As a young boy in the early 1980s, The Professionals was arguably the 'adult' programme I acted out the most with my friends. The names Bodie and Doyle were on the tips of our tongues as we strove to emulate their diving around, car chases (on our bikes) and shoot outs. The characters and the theme tune were always going to be etched in my memory for life.
However, it's only through the reruns over the last decade or so, on ITV 4, that I've gained a proper perspective on the show, albeit a show that was very much of its time. And by golly, how times have changed.
If you haven't seen The Professionals for many years, it may take an episode or two to adjust your mindset to the 80's scenery and values. Once you do, it is understandable why it was so popular with then audiences.
First of all, and vitally important, a superb theme tune. Still one of the best after all these years, with accompanying images that really whet the appetite. Secondly, both leads (Martin Shaw and Lewis Collins) are likeable and very much the sort of guys I still wish I was, dishing out the justice to the bad guys in a manly way, making the ladies swoon and still with enough time to splash on the Old Spice. Bodie the more rugged of the two, more brutal and blunt than Doyle who was the more emotional of the pairing (although pretty much everybody was more emotional than Bodie).
The action is hard and raw, there's plenty of it, and there's none of the sugary sweetness that spoilt some of the US cop shows of the time. The Professionals also wasn't afraid to end on a low note. One example, 'Operation Susie', sees a woman (played by a young Alice Krige) that Bodie and Doyle are protecting at a safe house, shot dead in the final moments. The episode ends with a few words from Bodie, as he and Doyle look down at her lifeless body.
London of the time, initially enduring and then recovering from the economic decline of the 70s, was a perfect backdrop for the car chases and shoot outs. The show benefitted from the derelict buildings and disused land around the city at the time, and knew how to use it to help ramp up the tension.
Overall, a well-made, enjoyable and iconic show from a bygone era. Cue theme tune.
