Out

[Sparky]

Dec 19, 2019 20:53:21 GMT Villain said:

Bit of a bump for the thread but I started watching 'Out' again last night, I've been in the right mood for weeks so settled down with a glass of Scotch to watch the first two episodes. I'd forgotten just how good, how gritty and how well written it is, it really is a joy to see it again. The period feel coming off the screen is wonderful, just how I remember London was back in '77 and '78, before the era of concrete, steel and glass took hold of the city's skyline. I'm loving the cars, the schmutter, the locations, the dialogue and the consummate acting from all involved. Although the motors involved are mostly Fords, I have a sudden urge to own a Series 1 or Series 2 Jag XJ6 (not for the first time!0.

Looking forward to another couple of episodes later tonight... I've no doubt too that after watching the final episode I'll be watching 'Fox' again...

Villain 

Have this on DVD and haven't seen it in a while. This has inspired me to dig out the DVD and watch it again.

Loved it when I first saw it.

Trevor Preston certainly had his own "style" when it came to writing.

[Lord Emsworth]

Jul 8, 2015 8:37:30 GMT Dirty Epic said:

Is anyone else a fan of this brilliant Trevor Preston serial.

Tom Bell is excellent and very believable as Frank Ross a South London villain who’s just been released from a 8-year prison sentence. He and his associates are caught in the act by fastidious copper Inspector Bryce (Norman Rodway) who’s been after Ross for some time. Ross knows he’s been ‘grassed’ and is determined to get revenge but doesn’t know who the grass is nor do any of his associates who’ve also done time in jail. Also while Ross has been in prison his wife has suffered mental illness and his 16-year old son now living with foster parents is in with a bad crowd and going off the rails. An extra complication is Frank rekindles an affair with Anne (Lynn Farleigh) who’s married to one of his closest friends Mitch (Peter Childs).

Ross has an inkling that the grass is one of two criminal factions Lew Wilson (Stanley Meadows) or Tony McGrath (Brian Cox) who operate in his ‘manor’. Neither have had a massive problem with him in the past and it’s a mystery to Ross why they should grass on him. Despite the police being all over him since his release from prison Ross eventually puts the pieces together and discovers who the grass is but not without leaving a trail of mayhem which affects friends, family and many other people connected to him.

The support cast in Out too are excellent – in particular Brian Croucher, John Junkin, Brian Cox, Derrick O’Connor, Bryan Marshall, Peter Blake, Andrew Paul, Katherine Schofield, Stanley Meadows and Lynda La Plante. Not wanting to give too much away for those who may not have seen it I always thought a follow up series was planned which for some reason didn’t happen. Such was the power of this drama at the time ‘Frank Ross is Innocent!’ graffiti appeared all over London and was a one of the ITV shows Channel 4 raided for repeats when it started in the early 1980’s.

For anyone who likes things like The Sweeney I fully recommend getting the DVD if anything it’s kind of a role reverse to that looking at things from the villains point of view. Surprisingly Out hasn’t been shown on television (satellite/terrestrial) since the mid-1990’s. I also wouldn’t mind checking out the locations but I’d keep my wits about me in places like Tulse Hill etc. that I think they filmed in.

I've only got hazy recollections but what a discussion you've started here

Tom Bell is always good value

Just ordered the DVD

Thanks

Looking forward to getting my mitts on it

Should I be buying Fox too?

[Three Litre]

I've always like Tom Bell in the first Prime Suspect, he played the same role in the last one as well.

[Villain]

Dec 20, 2019 8:26:24 GMT Lord Emsworth said:

Jul 8, 2015 8:37:30 GMT Dirty Epic said:

Is anyone else a fan of this brilliant Trevor Preston serial.

Tom Bell is excellent and very believable as Frank Ross a South London villain who’s just been released from a 8-year prison sentence. He and his associates are caught in the act by fastidious copper Inspector Bryce (Norman Rodway) who’s been after Ross for some time. Ross knows he’s been ‘grassed’ and is determined to get revenge but doesn’t know who the grass is nor do any of his associates who’ve also done time in jail. Also while Ross has been in prison his wife has suffered mental illness and his 16-year old son now living with foster parents is in with a bad crowd and going off the rails. An extra complication is Frank rekindles an affair with Anne (Lynn Farleigh) who’s married to one of his closest friends Mitch (Peter Childs).

Ross has an inkling that the grass is one of two criminal factions Lew Wilson (Stanley Meadows) or Tony McGrath (Brian Cox) who operate in his ‘manor’. Neither have had a massive problem with him in the past and it’s a mystery to Ross why they should grass on him. Despite the police being all over him since his release from prison Ross eventually puts the pieces together and discovers who the grass is but not without leaving a trail of mayhem which affects friends, family and many other people connected to him.

The support cast in Out too are excellent – in particular Brian Croucher, John Junkin, Brian Cox, Derrick O’Connor, Bryan Marshall, Peter Blake, Andrew Paul, Katherine Schofield, Stanley Meadows and Lynda La Plante. Not wanting to give too much away for those who may not have seen it I always thought a follow up series was planned which for some reason didn’t happen. Such was the power of this drama at the time ‘Frank Ross is Innocent!’ graffiti appeared all over London and was a one of the ITV shows Channel 4 raided for repeats when it started in the early 1980’s.

For anyone who likes things like The Sweeney I fully recommend getting the DVD if anything it’s kind of a role reverse to that looking at things from the villains point of view. Surprisingly Out hasn’t been shown on television (satellite/terrestrial) since the mid-1990’s. I also wouldn’t mind checking out the locations but I’d keep my wits about me in places like Tulse Hill etc. that I think they filmed in.

I've only got hazy recollections but what a discussion you've started here

Tom Bell is always good value

Just ordered the DVD

Thanks

Looking forward to getting my mitts on it

Should I be buying Fox too?

You should definitely give 'Fox' a go Lord E, it's well worth a punt.

As it turned out I watched episodes 3, 4, 5 and 6 of 'Out' last night, I couldn't help it...! Trever Preston's dialogue can be said to be too overdone by some, but I think it is absolutely spot on, certain types of people really did speak like that back then including members of my family. The dialogue in this is so well written that it trips off the character's tongues as if they'd just thought of it, it flows very nicely, not as though they were reading it from a script, in other words they don't sound like they're trying too hard, it sounds very natural to me. A lot of gangster films and TV series try way to hard with the cockney geezer stuff but the cozzers and villains in 'Out' are much more realistic than most, in fact I'd say even more so than some episodes of 'The Sweeney'. Just look at the cast list - Tom Bell, John Junkin, Bryan Marshall, Norman Eshley, Norman Rodway, Brian Cox, Brian Croucher, Derrick O'Connor, Stanley Meadows, Peter Blake, Lynn Farleigh and not forgetting Pete Brayham (the only cast member to be given two credits) - they all suit their roles to a tee. I'd agree that Tom Bell doesn't have the physique expected of the role of Frank Ross but he's such a good actor that he can exude the right amount of menace without even trying. He does look the business in his black three piece whistle though, and the big sheepskin coats worn by Brian Croucher and the actor who played Rimmer deserve a gong all by themselves  .

I feel like watching again, already... funny thing is, one of the reasons I remember watching it the first time back in '78 is that the first episode was shown on the day we moved house, it was my parents first time at getting a mortgage so was quite an event for us, and settling down to watch it, my Dad was completely cream crackered and fell asleep just before the end. Happy days. 

Villain 

[Lord Emsworth]

Dec 20, 2019 11:30:05 GMT Villain said:

You should definitely give 'Fox' a go Lord E, it's well worth a punt.

As it turned out I watched episodes 3, 4, 5 and 6 of 'Out' last night, I couldn't help it...! Trever Preston's dialogue can be said to be too overdone by some, but I think it is absolutely spot on, certain types of people really did speak like that back then including members of my family. The dialogue in this is so well written that it trips off the character's tongues as if they'd just thought of it, it flows very nicely, not as though they were reading it from a script, in other words they don't sound like they're trying too hard, it sounds very natural to me. A lot of gangster films and TV series try way to hard with the cockney geezer stuff but the cozzers and villains in 'Out' are much more realistic than most, in fact I'd say even more so than some episodes of 'The Sweeney'. Just look at the cast list - Tom Bell, John Junkin, Bryan Marshall, Norman Eshley, Norman Rodway, Brian Cox, Brian Croucher, Derrick O'Connor, Stanley Meadows, Peter Blake, Lynn Farleigh and not forgetting Pete Brayham (the only cast member to be given two credits) - they all suit their roles to a tee. I'd agree that Tom Bell doesn't have the physique expected of the role of Frank Ross but he's such a good actor that he can exude the right amount of menace without even trying. He does look the business in his black three piece whistle though, and the big sheepskin coats worn by Brian Croucher and the actor who played Rimmer deserve a gong all by themselves  .

I feel like watching again, already... funny thing is, one of the reasons I remember watching it the first time back in '78 is that the first episode was shown on the day we moved house, it was my parents first time at getting a mortgage so was quite an event for us, and settling down to watch it, my Dad was completely cream crackered and fell asleep just before the end. Happy days. 

Villain 

Thanks Villain - will get hold of Fox too then

Four episodes of Out last night? That's some binge - were you necking the Scotch all the way through?

Thanks also for your thoughts - it certainly sounds absolutely essential and right up my street. And, as you say, it's an amazing cast too.

[Lord Emsworth]

Aug 23, 2017 18:07:27 GMT Arthur Pringle said:

I got the novelisation of Out off ebay recently, I've finished it, nicely written & not just a verbatim copy of Preston's script. No idea who Max Austin is but it sounds like a pen-name, there is a US crime novelist called Max Austin who actually posted a review of GF Newman ( Law And Order )'s famous 'bent copper' novel 'Sir You Bastard' on his blog, but there's no way it could've been written by him, the writing is full of slang & -isms that would be impossible for an American to know.

Below are a few plot points from the novel that may be of interest-

Lucy Andrews, foster parent of Frank's son Paul is the half sister of Frank's wife Eve.
Tony McGrath, played as a Scot by Brian Cox in the show, is described as a 'small, sallow Geordie' in the novel.
The VW Beetle driving hitman hired by McGrath to kill Ross is an 'ex Major'.
We're told that McGrath's henchman John Pavey, played by Derrick O'Connor, who threatens Angela Rees with acid had previously poured acid on Cimmie Vincent's cat before threatening her with the same & was known as 'The Acid Man'.

Thanks Arthur

I love a novel tie-in

Earlier this year I read the novel version of Flame (featuring Slade) - great book and a great film

I've just picked up a copy of this book on eBay for a few quid and will read it once I've watched the DVD

The Trash Fiction website has a good review of the book - which also covers the TV version too...

The blurb on the back: Eight years is a long time to hate someone - especially when you don't even know their identity. But for Frank Ross those eight years in prison had left his marriage, his home and his life in ruins. So that when he eventually got out he had just one thing on his mind ... to find the bastard who'd grassed and get even. But never, in his wildest imaginings, had Ross once guessed where the trail of hate and corruption was going to end ...

The review: This is what ITV used to look like, in the era when it commissioned writers and producers to have ideas, before it settled on its current policy of buying a 'personality' (say, Ross Kemp, for the sake of argument), and then trying to invent something for them to appear in as a 'star vehicle', working on the principle that you can always attract a few million idiot viewers on the strength of the name alone.

In those slightly-less-rubbish old days, Euston Films - the production arm of the old London franchise-holder, Thames TV - had a reputation for tough, no-nonsense drama that pulled no punches: it was them who reinvented the cop show with The Sweeney, for example. Even so, Out (to be pronounced with a strong Sarf Lunnun accent) was a remarkably uncompromising bit of TV. Tom Bell portrayed a bank-robber who was hard to the point of parody, who walked down the mean streets of his manor like he owned them - which he probably did, but only 'cos he'd nicked them. It was bleak, unglamorous stuff. You wouldn't want to mess with Bell's character, but nor would you want to be him.

Created and written by Trevor Preston, the six-part series was aired in 1978, just a year before Euston gave us Minder. Unlike that show, there was no humour to leaven the mix in Out despite the presence of John Junkin in the cast. (Oscar James was also in there, incidentally.)

The novelization by Max Austin - surely a pseudonym? - is suitably unfussy: I'm no great aficionado of novels about the criminal underworld, but it strikes me that this one works perfectly well, even if it suffers from the absence of Bell's malevolent presence.

[Villain]

Dec 20, 2019 11:44:06 GMT Lord Emsworth said:

Dec 20, 2019 11:30:05 GMT Villain said:

 

Thanks Villain - will get hold of Fox too then

Four episodes of Out last night? That's some binge - were you necking the Scotch all the way through?

Thanks also for your thoughts - it certainly sounds absolutely essential and right up my street. And, as you say, it's an amazing cast too.

I think nigh on four hours of knocking back the old Scotch would have had me in a coma, I'm such a lightweight...  . Watching it again has certainly left me wanting more, I think it's one of Euston Films' best pieces of work. Hope you enjoy it, and 'Fox' too of course.

Villain 

[Stan]

Agree Out is a tremendous series.

Watched it on first release and several times since via the dvd.

The dialogue, locations, attititudes and action are one of the best examples of a 70s time capsule.

It would be interesting to know what has happened to all the various locations after so many years?

[Arthur Pringle]

The actress who plays Frank's institutionalised wife Eve, Victoria Fairbrother, is married to Don Warrington from 'Rising Damp', their son Jake is also an actor.

Btw, don't want to go too off topic but I noticed that she & Tom Bell star in an episode of the 1986 series 'Unnatural Causes' on youtube ( the series is not on dvd ), also in a rare non Coronation Street part Pat Phoenix, she plays a bed ridden character & she actually died some weeks before the episode was aired, in fact I read that she knew she was dying but didn't tell the other cast members. Written by Lynda La Plante, whose 'Widows' & 'She's Out' are very much female versions of 'Out'.

[Lord Emsworth]

Dec 20, 2019 8:26:24 GMT Lord Emsworth said:

I've only got hazy recollections but what a discussion you've started here

Tom Bell is always good value

Just ordered the DVD

Thanks

Looking forward to getting my mitts on it

And now it's arrived

Hurrah

Xmas is complete - I know the in laws will love a bit of Euston Films 70s grit to help digest their Xmas lunch