As part of its four-week season looking at Britain's criminal justice system, BBC2 is devoting a night to 40 years of television crime and detection.
Dixon to Morse - why the beat goes on for TV cops SEE FEATURE page 41
7.00pm Z Cars
A dark episode from 1964 of the series which first attempted to present a realistic picture of police work and its relationship to society. When a mother complains that her 10-year-old son is in possession of certain photographs, Barlow soon finds the source.
Episode written by John Hopkins Producer David E Rose
Director Shaun Sutton Rpt
7.50pm The Laughing Policeman
From The Frost Report to Monty Python the policeman has long been the butt of comedy sketches. This classic compilation features clips from Harry Secombe, French and Saunders, Spike Milligan, Not the Nine O'Clock News and The Two Ronnies.
Producer Kate Barker
8.00pm The Sweeney: Supersnout
Starring John Thaw Dennis Waterman
The tough police drama came of age in 1975 with ITV's hard-hitting series about the Flying Squad. For more than 50 episodes, Regan - the guv'nor - would bend or break the rules to get a result. In doing so, he raised serious questions about the ethics of the real police.
Regan suspects his informer is double-dealing.
Written by Ranald Graham Producer Ted Childs
Director Tom Clegg Rpt
8.55pm Barlow, Regan, Pyall and Fancy
A documentary which examines the way in which the police have been portrayed on television over the last 40 years. How far have fictional coppers like the gritty "Fancy" Smith of Z Cars, The Sweeney's gun-toting Jack Regan or the corrupt Inspector Pyall of G.F. Newman's drama-documentary Law and Order had an effect on their real-life counterparts? The programme includes interviews with Stratford Johns, Brian Blessed, Z Cars creator Troy Kennedy Martin, and real policemen including Paul Condon, Sir Peter Imbert and Jack Slipper.
Director Bill Eagles
9.50pm Hancock's Half Hour: The Lawyer.
An episode from the classic 1957 series, written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. A bewigged Hancock gets closer to the force than anticipated. With John Le Mesurier, Bill Fraser, John Vere, Raymond Rollett, Arthur Mullard, John Vyvyan and Hugh Lloyd. Producer Duncan Wood
10.25pm Shoestring: Mocking Bird
Starring Trevor Eve
A marked contrast to Regan's Sweeney, Shoestring first appeared in 1979, the first in a long line of oddball TV detectives. Sensitive and gentle, he was the "private ear" for a local radio station.
A crank caller starts to wage a sinister war of nerves with Radio West.
Episode written by William Hood Producer Robert Banks Stewart
Director Ben Bolt Rpt
11.20pm Criminal Records
A montage of four decades of TV detectives set to a selection of classic crime records. It includes clips of the greatest TV gumshoes, from Jason King to Lord Peter Wimsey.
Producer Mick Conefrey
11.50pm Fabian of the Yard: The Executioner
The BBC's first police series was loosely based on the crimes solved by a real Scotland Yard inspector. It portrayed the police as the guardians of a wholesome society menaced by a few sinister individuals. This episode was first shown in 1955. Written by Eric Field, from a story by former inspector Robert Fabian Producer John Larkin
Director Alex Bryce
12.15am Jigsaw
Starring Jack Warner
A murder in which neither the victim nor the killer can be identified poses a formidable problem for Brighton police.
Director Val Guest
SEE FILMS pages 52-57
