"Anarchy, violence, acts of terror" - in 1977, a special taskforce hit our television screens, dedicated to stamping out villainy in its many forms and not worrying too much about the rules they might break along the way. These men were the toughest, the fittest, the best. They were CI5 - The Professionals.
The Professionals was made by LWT 1 between 1977 and 1982. For fifty-seven hour-long episodes (including one never shown on terrestrial TV 2), bubble-permed ex-copper Ray Doyle and ex-Marine William Bodie screeched round London in Ford Capris and Escorts, taking orders from Major George Cowley, former head of MI5. The show was often criticised for its violence, as was its contemporary The Sweeney, but looking at it from a modern viewpoint, it's no more extreme than many current programmes. The show is fondly remembered for the rapport between the leads, the high-octane, high-thrills action and Laurie Johnson's barnstorming theme tune with its fantastic wah-wah guitar and blaring brass section 3.
Cowley
George Cowley was given a free hand when setting up CI5 (Criminal Intelligence 5). He chose the very best men from the police and armed forces, forming a formidable team. Cowley was a Scot, and walked with a limp caused by a bullet wound from the Spanish civil war (though the limp disappeared in later seasons as the production team gave Cowley a bigger role in the field). He was played by the great Gordon Jackson, a talented and much-missed actor.Doyle
Raymond Doyle was the thoughtful one of the lead pairing. Before joining CI5, he'd been a detective constable in the drug squad. Off duty, he painted, mended motorbikes and romanced a succession of lovely young ladies. On duty, he drove a white Escort RS2000 and wore some shocking plaid jackets. Actor Martin Shaw no longer has a bubble perm but has appeared recently on our screens as Dr Robert Kingsford in ITV's A and E and as the eponymous Judge John Deed on BBC1.Bodie
William Andrew Philip Bodie, always known as Bodie, was the muscle. Once described as "not too bright", he was an excellent marksman and, as a former mercenary, no stranger to violence. He, too, was an accomplished ladykiller, despite some sartorially-challenged moments 4. Fans of Lewis Collins' portrayal should check out the film Who Dares Wins. Since The Professionals ended, he's not been on our screens with any great regularity and lives in the USA with his wife and children.
In later series, Bodie and Doyle were joined by fellow CI5 operative Murphy, played by the late Steve Alder.
This being the 1970s, women in the show were, well, not to put to fine a point on it, dolly birds (Cowley's secretary Betty was described as having "awfully nice legs" by a visiting government minister). And, oh, the fashions… Eye-wateringly tight jeans, huge collars, Bodie saving the day in a brown cardigan. Not for those of a delicate disposition.
The New Professionals
An attempt to revive the series for a nineties audience was made in 1997 with "CI5 - The New Professionals", starring Edward Woodward as Harry Malone, Kal Weber as Chris Keel, Colin Wells as Sam Curtis and Lexa Doig as Tina Backus. To date, the series has been shown only on satellite channels in the UK.Want to know more?
Every episode is available on video, with DVD release planned for 2002. Recommended episodes include "Private Madness, Public Danger" (a fanatic threatens to poison a reservoir if his demands are not met), "Stopover" (a Russian assassin is on the trail of Cowley's former colleague who has information of a double agent) and "Hunter/Hunted" (Ray Doyle loses a new hi-tech rifle and finds someone is trying to test it on him). Dave Matthews's fantastic site The Authorised Guide To The Professionals is a good place to start if you want to know more about the show.
1 London Weekend Television
2 Klansmen, which dealt with racism and was deemed too controversial to be screened
3 And how many people reading this have started humming?
4 The awful grey leather jacket being a case in point.
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