Post by Dirty Epic on Nov 19, 2015 14:54:23 GMT
Not to be confused with the Richard Burton film Villain from a year earlier I recently got/watched this and not bad stuff overall. Please be aware this may contain spoilers.
The backstory is a team of nine robbers led by George (David Daker) tunnel into a bank through a disused ladies toilet. The ‘Bog Robbers’ are successful but don’t get as much loot as they expected. Eventually tracked down and caught by the police they’re convicted but as the police case is flimsy they’ve lodged an appeal. On their way to the Old Bailey for the appeal they plan an escape but on the first run this does not go to plan. On the second run it does and all nine ‘villains’ make their escape – including a reluctant ‘Smudger’ Smedley (Jim Norton) with varying levels of success.
Each of the 13 episodes follows the misadventures of these villain’s on the run. From George who sucks in his old girlfriend Franca (Hillary Heath) and associates like Arnold (Bryan Marshall). To Monty (Martin Shaw) a flash happy-go lucky villain who foolishly goes walkabout during his escape rather than laying low. Michael Culver’s Peter Glazebrook a middle-class con artist and user of both his family and girlfriend Helen Criggs (Barbara Leigh-Hunt). William Marlowe’s Bill who initially was quite successful in burying himself in the well to do British ex-pat community in Portugal before a wide boy ‘face’ Tom Davies (Johnny Shannon) forces him on the run. Bernie (Tom Adams) a fairly successful career criminal who’s involvement in the job has split him from his family and wife Julie (Marjorie Yates) for months. Perhaps the most tragic of the stories is that of ‘Smudger’ Smedley played by Jim Norton. Somewhat a victim of circumstance due to an abusive family upbringing Smudger ends up institutionalised and at the mercy of criminals wanting to take advantage of him. To be fair George and the others he was involved in the robbery with do try and look after him but after his escape rival criminals capture him for their own gains and tragically use him by any means necessary. The most interesting of the episodes in my opinion was ‘Sand Dancer’ which features Alun Armstrong. Playing Tel Boldon a drifter from Tyneside to London he’s got in with the gang and crime generally unwittingly and the escape gives him an opportunity to go back to the North East to see his girlfriend Rita (Rosalind Elliot) one last time. However his journey back is beset with mishaps and police activity all the way. He steals a car from a camp shop window dresser from Doncaster and gets involved and arrested with hunt saboteurs before finally making it back to Tyneside for a bittersweet reunion with Rita amid the ruins of Tynemouth Castle and Priory before turning himself in with the local police. Other interesting stories in this 13-parter are Alice Sheree featuring a naïve Mancunian Alice (Sharon Duce) who is released from jail on parole and foolishly lets her heart rule her head and goes back to one of the gang on the run Mike (Patrick Durkin) and Belinda played by Grange Hill’s ‘Mrs McCluskey’ a bank clerk who agrees to launder the bank loot for Bill (William Marlowe) unbeknown to her husband James (Colin Farrell… not that one) and with consequences for all concerned.
Overall its an enjoyable series with a talented cast including those mentioned and Bob Hoskins, Paul Eddington, Timothy West, Brian Hall and many other familiar faces from The Sweeney, The Pro’s and many other similar series from the 1970’s including writers, directors and producers. It also does (for 1972) a different take on the subject of armed robbery and criminals on the run which later series like Out etc. would develop further. There is at times some brilliant writing and acting in Villains. However at times the series has a feel of early Special Branch with pausy scenes, the film/videotape mix which never really worked with early colour productions and from some wooden acting. Also one episode in particular Knocker which features Bob Hoskins does feel quite slapstick and lightweight compared to the others. However maybe there was need to lighten things up a bit in a series which I assume went out after 10:30pm and does have violence and swearing (Martin Shaw uses a disguised f-word in his episode) for a pre-Sweeney series in 1972.
If you like things like The Sweeney, Law and Order, Out etc. then you will like Villains and overall I’d rate it 8/10 and I’m glad I’ve taken the plunge and got this recently and will give it another watch sometime soon.
The backstory is a team of nine robbers led by George (David Daker) tunnel into a bank through a disused ladies toilet. The ‘Bog Robbers’ are successful but don’t get as much loot as they expected. Eventually tracked down and caught by the police they’re convicted but as the police case is flimsy they’ve lodged an appeal. On their way to the Old Bailey for the appeal they plan an escape but on the first run this does not go to plan. On the second run it does and all nine ‘villains’ make their escape – including a reluctant ‘Smudger’ Smedley (Jim Norton) with varying levels of success.
Each of the 13 episodes follows the misadventures of these villain’s on the run. From George who sucks in his old girlfriend Franca (Hillary Heath) and associates like Arnold (Bryan Marshall). To Monty (Martin Shaw) a flash happy-go lucky villain who foolishly goes walkabout during his escape rather than laying low. Michael Culver’s Peter Glazebrook a middle-class con artist and user of both his family and girlfriend Helen Criggs (Barbara Leigh-Hunt). William Marlowe’s Bill who initially was quite successful in burying himself in the well to do British ex-pat community in Portugal before a wide boy ‘face’ Tom Davies (Johnny Shannon) forces him on the run. Bernie (Tom Adams) a fairly successful career criminal who’s involvement in the job has split him from his family and wife Julie (Marjorie Yates) for months. Perhaps the most tragic of the stories is that of ‘Smudger’ Smedley played by Jim Norton. Somewhat a victim of circumstance due to an abusive family upbringing Smudger ends up institutionalised and at the mercy of criminals wanting to take advantage of him. To be fair George and the others he was involved in the robbery with do try and look after him but after his escape rival criminals capture him for their own gains and tragically use him by any means necessary. The most interesting of the episodes in my opinion was ‘Sand Dancer’ which features Alun Armstrong. Playing Tel Boldon a drifter from Tyneside to London he’s got in with the gang and crime generally unwittingly and the escape gives him an opportunity to go back to the North East to see his girlfriend Rita (Rosalind Elliot) one last time. However his journey back is beset with mishaps and police activity all the way. He steals a car from a camp shop window dresser from Doncaster and gets involved and arrested with hunt saboteurs before finally making it back to Tyneside for a bittersweet reunion with Rita amid the ruins of Tynemouth Castle and Priory before turning himself in with the local police. Other interesting stories in this 13-parter are Alice Sheree featuring a naïve Mancunian Alice (Sharon Duce) who is released from jail on parole and foolishly lets her heart rule her head and goes back to one of the gang on the run Mike (Patrick Durkin) and Belinda played by Grange Hill’s ‘Mrs McCluskey’ a bank clerk who agrees to launder the bank loot for Bill (William Marlowe) unbeknown to her husband James (Colin Farrell… not that one) and with consequences for all concerned.
Overall its an enjoyable series with a talented cast including those mentioned and Bob Hoskins, Paul Eddington, Timothy West, Brian Hall and many other familiar faces from The Sweeney, The Pro’s and many other similar series from the 1970’s including writers, directors and producers. It also does (for 1972) a different take on the subject of armed robbery and criminals on the run which later series like Out etc. would develop further. There is at times some brilliant writing and acting in Villains. However at times the series has a feel of early Special Branch with pausy scenes, the film/videotape mix which never really worked with early colour productions and from some wooden acting. Also one episode in particular Knocker which features Bob Hoskins does feel quite slapstick and lightweight compared to the others. However maybe there was need to lighten things up a bit in a series which I assume went out after 10:30pm and does have violence and swearing (Martin Shaw uses a disguised f-word in his episode) for a pre-Sweeney series in 1972.
If you like things like The Sweeney, Law and Order, Out etc. then you will like Villains and overall I’d rate it 8/10 and I’m glad I’ve taken the plunge and got this recently and will give it another watch sometime soon.