Special Branch is a British television series made by Thames Television for ITV and shown between 1969 and 1974. Special Branch is the arm of the British, Irish and many Commonwealth police forces that deals with national security matters. ... Thames Television was a franchise holder of the British ITV television network, serving London on weekdays between 1968 and 1992. ... For other uses, see ITV (disambiguation). ...

The first two series were shot on videotape and starred Derren Nesbitt as DI Jordan, working to D.Supt Eden (Wensley Pithey) and subsequently D.Supt Inman (Fulton Mackay). Derren Nesbitt (born June 19, 1935) is an English actor who was in demand in the 1960s and 1970s for roles that combined the muscular and the debonaire. ... Fulton Mackay (August 12, 1922 - June 6, 1987) was a Scottish actor. ...

The show was revamped in 1973 after Thames Television's Euston Films Limited subsidiary took over production using film which allowed for a less studio based series. These episodes starred George Sewell and Roger Rowland. The show was slow to take off so the producers introduced Patrick Mower, and by the 1974 series Roger Rowland had been axed, his character being shown as having a nervous breakdown. Thames Television was a franchise holder of the British ITV television network, serving London on weekdays between 1968 and 1992. ... Euston Films was a British film and television production company. ... George Sewell (31 August 1924 — 1 April 2007), was an English actor, the son of a florist family in Tottenham, London. ... Patrick Mower (born 12th September 1940, Oxford, England) is an English actor well known for many television parts. ...

Another character was Strand, the man from the ministry, played by Paul Eddington. Strand was a toffee-nosed civil servant who kept an unwanted eye on the detectives and their budgets. He sometimes manipulated them in order to pursue obscure matters of state, such as in "Double Exposure". The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... Paul Eddington playing Jim Hacker in Yes, Prime Minister. ...

The 1973/4 series of this police drama is notable for being the first production by Euston Films, later responsible for such series as The Sweeney and Minder. The influence on The Sweeney is clear, although the rough and tumble nature of that show is fairly lacking in Special Branch. Euston Films was a British film and television production company. ... This article is about the television series. ... Image:Arthur-Daley-book. ...

In an ironic turn, both Sewell and Mower later starred as villains in The Sweeney — while Sweeney star Denis Waterman appeared once in Special Branch as a criminal. Dennis Waterman (born February 24, 1948) is an English actor and singer, best known for his tough-guy roles in television series such as The Sweeney and Minder (in which he played the title role). ...

The 1973 and 1974 series have been released onto DVD by Network, and both sets include an episode from the original Thames TV series. The 1969 series was released as a 4-Disc DVD set by Network in January 2007 and the 1970 series was released as a Website Exclusive in November 2007.

External link

• Special Branch at the Internet Movie Database