tongue-in-cheek manner, from shows thirty years down the line. (Thanks to every one who e-mailed me about this!)

As ever may thanks to all of you continue to "tune in" and contrubute to the site. I wish you all a great Christmas and all the best for 2007 !

A very sad news item for today. Stuntman Peter Brayham passed away earlier this week, reportedly due to a heart attack. His career stretched right back to the late 1950s and covered over one hundred films and television series. Probably best known for his work on The Sweeney and The Professionals, even popping up in small acting roles occasionally. Still very active and highly respected in the industry right until the end, his most recent work included the new Doctor Who and Life On Mars.

A very quick update for today to let Lewis Collins fans know that the 1973 Crown Court story "Arson", in which he appeared as a police constable, should be airing on the newly-formed Legal TV station - available via Sky channel 215 - on or about Monday 11th December. I say "should" because Legal TV's website is the only source of listings and they are hopeless at keeping it updated, let alone screening the stories in any sort of predictable manner! For those without Sky, Legal TV also stream over the Internet from their site. More info on definte screening time when I get it.

Two years ago Martin Shaw's Stearman bi-plane suffered a devastating crash from which it seemed unsalvageable. However it is now back in the air and its restoration has been filmed for a documentary to be screened in the UK by the Discovery Real Time channel on December 5th - more info here. (Thanks to Chris Dixon)

With the future of Judge John Deed still to be decided, recent press articles have suggested that a new "vehicle" for Martin Shaw may well be in the offing. From The Guardian newspaper:

Martin Shaw is in the frame for a new role as 1950s East Anglian copper George Gently. Gently features in a series of novels by the late Alan Hunter. ... A senior BBC source [reported that he] is very keen to do this new drama, and if it gets the green light, which is very likely, Judge John Deed will undoubtedly come to an end.

Thanks to Dave Wicklow and "Maxine" for the info!

Actor John Hallam who played Tug Willis in the Professionals episode 'Lawson's Last Stand' is reported to have recently passed away. (Thanks to "Producer PJ").

Martin Shaw will be presenting a documentary called Over and Out which marks the closure of RAF Coltishall in Norfolk, made famous for its contrubution to the Battle of Britain in WW2. The show will be screened on BBC2 at 7pm next Friday. (Many thanks to Sue Tier).

Quick update: Martin Shaw's biography has been issued early! The publishers are still saying it won't be available until next month but people who pre-ordered it are now receiving copies, apparently. It seems there may be delays if ordering from Amazon but Play.com have been dispatching copies in the last few days. Disappointingly feedback so far suggests a rush job with the book containing little more than regurgitations of material most Professionals fans will already be familiar with. (Many thanks to "StirringOfDust")

Although the BBC have yet to make an announcement, it appears as though a further series (or, at least, a one-off) of Judge John Deed is presently in production, according to this website. (Many thanks to Lin Reid).

I've had confirmation that the previously-mentioned German Professionals book, Die Profis, by Werner Schmitz is now available to order from Amazon.de. As my grasp of the German language is quite basic, its 540 pages are going to take me a while to get through(!) but there are some great pics to be seen!

Copies signed by director Bill Brayne can be obtained directly from Werner.

Australia's Foxtel and Austar satellite broadcasters are to screen the first season of The Professionals from 19th August - no other details at the mo. (Thanks to Andrew Pollard).

Australian firm Umbrella are due to issue their second Professionals DVD boxset on 4th September - it can be pre-ordered from EzyDVD. Umbrella haven't been forthcoming with information, so I have to assume its content will mirror Contender's 2002 release (hence the apparent inclusion of the interview with Brian Clemens and Laurie Johnson). If true, this will almost certainly mean the picture quality will not match that of Contender's 2005 re-release... (Thanks to "Peter")...

... On the subject of which, thanks to everyone who has sent feedback regarding the new Contender boxsets. The concensus of opinion is that the picture quality shows a tangible improvement in terms of dirt and scratches, though audio quality is no better. (Certainly Old Dog With New Tricks still exhibits an absense of background sounds)....

Having finally had chance to assess a sample myself, a few interesting points emerge: in 'Blind Run' we finally learn Philippa's phone number as the scene in question is now uncut. The various visual glitches previously seen in 'The Madness of Mickey Hamilton' are absent in this release. The audio "thump" and missing film frames that preceded Mickey's first assassination in the hospital is now all fixed, too.

Now none of this "repair" work could have been done by Contender, so it suggests to me that Granada/LWT have had superior prints tucked away all this time - why didn't they supply these the first time around?

Having said all that, colour depth is actually worse: the eps look even more "washed out" and/or over-brightened than before. And they still suffer that strange visual "gauze-like" effect, which suggests that the 1991 digital transfers are still the ultimate source for this set.

The new sets certainly present the best picture quality we're likely to see in the long run. But for those of you who bought the 2002 releases, the overall opinion is that the new ones are only worth picking up if you spot 'em in the Bargain Bins. For those of you who have neither the old or new sets, the new sets are acceptable, though bear in mind the extras have been removed (contrary to statements on the packaging) and the menus - which were brilliant on the old sets - have been badly redesigned.

Martin Shaw fans may like to know that the 1976 horror anthology series Beasts has just been issued on DVD. Martin starred in the ep "Buddy Boy". The series is a bit variable in quality, though. (Thanks to Dave Wicklow for jogging my elbow on this one!)

Thanks to a number of you reminding me, this site is ten years old today!!!

Amazon are currently offering the new versions of the Contender box-sets for a mere UKP12.97 each! (Thanks to Kevin Powell)

A new discussion forum for The Professionals (and The Sweeney) has been started here. (Many thanks to Kevin Powell).

Many Happy Returns to Lewis Collins - 60 today!

The date: 22nd May 1981. The location: Victoria Deep Water Terminal, London. The episode: 'Spy Probe'. Not latest news but just to say that today marks 25 years since Gordon, Martin and Lewis filmed their last ever scenes for the series! (In Lewis' case it very nearly become the last scene he filmed in his life!!) A quarter of a century on and has anybody come up with an action/adventure series to better The Professionals....?

A biography of Martin Shaw will be published later this year. The authors are Tim Ewbank and Stafford Hildred who have written similar volumes for other stars such as Joanna Lumley. I was chatting to Tim about the book a few days ago and we can expect plenty of Professionals coverage! Amazon are offering pre-ordering on the book here but the proposed publishing date of 29th September has yet to be confirmed. (Many thanks to Tim Ewbank and Claire Bonny).

As an addendum to yesterday's item, the UK's Independent newspaper published a small article on Friday stating that Laurie Johnson is in talks with the BBC (!!!) over the new series. This needs some clarification. It is true that the Beeb has been approached (along with other broadcasters, of course) but has yet to either accept or reject the idea. Either way the Independent's article was quickly removed from their website! (Thanks to Carol Good)

Back to the original series now. Following the success of the first Japanese DVD box set. the Stingray company is looking to issue another, once again with newly-recorded Japanese voice-overs. This time, however, a poll is asking fans to vote for the episodes that should appear on it. I believe the survey is accessible from this site but I can't read Japanese! (Many thanks to Andrew Davies)

BBC Radio 2 DJ Sarah Kennedy yesterday announced that ITV is to make a new series of The Professionals...

Envious at the huge success of the new Doctor Who and finally having to admit their audience share is in terminal freefall, ITV also seem to have been bitten by the "remake" bug, having recently hinted at fresh versions of shows such as The Avengers and The Prisoner. HOWEVER...

When speaking to Brian Clemens this morning, he was astonished to hear the news! As reported last December, Brian confirmed that he is working with an independent producer in the hope of creating a new series but ITV has not been approached about it. And without collaboration with Mark 1, ownership issues prevent the broadcaster from simply launching its own version.

My guess is that if ITV themselves have come up with this story (and how clever to "leak" it to their rival!), they are merely "fishing" in an attempt to see how the idea might appeal to Joe Public.

You can hear the (extremely brief!) announcement on the Kennedy show via the BBC's "Listen Again" site - skip ahead to 1h 15m.

(Many thanks to Gareth Bevan)

I'm getting a lot of enquiries about the new Contender DVD sets with people asking whether they are worth buying or is it better to hold on to the old sets. I haven't invested my own money in the new lot as although some tinkering has brought about better colour balancing, they are still not "remastered" in the true sense of the word. Certainly websites I have seen report minimal improvements.

However to help everybody, I would like to open this up to debate. Anyone out there who has both sets and would like to offer their own views, please do get in touch and I'll publish an overall concensus.

In the meantime, Play.com are offering selling both old and new DVDsets at good prices. (Thanks to June Ferguson)

Japan's "Mystery" satellite channel has just started to run episodes from The Professionals. No further details at the moment but it's looking like they will be screening the twelve episodes taht were made available on DVD last year. (Many thnks to Andrew Davies).

Martin Shaw is due to appear on the BBC's new chat show Davina next Wednesday at 8pm. (Thanks to Dave Wicklow).

The pilot episode and entire first season of Judge John Deed will be issued on DVD - current release date is 8th May. The BBC Shop are taking pre-orders. No word on any "extras" yet. (Thanks to Lin Reid)

British satellite station UK Gold is to broadcast a one-off quiz show called Classic Comeback in which celebrity teams have to answer questions about cult TV. One of the shows to be covered is The Professionals (along with Blake's 7 and Minder) and the production company is currently looking for a Profs fanatic to appear on the show. If anyone is interested contact Kelley Doak. The show will be recorded on 7th February at MTV's North London studio. If the show is a success, a full-blown series will follow.

Martin's interview on BBC Radio 2 is available for streaming download here. Fast-foward to the 1h25m mark. Actually the interview only lasted a few minutes but it's worth a listen to hear his (quite surprising) views on Judge John Deed. The Profs gets a good mention, too!

Happy Birthday to Martin Shaw who is 61 today!

Photograph agency Rex Features have a website from which you can view and order stills from The Professionals. Matthew Greenland at Rex informs me that he is about to add about 25 new pics of Lewis Collins. The site has a search facilty and I found it best to use the terms "Professionals", "Lewis Collins", "Martin Shaw" and "Gordon Jackson" with the "oldest" option. If you wish to place an order for any pics, you need to e-mail Matthew directly with a list of the index numbers assigned to each pic. Matthew will then respond with a quote. Prices range from 10GBP for 8" x 6" to 30GBP for 18"x12" sizes.

Martin should be appearing on Steve Wright's BBC Radio 2 show this Wednesday - apparently they had to reschedule it for some reason. (Thanks to Linda Lacy)

Martin Shaw will be interviewed on the BBC 1 programme The Heaven & Earth Show (by the gorgeous Kate Gerbeau - another reason to tune in!) next Sunday at 10am.

Well there was no sign of Martin for the Steve Wright show - I seem to rememeber they have "mis-scheduled" previous appearances for him, too. However you can listen to a recent interview he did for Radio 4's Woman's Hour programme here (It's not all girlie-talk, chaps!) - there's even a brief discussion of our fave show! I must say Marty seems much more open to talking about it these days. (Many thanks to Jesper Antvorskov and "Maxine")

An amusing tidbit for anyone who has seen the BBC's new fantasy cop show "Life on Mars" (which concerns a young detective suffering a car accident in modern-day Manchester and waking from a coma to find he has been mysteriously transported back to 1973). The Beeb's website is running a quiz to see if we could cope with life in the 1970s all over again. One of the questions asks us to choose our favourite of three actors: the options are the star of this new series, John Simm, a certain Mr Lewis Collins ("The action man, driving a fast car and seducing the ladies. ") and a certain Mr Martin Shaw ("The man for all seasons, enduring and smart" )! Of course it would an even better idea to see how Bodie and Doyle would cope with living in 2006!

Martin Shaw will be interviewed on the BBC Radio 2 show Steve Wright in the Afternoon this Friday some time between 2pm and 5pm. (Thanks to "Steve")

Martin Shaw was interviewed on BBC Radio Five Live a couple of days back. Mainly concentrating on A Man for All Seasons and Judge John Deed, there is quite a bit of discussion about a certain other show towards the end! You can hear a playback of the interview here. The playback cuts off abruptly towards the end - presumably because the programme overran slightly - but the missing dialogue just consists of the usual "thank you's". (Many thanks to "Greg" and Sue Tier)

There are some other online articles here and here, though they don't exactly reveal him in a great light! (Many thanks to Sue Sadler).

Judge John Deed started its new run last night... "except for viewers in BBC Scotland". Difficult to believe Auntie Beeb is still doing this! No problem, however, our friends north of the border can see the episode next Thursday. (Thanks to Olivia Gaffney).

Quick correction to last week's post - although the re-issued Strange Report DVD set has lost the "extras" disk as reported (which contained script PDFs and a "remastering" documentary amongst other items), the set retains the intro with Martin Shaw - apologies for the mistake and many thanks to Richard Spurr for alerting me!

I've just spotted a trailer for the new - and, as far as I'm aware - final season of Martin's legal drama Judge John Deed, commencing on January 6th! Read more at the BBC's website for the show.

Wow - another year has come and almost gone! Before my usual end-of-year report, here's are a few regular news items...

For some time now a Professionals DVD set has been available in Japan from a company called Stingray. Because all the sites I saw it on are in Japanese text, it's taken me a little while to establish some details! The set contains a selection of twelve episodes: 'Private Madness, Public Danger', 'Heroes', 'Close Quarters', 'Hunter/Hunted', 'Blind Run', 'The Purging of CI5', 'Servant of Two Masters', 'Mixed Doubles', 'Kickback', 'Foxhole on the Roof', 'Cry Wolf' and 'The Untouchables'

The set is a legitimate release. I understand it is very costly but the discs have an English soundtrack with Japanese subtitles plus the option of a Japanese dubbed soundtrack. The eps have had a small amount of digital "cleaning up" performed on them. I have yet to see them myself, so I can't yet pass judgment on them quality-wise. If the set proves to be a success, more releases will follow. The set can be ordered from here. Many thanks to "Yuko", "Kyo" and "Andy" for info!

I neglected to mention earlier that Lewis Collins fans may like to know that his musical A Night on the Town is now available on DVD. Play.com are offering it for a mere seven quid! (Thanks to Sue Sandy)

Trading card company Strictly Ink are about to launch a set of cards for The Professionals - I believe they can be pre-ordered, though the info on their site is a little confusing at the moment. (Thanks to Tony Buller).

2005 has been one of the quietest years for Professionals fans, though it's been pleasing to see DVD sales continue strongly, now with Japan, Germany and Australia joining the fray. I have recently received enquiries from a number of Mediterranean countries, too!

One worrying trend I've noticed is for DVD companies to re-issue their sets but drop any "extras" they originally contained. We've seen this with Contender's revised Professionals releases and Network's Sweeney. Fans of Martin Shaw need to be aware that the interview he did for Network's Strange Report set has recently been dropped, too. [Addendum -- Ooops! See Bullet-In for Dec 31st].

Martin Shaw's tour of A Man for All Seasons still seems to be going strong. I only just realised the other day that his daughter Sophie is also in the cast! (Pic kindly supplied by Sue Sadler)

Next year promises a lot more action. For starters two new books heralding the series should be hitting the shelves. Werner Schmitz' German-language tribute is presently being readied for the printing presses while in the UK Bob Rocca is hoping to finalise a deal with a publisher for his own examination of the show. More info on these items soon.

Long-term readers will be aware that a Professionals movie has been mooted for a number of years. Lack of progress now seems to have laid the idea to rest. However as I always like to end the year on a surprise note, I can reveal that in place of the movie, we may see a new television series! For the last few weeks discussions have been under way with a number of potential backers and apparently there is a strong level of interest. Should everything come together, production may start in the summer. I should clarify that it will have no connection at all to David Wickes' CI5 - The New Professionals and at this stage it is far too early to think about casting decisions. But with the huge success of the BBC series Spooks and, to a lesser degree, ITV's Ultimate Force, clearly there is still an appetite for the action-adventure-drama genre amongst broadcasters (in the UK, at least).

As ever, many thanks to everyone who has contributed to the site this year and I wish you all a great Christmas and all the best for the new year!

Alpha-One.

Many of you have been asking about a new DVD release of the first season (plus 'Rogue' from the second) by Contender Video in the UK. Screaming "Digitally Remastered" even more loudly than before(!), could this be the genuine article this time? Given Contender's absolute silence over the issue, I naturally had some doubts!...

Eamonn McCusker from the DVD Times website recently received a promo copy of the new set and discovered that visual quality is indeed improved over the 2002 release: colour balancing has been applied, while the overall picture is sharper - although I assume the latter is due to the use of a higher sampling bitrate.

Somewhat surprisingly Contender have not opted to lease the commentaries recorded by Brian Clemens for last year's Australian release. And as far as I'm aware, the audio is still problematic in places.

The first season has always been the one that needed the least restorative "magic" and Eamonn makes no comment about 'Rogue' which I'm guessing it's still as scratchy as ever... but in the absense of the negatives, a clean-up job on it remains sadly unfeasible.

For Eamonn's complete review and some picture quality comparisons, click here.

Some more dates and venues for Martin Shaw's tour of A Man For All Seasons can be found here - it's clearly been successful up to now! The tour is gradually creeping further northwards, though there's a massive void between Glasgow and Nottingham/Wolverhampton at the moment! (Many thanks to Lin Reid, Sue Sandy, Wendy Burrett and "Tricia").

Martin's recent TV work, The Murder Room is scheduled for a Stateside DVD issue on 25th October. As with his earlier Adam Dalgliesh story, there is still no sign of a UK release.

I forgot to mention that Martin's 1980 TV play Cream in My Coffee is now available on DVD in the UK as a set containing two of Dennis Potter's other works. Here's a link to Amazon (Many thanks to Angela Smyth).

If reports are to be believed, interest in the series' cars has recently reached dizzying heights: apparently the Capri driven by Lewis in the 1981 episodes has been auctioned for a staggering GBP100,000 !!!! I'm waiting for confirmation on this, though, as it seems an absurdly high figure, even with the apparent inclusion of Martin and Lew's signatures on the steering wheel. (Thanks to Bob Rocca.)

Readers may have noticed some UK retailers inviting pre-orders for a new DVD set entitled 'The Professionals (Remastered)'. This is simply a re-issue by Contender - although may be accompanied by new packaging - and unless they have performed some digital magic on their existing copies, do not expect the video or audio to be any different to the that which they have issued previously.

Kabel 1 in Germany are currently running the series but in a heavily-edited form, I understand. (Thanks to Remco Admiraal).

Fans of Mr Shaw may be pleased to hear that his 1980 Dennis Potter play 'Cream in My Coffee' should be available on DVD in the UK from September 12th, while his recent Adam Dalgliesh work 'The Murder Room' will be issued on shiny disk in the USA on October 25th - no word yet on a Brit release. (Thanks to "Maxine")

Fans of Dempsey and Makepeace - LWT's successor to our fave show - will be delighted to hear that Network Video in the UK will be issuing it on DVD sometime in the next twelve months. More info as I get it but given Network's supreme reputation for high-quality, extras-laden product, we could well be in for a proper remastering/restoration job with contributions from the series' stars Glynis Barber and Michael Brandon.

Bill Kenwright Productions has published details of their tour of A Man For All Seasons. (Hey - even The Professionals gets a mention!) Click here! (Many thanks to Angela Smyth.)

A couple of DVD-related items today. The new German set was isued on 14th July (by Universal Playabck) but Gitti Zbiek kindly informs me that at least one episode is cut! The scene in 'Private Madness, Public Danger' (or Gegen die Zeit as it is referred to in Germany) has lost the scene in which Cowley threatens to inject Sutton with heroin. I assume that Universal have used the German TV transmission versions for the DVD rather than record new German-language soundtracks.

A company called Stingray is set to issue a set of twelve episodes in Japan on 11th November. The set will include a selection of twelve episodes across seasons two to five and will have the original English soundtrack with Japanese subtitles plus a dubbed Japanese-language soundtrack. More info here but the site is in Japanese language only. More info soon. (Big thanks to "Kyo").

On-line retailer Play.com (aka Play247) is advertising an item called "The Professionals (Remastered)", due for release in September. Presently I have no idea what this is! Perhaps Play have simply made a mistake (no other retailer is advertising it as far as I know) or it may be a reference to the upcoming German set (although that is due out next month). Whatever - the "remastered" proclamation undoubtedly carries as little validity as all previous releases! (Thanks to June Ferguson and Graham Peacock)

Some tragic and shocking news today. Two of the series' guest stars, Ed Bishop and Michael Billington, passed away earlier this week in separate incidents. Ed starred in two episodes, 'Long Shot' and 'Man Without A Past', while Mike played villainous ex-boxer John Coogan in 'The Rack'. Of course Gerry Anderson fans will know they both had leading roles in UFO. The circumstances of Mike's passing are not yet known but it looks like Ed picked up a fatal virus while undergoing routine treatment in hospital - an investigation is under way. Deepest sympathy to both men's families. More details on Chris Bentley's Fanderson site. (Many thanks to "Zoe").

A quick note just to say that Lewis Collins turned 59 today!

Lewis Collins is to make a brief appearance in a sketch for the new ITV comedy show Monkey Trousers. Originally his episode - recorded last month - was apparently due to air in the autumn but it looks like ITV have actually pulled the series forward - the first episode airs tonight! (I'm guessing that with their latest string of self-inflicted ratings disasters, the broadcaster is desperately juggling its schedule around.) Presently I have no info on which actual episode Lewis will appear in. (Thanks to Nigel McMurdy).

Not "latest news" as such but Oz fan Di Hughes recently came across a video of a documentary about the 1980 siege on the Iranian Embassy in London. Focussing on the famous SAS rescue mission, Lewis Collins narrates! It looks like this tape was issued in 1996, though Lewis isn't mentioned on the packaging, so it's no surprise we've missed this. Amazon UK have a few left here.

We have confirmation that Martin Shaw will return to the theatre in a new version of A Man for All Seasons, initially at Windsor's Theatre Royal in October with the possibility of a transfer to the West End. (Many thanks to Gareth Bevan and Lin Reid).

A few items for today...

The series is to be issued on DVD in Germany. The present release date is 25th August. However, although details are still very sketchy, it's looking like the usual Contender format will be followed - ie fourteen-episode box sets. Almost certainly the episodes will be taken from Contender's DVD masters. Currently it is not clear whether a German-language soundtrack and/or subtitles will be added. I have just spoken to Brian Clemens to query whether this is a "legitimate" release and he confirmed. However the name of the company releasing the disks had slipped his mind! Anyway, more details as they emerge. (Many thanks to Lars Hennig)

Next up is news that UK satellite channel Men and Motors will be screening episodes from 2nd May (at 6pm). No other details at the moment as there doesn't appear to be a way of contacting them directly. However given M&M's affiliation with Granada Plus, I'm betting they've raided the defunct station's library and we'll be seeing the same butchered copies. Incidentally Freeview owners will be able to pick up M&M soon via Channel 38. (Many thanks to Kevin Bricknall).

A British DVD release for Lewis Collins' action flick Commando Leopard is due on 20th June. It's being distributed by Anchor Bay, a company which usually issues high-quality product, so it should be worth checking out. Amazon aren't listing it yet but you can pre-order it from Play.com. (Many thanks to June Ferguson and "Maxine")

Finally, for those of you thinking the site has gone a bit quiet lately, well I'm currently working on a whole batch of updates, one of which will be a new section to examine the myriad picture and sound quality issues surrounding each episode. Later on I'm hoping to have a definitive, comprehensive breakdown of the series' episode-by-episode production order, too.

Quick - and extremely short-notice! - update for today: Martin Shaw has narrated a documentary concerning the discovery of the 5,000-year old remains of a man. The Iceman Murder airs tomorrow (Tuesday) night on BBC1. (Thanks to Sue Tier)

Congrats to Martin Shaw who is 60 today!

Chasing up rumours of a return to British TV for Lewis Collins, the only response I could evoke from his agent, Susan James, was a rather terse "I don't wish to comment on that at this stage." Make of that what you will!

Hot on the heels of last week, rival TV listings mag TV Times features an interview with Mr Shaw with a discussion about Judge John Deed. Again barely a mention for The Professionals but there are a couple of decent photos. (Thanks to Dave Wicklow).

Judge John Deed is to return to British screens from January 13th with six 90-minute episodes. The BBC have a website for the show here (Thanks to Lin Reid).

This week's Radio Times magazine in the UK features a brief interview with Martin Shaw. Scant mention of The Professionals, though. (Thanks to "Ally")

This week's Radio Times magazine in the UK features a brief interview with Martin Shaw, primarily to promote the upcoming Dalgliesh drama. Scant mention of The Professionals, so one for Shaw fanatics only, really. (Thanks to "Ally")

As another year draws to an end, here's my usual "annual report" and a glimpse of the treats to come in 2005...

Although the new Australian DVDs increase worldwide exposure for the series, I have to say I can't get overly excited about them. With no inclination to provide quality prints to rival those of the recent Sweeney releases in the UK and even Umbrella's own fabulous Return of the Saint box set, Brian Clemens' two commentaries are probably going to be the only reason to buy them if you already own the Contender sets. At least Umbrella are retailing them as part of their "budget" price - and rightly so. Will The Professionals ever get a DVD release worthy of the show's name?! Of course the mysterious misplacement (or deliberate scrapping?) of the film negatives by LWT doesn't help the situation!

(Incidentally I can reveal that the Umbrella disks will NOT include the original title sequence on each episode as originally hoped for - this has been added as an "extra", though will include the Cowley voiceover and first version of the theme. The London landscape shot - as originally used in the end credits - will NOT appear at all, unfortunately.

As far as I can see, Umbrella will have little to offer by way of extras on subsequent releases. But given Martin Shaw's contribution to the release of the ITC series Strange Report, clearly there is a potential opportunity here.

This year saw the unceremonious dumping of the UK's Granada Plus satellite channel. Although rightly vilified for their policy of indiscriminate butchery and dwindling range of programming, they will be missed. An announcement on their website at the time of the closure tried to reassure us that some of the programmes they screened would eventually find their way to the channel which replaced them, ITV3. Given that The Professionals consistently topped GP's ratings, perhaps it would be reasonable to assume our fave show will be back on UK screens? I'm not so sure. Although ITV3 is available on satellite, it is primarily a terrestrial channel (albeit a digital-only one) and, as such, presumably falls foul of Martin Shaw's veto on repeats. I've certainly had no indication that this situation has been resolved.

However 2004 has not been all bad. On a more positive note Brian Clemens informs me that the mooted Professionals movie is still on(!!) Meetings with potential backers are to take place early in the New Year and he certainly seems confident that the film will be going ahead. Let's hope 2005 will at last see definite movement on this!

Martin Shaw's career remains in the ascendancy, supplementing the continuing adventures of John Deed with the critically acclaimed Adam Dalgliesh mystery - and, of course, we've got the second story coming in January.

Lewis has remained away from our screens for another year but recently rumours have started to circulate that he may revive his Dr Allen character in The Bill. And I might soon have some news regarding another show. Presently I am awaiting information from Lew's agent.

As ever many thanks to all of you who have supported and contributed to the website over the last twelve months!

I wish you all a fun festive period and a peaceful New Year!

Alpha One

Quick update on 'The Murder Room' - the BBC have now revised the tx dates to 1st and 2nd January. To be messing with the Festive schedule at this late stage seems rather alarming! (Thanks again to Lin Reid)

Fans of Lewis' work may like to know that his 1983 TV musical A Night on the Town will be issued on DVD in the UK in February, though you can pre-order it from places like Amazon right now. (Thanks to June Ferguson)

The BBC have postponed transmission of the first part of The Murder Room to Sunday 2nd January - presumably the second half will follow a week later. (Thanks to Lin Reid and Angela Smyth)

The BBC are due to screen the second Adam Dalgliesh story, The Murder Room, "in December" - as yet there is no precise date. However from various reviews following the recent tx in Australia, it's sounding as though this instalment may be even better than the first. (Thanks to Angela Smyth).

Just a quickie today. Martin Shaw has donated a signed book and photograph to leprosy charity LEPRA. I wouldn't normally advertise auctions but as this is for a good cause, you can see the items on eBay. (Thanks to "Marina").

The BBC have announced that they will screen new episodes of Judge John Deed in January. My understanding is that there will be at least six installments (Thanks to Mel Brown.)

Anyone who was watching out for Sky's documentary on TV cars the other week will now have to wait until 22nd December as the broadcaster elected to postpone the programme for unknown reasons. (Thanks to Bob Rocca).

This item is a bit late but I've only just become aware of it! In the UK, ITV's new channel, ITV3, has launched today and, in what appears to be a very last-minute decsision, has actually replaced Granada Plus. An announcement on the G+ website states:

"After the recent acquisition of [Granada Sky Broadcasting] by ITV, [Granada Plus] will cease broadcasting. You will be pleased to know that some of your favourite [Granada Plus] programmes will be found in the future on ITV3."

Whether this will mean our fave show returns, ITV aren't saying (yet). Certainly for the new channel's first week, there is no "vintage" Brit material lined up. But you can request/suggest programmes via ITV3's main contact address.

Sky One in Europe are due to screen a two-hour programme entitled TV's Greatest Cars on November 4th. It will feature the 1980 gold Capri driven by Martin Shaw. (Thanks to Bob Rocca)

Meanwhile the BBC are saying "early 2005" for transmission of their second Adam Dalgliesh story, The Murder Room. (Thanks to Tony Buller).

The Marks & Spencer chain in the UK have agreed a deal with Contender to market a "Best of The Professionals" DVD set. In fact it is nothing more than the first eight episodes from the first series - though at a modest ten quid. The set is available now from here. (Thanks to Tony Buller).

The second of the new Adam Dalgliesh mysteries, The Murder Room, is to play as a two-parter on Australia's ABC on 31st October and 7th November. Apparently a New Zealand broadcaster has bought the show, too. Meanwhile UK and US transmissions have yet to be announced. (Thanks to Georgina Dawe)

Not "latest" news as such but anybody interested in Lewis' musical career during the 1960s may like to know that Merseybeat expert Spencer Leigh has recently followed up his long out-of-print book 'Let's Go Down to the Cavern' with a new volume entitled 'Twist and Shout'. The book can be ordered through Amazon or directly from Spencer himself. (Thanks to "Maxine")

Umbrella in Australia are due to issue their first set of Professionals DVDs on 12th January 2005. Although ostensibly similar to Contender's sets (indeed using the same DVD "masters"), the disks will NOT be region coded and will incorporate some different extras such as audio commentaries by Brian Clemens on 'Private Madness, Public Danger' and 'Klansmen'. A separate "music and effects" tracks will be available on certain episodes but please note this is NOT an isolated music track: the prints that are presently available have the music and sound effects recorded together on the same track and they are, therefore, inseparable. The first set will include all thirteen episodes from the first season plus one episode from the second - possibly 'Rogue'. Umbrella's presentation pack (1.2MB - requires Adobe Acrobat) mentions the original "assault course" opening credits but it is not clear whether these have been grafted into the episodes or merely made available as a separate extra item. Please note that the final product may have a different packaging design. Presently I am awaiting further details. (Many thanks to Grant Taylor)

Martin's Death in Holy Orders will debut Stateside on PBS on the first and second Sunday of October. (Thanks to Anne Palmer and Joyce Chumbley)

A couple of short items for today. Amazon UK are currently selling their remaining copies of the Contender DVD "megaset" for a mere 44GBP! (Thanks to Scott Jepson).

Actor Glyn Owen who played Barry Martin in 'Rogue ' passed away earlier this month. A brief obit can be read on the BBC site. (Thanks to Lisa de Azevedo and Andrew Vaughan)

A small item today that may not come to anything. Apparently Martin Shaw is being considered for a stage revival of A Man for All Seasons. No further info at the moment - hopefully Martin's agent will come through with more details if the account is true. (Many thanks to Georgina Dawe).

The BBC are reporting that Martin Shaw's vintage biplane has crashed during take-off in Norfolk. However Martin himself was not on board - more details here . (Thanks to Lisa de Azevedo)

Over the last few months I've been hinting at new DVD releases for the series. I can now announce that Umbrella Entertainment have acquired the rights for Australasia and are planning to issue the series from early 2005.

It is presently not clear whether Umbrella will be applying Region Coding to the disks but a quick glance at their recent releases suggests they are quite liberal-minded on this point! The picture format will be PAL only, however.

Material for extras is currently being investigated, though there are no details yet. Of course I have passed on a large list of stuff we would like to see (!) and I have also enquired about the possibility of including subtitles for the hard-of-hearing.

The not-so-good news, however, relates to the picture quality. Umbrella originally intended to use the negatives (or inter-negatives) of each episode to create proper, new digital prints. I pointed out to them that the negs for seasons 2 to 5 were missing. Sure enough they haven't turned up. As a result Umbrella will be picking up the prints used by Contender and Granada Plus. This is disappointing because of the known colour-balancing and "grain" problems with many of these prints - points which I have pressed Umbrella to sort out as far as possible. This also applies to the first season, despite the fact that the negs are available for those episodes - it's not clear why these have not been used. That said, Umbrella have acquired a proud reputation for quality releases over the last couple of years and I'm sure they won't want to let themselves down on what is bound to be a huge seller for them!

Other than that, further details will be published here as and when they are finalised. Stay tuned! (Many thanks to Grant Taylor at Umbrella)

American fans may like to know that Martin Shaw's Death in Holy Orders will receive a Stateside DVD release in October. You can, however, pre-order it from places such as Amazon. Meanwhile a UK release will appear "sometime" next year, according to the BBC. (Thanks to Georgina Dawe and Sue Pittard)

A fourth season of Judge John Deed is due to be transmitted in the UK some time in the autumn - as ever the BBC have not yet set a precise date. Meanwhile the Beeb is pitching an idea for an American version of the show. However they say this would almost certainly involve casting an American actor in the eponymous role. (Thanks to Maxine Martin)

Further to the single-disk DVDs from Contender, they plan to issue all sixteen during the course of this year and next. Disk 5 is planned for September 13th. (Thanks to Martyn Alcott and to Ian Atkins at Contender).

The other DVD venture I keep hinting about is still "on" and I hope to be able to have definite info on this within the next few weeks.

Fans of the cars used in the series may like to know that Cowley's red Granada from the 1978 episodes has now been identified - hop over to the Car Pool for more info. (Thanks as ever to Bob Rocca)

For those interested, the image of Lewis from the Getty exhibition was taken as a quick pre-publicity shot for Who Dares Wins in August 1981. (Thanks to "The Minister" and James Harris).

Some of you may be aware that Contender issued single-disk Professionals sets of the first season. Selected HMV stores are presently offering all these for GBP5.99 each of GBP20 for the set of four. (Thanks to Dave Wicklow)

The edition of the comedy show The Freddie Starr Experience from 1978 which featured Lewis and Martin in a bizarre sketch is to be screened by Granada Plus on Saturday 26th June. (Thanks to Chris Dixon)

According to this month's Total DVD magazine Martin has recorded some material for the upcoming release of the 1969 detective mystery series Strange Report, due out on 28th June. I have no further details at the moment but I am asuming he will be introducing the episode in which he guested, "Sniper: When is Your Cousin Not?". Confirmation and more info as I get it! (Thanks to an anonymous source for the tip-off).

For Sweeney fans, DVD boxset 3 is due out on 26th July (though, as ever with Network releases, this may slip as they finalise any "extras"). Incidentally they never issued a corrected disk for the second set... let's just hope the latest one has had some quality control applied! (Thanks to Dave Wicklow.)

Following GQ magazine's "50 Best Dressed Men" poll, London's Getty Image Gallery is exhibiting large-sized prints from the mag - indeed the very first one you see as you walk in is a huge close-up of Mr Collins! The exhibition is running until 15th June. (Many thanks to Maxine Martin)

The Professionals seems do be doing the rounds among community channels across Australia at the moment. Melbourne's RTV is now screening episodes at 2pm local time every Friday though the quality of the prints is terrible! Bizarrely the show is being sponsored by a hearing aid company!?! (Many thanks to Vicki Lustig).

Happy Birthday to Lewis Collins! Anyone wishing to send him birthday greetings may do so via his UK agent, Susan James at Mr Lewis Collins, c/o Susan James, 5 Denmark Street, London WC2H 8LP. Apparently she has already received three sackfuls! (Thanks to Debbie Donohue).

The BBC have annouced that filming on the fourth season of Judge John Deed has just commenced - more details here. (Thanks to "Marina")

Czech TV station Nova are curerntly screening episodes of The Professionals on Saturday afternoons. (Thanks to Daniel Bartos)

UK magazines GQ and Helloare currently running a top 50 poll for "Best Dressed Man of All Time". Avengers star Patrick Macnee has come eighth while Lewis Collins polls a respectable twentieth. Check out the full results here and please let me know if you can identify when the shot of Lewis was taken. The slimmer facial features and hairstyle would appear to indicate that it was taken during Who Dares Wins but he appears to be wearing flared trousers which were long out of fashion by then. (Many thanks to Lisa de Azevedo)

UK magazine GQ is currently running top 50 poll for "Best Dressed Man of All Time". Avengers star Patrick Macnee has come eighth while Lewis Collins polls a respectable twentieth. Check out the full results here and please let me know if you can identify the time and place where the shot of Lewis was taken. The slimmer features and brushed-back bouffant hairstyle would appear to indicate that it was taken during Who Dares Wins but he appears to be wearing flared trousers which were long out of fashion by then. (Many thanks to Lisa de Azevedo)

Any European fans who missed Lewis' episode of The Bill can catch repeats next Monday afternoon and evening on the UKGold and UKGold+1 satellite channels. (Thanks to Jesper Antvorskov and Chris Dixon).

A warning for Sweeney fans: DVD Set 2 is finally out but there are reports of picture break-up on some of the disks. Network have acknowledged the problem and, I presume, will issue corrected disks soon. Stay tuned! (Thanks to Dave Wicklow)

Some of you have spotted very low-priced Professionals DVDs being advertised by certain on-line stores such as Play for release in April. Contender have opted to reissue several of their titles under a new "budget" range, so there are bargains to be had! These disks are not connected to the proposed entirely new releases that I mentioned in December - of which I hope to bring you more details soon! (Thanks to everyone who e-mailed me!)

A quick one today for Martin Shaw fans in Oz: 'Death in Holy Orders' is to be screened across the country this Sunday evening. (Thanks to Andrew Williams, Di Hughes and Georgina Dawe)

Next week's UK edition of Classic Car Weekly magazine is due to feature an article on the cars used in The Professionals. The mag is published on Wednesday 4th Feb. (Thanks to Ash George)

Not really latest news as such but I've noticed some interest in a vegetarian cookbook of Martin Shaw's favourite recipes. It was actually published quite a while ago but it's been difficult to get hold of. Anyway, you should be able to order it from the Viva site (Thanks to Juliet Legg).

Viva are also marketing a video protesting against so-called "factory farming". Martin appears with several other famous faces. The vid (available in both PAL and NTSC formats) can be ordered from this page. (Thanks to Kathryn Gray)

Just a reminder for UK fans of Judge John Deed that the postponed episode from last year will be screened tomorrow.

Fans of Laurie Johnson's music may be interested in his newly-published autobiography, Noises in the Head. The Avengers, New Avengers and Professionals are all given coverage including previously unknown production details along with all the other major projects Laurie has taken part in over his long career. The book is published by Bank House Books and should be available to order from them direct in a few weeks' time but at the moment you can obtain it from the usual places such as Amazon UK or Amazon US. (Incidentally, ignore Amazon's erroneous reference to "September 2000" as the publishing date!)

(Thanks to Bank House Books for permission to use the cover scan)

Happy Birthday to Martin Shaw who is 59 today!

Martin has been voted Best Actor and "Most Desirable Drama Star" in a poll on the BBC's website! (Thanks to Georgina Dawe and "Kevser")

Lewis' action film Commando Leopard is to receive a UK DVD release in April by the respected Anchor Bay company. Presently details on extras have yet to be publicised. I note the disk is a "15" rating which might mean it is a cut-down version. The British Board of Film Classification state that they have not demanded any cuts but it may be that they were provided with a print that was already cut down (indeed their site shows they have approved two versions: one with a runtime of 102 minutes but another at just 90 minutes!?!). I am awaiting clarification from Anchor Bay. (Thanks to Gareth Bevan)

Online store MVC are offering the first Sweeney boxset for a mere 19 GBP! I normally get a bit jittery when we see such spectacular bargains as it tends to mean sales figures haven't been too good. However Network say their investment in the show has paid off well. (Thanks to Carol Good).

UK fans of Judge John Deed will be pleased to hear that the final episode of the current season will be shown on 26th January, having been dropped at the very last minute on 18th December. The unannounced postponement (to accomodate special coverage of the Soham child murders case) apparently led to a barrage of complaints. What?! British people complaining??! What a concept! (Thanks to Leah Prowse and Joyce Chumbley)

HMV are currently selling the four-disk DVD sets for twenty pounds each (Thanks to Dave Wicklow)

EMERGENCY UPDATE! European fans who are able to receive Germany's Kabel 1 channel can catch a rerun of the first season from tomorrow. The station has even set up a small webpage about the show. (Thanks to Jesper Antvorskov and Martina Buecker)

A new Professionals T-shirt appears to have hit the market in the UK. At present I do not know who is marketing it but it can be bought from Virgin Megastores for a reasonable ten pounds or HMV for GBP13. More info as I get it. (Thanks to Tony Buller and Chris Dixon for info. Thanks to Tony for the scan).

A quick note to inform you all that Amazon UK are selling the DVD "mega-set" for a mere fifty quid! (Thanks to Rob Prescott)

Another year draws to a close and, as ever, I would like to thank you all for continuing to support and encourage the site!

Looking back, 2003 has been one of the quietest years in the lifetime of the site. Yet the popularity of The Professionals simmers along quite nicely with the usual repeats around the world. Indeed at this year's Cult TV convention here in the UK, the show won the award for Best Repeat Series (thanks to Alison Hall for the tip-off!)

It has also been a less hectic year for Martin Shaw, with his Adam Dalgliesh "pilot" and a handful of new Judge John Deed episodes being his major source of employment. Both series are due for new stories in 2004. (The BBC have issued a Dalgliesh press release - thanks to Lin Reid for the pointer). However the highlight for me has to be his hilarious interview with Steve Wright on Radio 2 back in August.

Over the festive period, UK fans can catch Martin in The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, to be screened by Channel 4 on 30th December. (Thanks to Maureen Wilson)

Sadly we have seen nothing from Lewis Collins this year. It transpires that he was due to commence rehearsals for a new play (entitled "Mixed Feelings" by renowned sitcom writer Eric Chappell ) this month but has apparently had to pull out due to "family commitments". (Thanks to "Leitz")

2003 saw the DVD industry continue its incredible acceleration. Essentially commencing with the amazing James Bond sets a couple of years back, the trend to include real extras alongside either a remastered or digitally restored main feature has now spread to TV shows - early seasons of The Sweeney and Red Dwarf being two notable examples this year. The more astute DVD companies now accept that quality, effort and commitment can reap rewards in terms of sales volumes. What does this mean for The Professionals, having already received mediocre releases? Has the horse already bolted the stable for our fave show? Maybe not. If LWT can locate the film negatives for seasons 2 to 5, next year could well see the adventures of CI5 receive a fresh DVD release - this time creating clean, genuinely remastered prints accompanied by worthy extras. I hope to have more definite news on this early next year.

Fans of Brian Clemens' other work will be delighted to hear that his classic horror series Thriller is due to receive a DVD release in the latter half of 2004 by upcoming Australian company Umbrella. I understand they are presently trying to track down the best possible copies of each episode and will be attempting to reconstitute them as originally broadcast in the UK, rather than the American "TV movie" versions later produced.

Some of you may remember the mooted Professionals movie! Development on this is frustratingly slow, the biggest problem - as with many TV or film projects - is financing. Although still officialy "on", the only progress this year has been the submission and acceptance of storyboarding and costume design. Unsurprisingly there is still no word on casting.

However, let's end on a high note. I have some fantastic news for fans of the show's cars: in the last few days, news reaches me that the elusive Escort RS2000 has finally been tracked down! Check out its entry on the Star Cars page for the full story.

I hope you all have a fun-packed Christmas and peaceful, prosperous 2004!

Alpha One.

Judge John Deed fans may like to know that Martin's son Luke will be appearing in next week's episode. (Thanks to Lynne Stewart).

Sweeney fans eagerly awaiting the second DVD box set will have to wait a few more months, unfortunately. Network Video have delayed its release until 23rd February (provisionally), though have declined to reveal the reasons for the delay. I don't think there's anything "sinister" in this, though - I suspect they are simply concentrating on preparing more extras. The third and fourth sets are now set for April and June releases. (Thanks to Dave Wicklow).

To promote the new season of Judge John Deed, Martin Shaw will be appearing on the Channel 4's (infamously awful) Richard & Judy show on Tuesday 25th November. I wouldn't be suprised if the chatter moves on to talk about certain other shows Mr Shaw is famous for! (Thanks to Lee at the Television Gold website)

The BBC have finally confirmed that the third season of Judge Juhn Deed will air from Thursday November 27th. They have also updated their website for the show. Martin's son Luke will guest star in one of the episodes, apparently. (Thanks to Sue Pittard).

The new season of Martin Shaw's Judge John Deed apparently begins transmission this month, according to BBC's own "coming soon" page. As we have come to expect from the elderly and, frankly, senile "Auntie", however, there is no precise date given and, confusingly, the website dedicated to the show is still focussed around last year's season. (Thanks to Angela Smyth and Penny Brandon.)

Just a quick update on first Sweeney DVD box set (due for release on 29th September) - hop over to here for a very encouraging review!

Another Capri used in the series is up for auction! This time it's the silver one driven by Lewis in the 1979 episodes...

Despite restoration work over the years, the car retains much of its originality and is a runner in near-concourse condition. For more details and/or to make a serious bid, check out this eBay page.

Those of you looking for an uncut version of newly-issued Codename: Wildgreese DVD might be having a bit of a struggle! Erwin Dietrich's team are now saying that despite putting pressure on the German authorities, they have not been permitted to issue the full-length version at all. Hence the FSK16 disk (available from places like Amazon) is the only one available at the moment. I do not possess an uncut version to compare against but apparently the edits are quite extensive. If you happen to own the super-rare original FSK18 release from 2001 was ... hold on to it!! (Thanks again to "Mac")

UK fans have another chance to catch the pilot episode of Judge John Deed when it is screened by the UK Drama channel on 11th September at 9pm. (Thanks to Maureen Wilson and "Joe")

For those of you eagerly anticipating the first Sweeney box set on 29th September, Network Video has now CONFIRMED a huge stack of extras such as episode commentaries and interviews by various lead and guest actors and production crew. Isolated (stereo) music tracks are also available. The set also includes an episode of Special Branch starring Dennis Waterman (this show was effectively a pre-cursor to Sweeney). Just shows what can be achieved when dedication and effort is heaped on a product. For full details, check out this page. Now if we could get a decent-quality re-release of the pilot TV movie Regan...

For those folks tuning into Radio 2's The Arts Programme the other night and wondering what happened to Martin Shaw, the BBC - in it's usual left hand/right-hand mutual unawareness - made some sort of scheduling error. According to one employee the station now has a policy which forbids them from a guest appearing more than once in any twenty-four hour period?!? (Thanks to Maureen Wilson).

Thankfully his earlier interview with Steve Wright went ahead as planned and he revealed that there are four new Judge John Deed episodes lined up for transmission (sometime later this year, I presume - no point asking the BBC!) with another six to be filmed next year.

Martin's appearance on the Steve Wright show will be this coming Friday afternoon. That evening he will also be taking part in the station's Arts Programme. The two-part Death in Holy Orders will be screened on Saturday and Sunday evenings. (Many thanks to Lin Reid, Fiona MacDonald and Maureen Wilson).

Martin Shaw is due to be a guest on BBC Radio Two's Steve Wright show "soon". I have asked the Beeb to give me a precise date. No doubt the interview will act as publicity for Death in Holy Orders - now slated for transmissio over the August Bank Holiday weekend. He will also be plugigng the show on the GMTV breakfast show on 22nd August (perhaps in a pre-filmed interview?).

Also I've just discovered a press pack for Holy here, though beware this Adobe Acrobat document is almost 2MB in size.

Thanks to Lindsay Meader, Tracey Lusher-Chamberlain, Maureen Wilson and Lynne Stewart.

The BBC have a new documentary show called Watching the Detectives which will follow investigations into real-life crimes. Starting transmission tomorrow, it is being narrated by Martin Shaw. (Thanks to Maureen Wilson)

Possibly some good news on the Commando Leopard DVD as there has been confusion between this and the upcoming Codename: Wildgeese release. I am now informed that the version of Leopard sold by Germany-based online retailers is NOT cut after all as, even when rated as a "16", it got by German film censors with no problems. As such, then, this is the only version of the disk released. However Erwin Dietrich's team say that Wildgeese WILL be sold as two versions: a cut FSK16 version and an uncut FSK18 rating. Stand by for further info on this. (Thanks again to "Mac".)

Sweeney fans may like to know that the first-season DVD box-set can now be pre-ordered from places like Amazon for a release date of 29th September. At the moment there is no confirmation on what extras will be included in the set, though a Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track and isolated music score is being mooted.

Feedback on the Commando Leopard DVD is starting to come in. I must admit I haven't bought a copy yet!...

Unfortunately there is a question mark over whether the film is the uncut version. According to the movie's producer, Erwin Dietrich, Germany's censorship laws (which, unbelievably, seem even more perverse than those of the UK!) mean that Internet retailers in that country can only sell a "modified" version of the film. Apparently an uncut version is available to buy from Internet retailers in other countries such as Austria and Switzerland. (All this could well explain why Amazon Germany got confused about the DVD set in the first place!) The uncut version will have a rating stamp marked "FSK 18". If this information is correct, then do NOT order this disk from Amazon Germany. I realise many of you will already have done so and obviously it's annoying for you folks that this information didn't come to light until after the release. (When I see stacks of these turning up on eBay...!).

The "Making Of" documentary is causing some controversy. Although running to fifty minutes, in fact it reuses footage and interview clips repeatedly, rendering the true length of the piece to about half that! Most of the docmentary is spoken in the Swiss dialect of German, though largely covered by English subtitles. Lewis' appearances are spoken entirely in English, however.

In the meantime, Splendid Films have announced DVD releases for Codename: Wildgeese/Geheimcode: Wildganse (25th August) and The Commander/Der Kommander (29th September). The former will include audio in English, German, Italian and French plus an "isolated" music track which means you can watch the movie with just the visuals and music playing, The set will also include theatrical trailers and interviews, though there are no precise details on the latter just yet. Again, I suspect we'll need to buy these from non-German retailers.

Big thanks to Linda Hykes, Gitti Zbiek, Birgit Lamerz-Beckschaefer, Tobias Kessler, Arminio Grgic and "Mac".

After a slight delay for the release of Commando Leopard, I'm delighted to confirm that the DVD does include the multiple-language soundtracks as originally anticipated. Indeed Amazon's German website has promptly restored the information that they withdrew in the first place! One thing to note, however, is that the "Making Of" documentary is German-only audio but with English subtitles.

The film's producer Erwin Dietrich says that similar releases for the other Lewis Collins actioners Codename Wildgeese and The Commander are being planned - hopefully for the autumn.

Big thanks to Birgit Lamerz-Beckschaefer, Arminio Grgic and "Mac".

Martin Shaw's Death in Holy Orders has been scheduled for transmission by the BBC.... well... sort of. They are presently saying "in July or August this year". Given that we're only a few days away from July yet there is no precise tx date one has to wonder whether the BBC really take their own programming seriously these days, even when it includes their current star performer!?! (Thanks to Angela Smyth and Gareth Bevan)

It is rumoured that Mr Shaw may be in talks about a couple of West End theatrical projects. No further info at the moment. Stay tuned! (Thanks to "Karen")

Splendid Films insist that the upcoming Commando Leopard DVD does indeed contain the multi-lingual options advertised on their website. They think Amazon are (mistakenly?) advertising an old German-language-only version (released in 2001, apparently). Amazon themselves acknowledge that they have changed the information on their site but are unable to say why...

My advice to anyone who has pre-ordered the disk from a retailer who states "German-only" is to cancel it until we know for sure what options we are getting. You would have no claim against them if the disk turns out to be uni-lingual after all. I'm not saying Splendid are wrong about their own disk but mistakes over such "extras" are surprisingly common. And even if Splendid are correct, Amazon could quite legitimately ship you out the old German-only version anyway!

Not very helpful this, is it? Well it will all become clear in a week's time!

(Thanks to Marko Mueller at Splendid, Stefanie Heindl at Amazon and Arminio Grgic)

EMERGENCY UPDATE: There is some confusion surrounding the audio options available on the upcoming Commando Leopard DVD. Until recently Amazon's Germany website had stated that the disk wouild be multi-lingual, echoing the information from Splendid Entertainment's own website. Although Splendid still say this, Amazon are now saying the dialogue track is German-only. I have e-mailed Splendid to ask them to clarify the situation. (Many thanks to Arminio Grgic)

UK DVD retailer Mr Bensons is apparently offering the Professionals DVD box sets at twenty quid each. I say "apparently" because in their previous sales promotion, they soon withdrew the offer, though continued to advertise it. (Thanks to Carol Good)

More news on the Commando Leopard DVD. The audio track options available will be German, English, Spanish, Italian and French. The extras will be a "Making Of" documentary, filmographies of the lead actors and the original theatrical trailer. The set is being issued by Splendid Film GmbH. PAL format with Region 2 coding. You can pre-order it from Amazon's Germany-based website. (Thanks again to Tobias Kessler)

Other news today is that The Professionals is currently enjoying a new run in Australia - Sydney's Community TV channel to be precise. Tune in every Friday at 2pm. Argentina's I-Sat station is also screening daily reruns at 7pm. (Thanks to Christian Schwarz, Liliana Maiola and Sonny Faiz)

Lewis Collins' film actioner Commando Leopard is to be issued on DVD in Germany on 30th June. I still have to confirm these details but apparently the two-disk set will comprise an English-language audio track option (along with German, I presume) and a number of "extras". The movie itself will be presented in its original Cinemascope ratio. Usual PAL format and Region 2 encoding, I would expect. Stand by for further details..! (Many thanks to Tobias Kessler)

Nearly forgot again! Mr Collins is a whippersnapping 57 years old today!

For UK fans who have yet to catch Lewis' episode of The Grimleys, Granada Minus are about to rerun the series - though it will, of course, probably be a butchered version. More info as I get it.

UK fans of Mr Shaw may like to catch repeats of The Scarlet Pimpernel to be screened by satellite channel UK Drama from 23rd May. (Thanks to Maureen Wilson)

More info on the upcoming Sweeney DVDs and it gets better all the time. As well as properly remastered episodes, there will be a new documentary on the show plus the strong possibility of previously- unseen footage and out-takes. I understand they are also hoping to line up an interview with Dennis Waterman (who has always been very supportive of the show). I wouldn't mind betting they snag Garfield Morgan (who played the guv, Haskins, of course), too. The only downer is that we will have to wait until September for the first-season box-set. The second is due in November and then three & four in early 2004. Of course these are rough approximations and subject to change. However it sounds like these disks will be well worth the wait! (Many thanks to Grant Foster)

Although the BBC have, as far as I'm aware, still to confirm a transmission date for its dramatisation of Death in Holy Orders, they have already issued a paperback version - as pictured here. You can order it direct from Penguin Books or Amazon. (Many thanks to Maureen Wilson)

This year's Professionals Locations Weekend (entitled "2003 - A Professionals Renaissance"!) has been firmed up for June 14th and 15th. As usual we'll be some newly-uncovered haunts and revisiting one or two popular ones from previous years. The total cost per person for coach hire and hotel accommodation is 97.50GBP. For more details and an application e-form, please e-mail Paul Fletcher-Ridley. Please be quick, however, as places are filling up already!

The special offer on the DVD sets by Mr Bensons seems to have gone awry. If you use the link I provided (see 16th March entry), the offers still seem to stand but when placing any of the sets in the Shopping Basket, the price is 36UKP. I've asked Bensons to clarify this. (Thanks to Lee Morrell and Ian Hood)

For those of you interested in the new Special Edition of the Jack the Ripper DVD, you may like to be warned that the picture has been "cropped" vertically in order to "translate" its original 4:3 presentation (ie normal TV ratio) to "pseudo"-Widecreen. Quite how much (or little) this affects your viewing pleasure is, of course, down to personal taste but I understand the results are not as bad as the ridiculous "widescreen" versions of the Sweeney episodes released a couple of years back. There seem to be differing views on whether the results are acceptable or not. If you've got the original Ripper DVD release from 2000, you might like to hang on to it... for comparison purposes at least!

Just a couple of quickies for today: Australian channel Rennaisance TV is currently screening episodes of The Professionals at 11am each Friday. (Thanks to "Number 6").

The previously-mentioned Sweeney movies are to get a Region 2 (ie UK) release - once again as a single-disk double-feature. Depending on which website you visit, the disk is due out in either in May or July. Apparently the picture quality of the R1 release is not too hot, so it may be worth waiting for the British version, though as far as I'm aware they have not been remastered. (Thanks to Gareth Bevan and Tony Buller).

Esteemed UK DVD retailer Mr Bensons is selling the box sets for a mere twenty-two pounds each! I've not used Bensons myself but I've heard they're pretty reliable. (Thanks to Rob Prescott)

Martin Shaw has just been awarded top "Drama TV Performer" by the Television and Radio Industries Club. To be honest I've never heard of them, so I've no idea how "prestigious" this award is supposed to be but they apparently held some grand ceremony to dish out the gongs! Whatever - you can check out their website here. (Many thanks to Sue Pittard)

Fans of the series' cars should be aware that the UK's Drivers Vehicle Licensing Authority have "accidentally" issued the "fake" registration numbers for the Escort RS2000 and 1980 gold Capri. Check out the Star Cars page for more info.

British fans can catch a broadcast of the Michael Cain/Lewis Collins version of Jack the Ripper on The Biography Channel on Wednesday 19th February. (Thanks to Corinne Evans)

Meanwhile Australia's ABC broadcaster will be screening Lewis' episode of The Bill at 8.30pm on Saturday 22nd February. (Thanks to Sharon Dichiera)

Australia's UKTV cable channel is screening Martin Shaw's Rhodes miniseries and his episodes of Doctor in the House during weekends. (Thanks to Louise O'Brien)

As mentioned a couple of months back, Brian Clemens was approached for the BBC show Ford and Me but his interview was excised from the final edit. However from 23rd February the Beeb will be screening a new series entitled Car Junkies and we'll see the interview here. Brian talks about the polarised experiences of using British Leyland and Ford in The New Avengers and The Professionals. (Many thanks to David Barrett at the BBC).

Another update for Sweeney fans: in a surprising move Fremantle - the new owners of the series and with their own video/DVD division - have actually licensed the series to Network Video, a small independent company gaining a reputation for good quality product. In a semi-official announcement, Network have confirmed their intention to remaster the series from the original negatives. They will also retain the programme's original 4:3 picture aspect ratio (some of you may be aware that Fremantle caused bewilderment and uproar when their own fresh prints were bizarrely remastered in widescreen) . Episodes will probably be issued in season-by-season box sets. As yet, however, there is no fixed release date for the first set but it will be some time this year. Aspect ratio aside, Fremantle's somewhat abortive releases from 2001 (now often found in the bargain buckets) did at least prove that the original negs were still in superb condition, so this should bode well for Network's efforts. Perhaps if The Sweeney sells well, it might make somebody think about trying to track down the negs for The Professionals! (Thanks to Rob Pritchard)

New Zealand's TV One channel is currently screening episodes from the third season on a daily basis. (Thanks to Danel Tobin)

Continuing the Anchor Bay thread, their UK operation is about to issue the Michael Caine/Lewis Collins adaptation of Jack the Ripper on DVD (Region 2, PAL format). Now of course this was issued a couple of years back but this new "Special Edition" includes a commentary by writer/director David Wickes and twenty minutes of footage from the original shoot which had Barry "Van Der Valk" Foster playing Caine's Abberline role. Play.com are advertising it for the sporting sum of 14GBP and say they expect it in for 3rd February, though Anchor Bay's site claims it's actually the 24th. (Big thanks to Jill Stones)

Just an addendum to the Sweeney news from yesterday. Fan Dave Wicklow recently heard from the present license-holders, Fremantle. They confirmed that they are in the process of remastering episodes (and presumably plan to do all 52). My understanding is that this means REAL remastering from the original film negatives - not just simply copying grubby old prints to a digital tape. Fremantle plan to start issuing the episodes to the UK market some time this year. I don't intend to give a huge amount of coverage to Sweeney but a lot of Professionals fans - me included - do enjoy the adventures of Regan and Carter, so I simply propose to issue brief Bullet-Ins as and when.

Martin Shaw is 58 years old today!

Sweeney fans might be interested to know that the two theatrical movies from the series are to be issued as a double-feature on DVD on 4th February. Bizarrely it is being issued in the USA (by the prolific Anchor Bay company), with no sign of a release on home soil?! So, of course, that means NTSC format and Region 1. At a mere fifteen dollars, reputable Stateside online retailer Deep Discount DVD appear to be offering the best price. (Meanwhile there's no further news on a release of the regular TV series in any territory)

Martin Shaw and Judge John Deed have apparently have won accolades from viewers in the BBCs informal (and, to be honest, rather self-congratulatory) Drama awards for 2002. Martin came 4th and 3rd in the Best Actor and, ahem, Most Hunkiest Male stakes respectively (who says the BBC is dumbing down?!?) while JJD itself was voted eighth Best Drama series. More detail here (Thanks to Maureen Wilson)

Bridget ("Betty") Brice is currently appearing in a UK television ad for Flora "Pro-activ" margarine. (Thanks to Sue Tier)

Competition in the Megaset stakes is hotting up! Highly respected online retailer Play.com (formerly "Play247") is selling it for a mere 96GBP. UK buyers should still be aware of the chance of being copped for customs charges, however, as Play are based in Jersey which falls outside the European Union. Overseas fans should also note that Play will only deliver to selected countries, though shipping to European countries is free. (Thanks to Alison Baker and Patrick Tochel)

Virgin Megastores in the UK will be selling the DVD "Megaset" for 100GBP on Thursday... the catch is that this special offer begins at 10am... and ends fifteen minutes later!!! (Thanks to Greg Bengtson)

A couple of items for UK fans: BBC1 is to screen a show called Total Cops next Monday evening. It will feature clips from classics such as Z-Cars, Softly Softly, The Sweeney and The Professionals (plus other soporific stuff like Morse). It's not clear what the actual purpose of the programme is... but it certainly sounds interesting.

On the afternoon of the same day ITV1 will be rerunning the Wish You Were Here...? programme that featured Martin Shaw with wife Vicky Kimm. I'm not sure, however, whether this will be networked across all regions.

Thanks to Maureen Wilson for info!

The fourth DVD set is out TODAY! That's not the first time staff at Contender haven't known their own release dates!! However the general release of the "megaset" is still the 30th.... apparently! (Thanks to Dave Wicklow)

Well another year draws to a close and I'd like to thank you all for continuing to support the website...

Looking back over the last twelve months the big Professionals event has, of course, been the issue of the entire series on DVD (remember the final set is due on the 30th December). Overall I think Contender's efforts have been reasonable considering they weren't prepared to pump much money into the project (yet sales, apparently, well exceeded their expectations).

The year marked the "Silver Jubliee" of the show and we celebrated with a tour of classic Professionals locations in London and the western home counties. Despite the huge amount of redevelopment over the last twenty-five years, there are still stacks of locations that remain entirely recognisable. I'd like to thank Paul Fletcher-Ridley once again for organising the event... we'll soon have information regarding the tour for 2003.

Martin Shaw has had another successful year with lead roles in two major television series, even if A&E inevitably ran out of decent storylines and descended to typical soapy shenanigans. Who can blame Martin and the other decent "talent" on the show deciding to jump ship?! Given the dismal state of British television these days, I must say Judge John Deed has been a breath of fresh air. And this year's season has been more realistic than the first... it could just do with some more scenes involving Caroline Langrishe :-P

But what of Mr Collins? Well, of course, his big event this year was a one-off guest slot in The Bill. Unfortunately despite a huge amount of anticipative excitement, reaction from fans to his performance was, shall we say, "low key"!

The festive period offers a few movies for British fans of Martin and Lewis. On Monday 23rd December Granada Minus will be screening Who Dares Wins (though almost certainly a "watered-down" version). You can also catch Lewis in the cultural zenith that is Confessions of a Driving Instructor on Channel Five (hint: he doesn't actually appear until about the last ten minutes) on Boxing Day. For the more discerning among us, Martin Shaw's rather good wartime drama Operation Daybreak is being screened by the same channel on Christmas Day. (Thanks to everyone who contacted me about these.)

Speaking of Who Dares Wins, the DVD version is now available for less than a fiver from Play247. Oddly, though, they say it won't be available until early January (hinting at a re-release) but they are, in fact, shipping it right now. (Thanks to Gareth Bevan and Adam Hearn).

HMV's website is selling the first two Professionals sets at half price (Thanks to Gareth Bevan).

So what can we expect for next twelve months? Well the mooted Professionals movie is still "on" (yes, I know I keep saying this!) but its current status doesn't appear to have moved on an inch since last year. I suspect 2003 will be "make or break" for it.

For those fans who have not yet succumbed to the delights of DVD, Granada Minus will continue to screen episodes at regular intervals, albeit in their usual butchered format. And I expect screenings to continue in Australia and South America.

Martin's first episodes of Dalgliesh should be hitting UK screens some time in the next few months and doubtless the BBC will be offering him more work

I wish you all a fantastic Yuletide and prosperous 2003!

Alpha One.

This week's TV Times magazine (admittedly not always the most reliable of sources) carries a small article on Adam Dalgliesh:

The Beeb is hoping to turn Dalgleish into its own Morse-like franchise and are discussing with P D James whether to update and adapt earlier Dalgleish novels previously produced by ITV. 'Dalgleish will fulfil an area of crime drama the BBC hasn't got a lot of' says [BBC's Controller of Drama Commissioning] Jane Tranter.

(Thanks to Sue Pittard)

Fans of the the sixties music scene may like to know that a new book, British Beat 1960 - 1969: Then, Now, Rare, features The Mojos with a large pic of Lewis and another of Master Collins' groups, The Eyes. Probably best to have a peek at the book before buying it outright, though. (Thanks to Nickie Moran.)

Just a quick word on last week's Ford and Me programme: disappointingly the Brian Clemens interview was not used and the two episodes scenes shown were of awful picture quality (dubbed off some old Contender videos, perhaps?! <G>). Still, the show did acknowledge that The Professionals helped to raise Ford's credentials in the 70s.

Back to the present day and the legacy of The Professionals lives on in comedy series. Harry Hill's TV Burp programme over the weekend included a sketch with the comic joining the cast of The Bill as a trainee copper. After harrassing several innocent members of the public, Hill was arrested by his own "colleagues" (one of which was actor Mark Wingett, who starred in 'Wild Justice') but pulled out a familiar-looking ID card: "CI5 - I'm working undercover!" I'm not sure if this show gets a repeat - might be worth looking out for on ITV2. (Thanks to Ian Atkins)

Finally for today, popular online DVD retailer Play247 are taking pre-orders for the "general release" version (ie 30th December) of the megaset at a jolly decent 95 quid. (Thanks to Martin Stacey).

The BBC have set up a web site for Judge John Deed here. (Thanks to Lin Reid)

As many of you are no doubt aware, TV critics are often sent "preview" videocassette copies of shows by the broadcaster. In a first for the UK, Deed has been issued to journos on DVD. Given the expense this involves, perhaps the BBC are considering putting silver disk versions of the show into the shops? (Thanks to Gareth Bevan)

Just an amusing tidbit for today. I'm sure everyone in the UK is aware of the Paul Burrell fiasco. For the benefit of overseas fans, Burrell was butler to Diana, Princess of Wales and was charged with stealing a lot of her property after her death. However his trial collapsed last week (under rather suspicious circumstances) and the UK press is full of stories about his life in the service of the Royal Family. Yesterday's Evening Standard newspaper carried this story...

According to "sources", "The Queen was fond of asking Burrell to watch television with her when he was footman at the palace, staying with her until she put the corgis to bed... Her favourite programmes were Morecambe & Wise and The Professionals."

So, respect for HM the Q! It was certainly rumoured that some of the Royals enjoyed The Professionals. Maybe that's part of the reason why Gordon was awarded the OBE in '79?

(Thanks to Ian Atkins).

The Capri programme is actually to be called "Fo