Z-Cars

And I'd done nothing before.

Well, I had, in, I was in Z-Cars, which was my first television.

I think it was also yours.

What was?

Z-Cars.

Oh, Z-Cars.

Yeah.

Back in the-

Other cop shows were emerging that reflected a much grittier, darker reality.

Yeah, shows like Z Cars, which showcase a harder, more aggressive policing culture up in Merseyside.

And then you had The Sweeney.

Oh, The Sweeney.

I think it was sort of a classic sort of Premier League Carabao Cup sort of game, wasn't it, against lower league opposition and, and it did, it was...

I mean, I, I admit, I walked in this, up the steps when Z-Cars was on.

I only just got there in time, so I was one of them as well.

And no, yeah [laughs] it's, it's one of them, isn't it? But, um, but yeah, it is, it took us a while to get going.

on the BBC, I recall.

And, of course, I've lived over in the States a long time now, and it's Z Cars to me.

And I almost said Z Cars, but, of course, I remember it's Z Cars because I've got to speak it British English, or the correct English, King's English, Queen's English, call it what you will.

So that was our theme.

We'll do another theme in the next half hour of the show.

Every now and again, they get caught and they get carted off to jail, kicked out, and then they sneak to the rail yard at midnight and find another train.

You'll be surprised what they can find.

Oh, by the way, Rick from Toronto said he should have got the Z Cars one because his English buddy sent him a DVD with some episodes.

I don't know.

Uh, so Frank Windsor of Z-Cars fame was cast in order to fulfill that role.

The only location work for this story was the establishing shots of Gabriel Chase, which were filmed in Weymouth during the production of Survival.

It was originally intended that when Light emerged from the lift, he would walk straight through The Doctor standing in his path.

Control is played not by Emma Thompson but by Sharon Duce.

It is the only Doctor Who acting credit for Sharon.

Her Non-Who credits include Z-Cars, an old reliable, Crown Court, Absolution, Minder, The Professional, uh, The Professionals, and Tales of the Unexpected.

Mm-hmm.

Everything

... to Z-Cars, to you name it, he's been in everything.

The Bill.

Right.