Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #34024 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-02-05
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Box set, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 4
• Running time: 700 minutes

Synopsis
The first ever series of ITV's crime drama SPECIAL BRANCH.

Customer Reviews

Special Branch Season One
Back in 1968 Thames Television tookover the ITV network in the London and surrounding home counties. Along with the new staion came new drama and later on drama filmed entirley on location.

It also brought COLOUR!

although there are only 5 exsiting colour episodes of season one it doesn't detract from the lavish dialog and still today modern content, illegal immigration, spys and government double dealing using the department as a porn in their plans.

Derren Nesbitt (Doctor Who/Where Eagles dare) turns in a wonderful performance as the Detective Inspector, a well dressed trendy police officer of the late sixty, breaking the mould of dixon of dock green or Z Cars. Supported by Fulton MacKay (Porridge)as his boss they team up as a proactive team dealing with diplomatic incidents, bombings and security leeks. In some cases working against their government pay masters represented by Moxon played by Morris Perry (The Sweeney)

Scripted and created by George Markstein one of the people behind The Prisoner you know that your in for a sensible and adult drama. Its not car chases and shot outs, it intelligent television drama and far from the 1970s version made by Euston Films.

Roll on series 2!

obscure but finally unearthed.
i'm surprised that this original series of "special branch" hadn't been released on d.v.d before as i think it is far better than the episodes with george sewell.
before the release date of 5th february, there were only two original episodes available and they were included as special features on the 1973 and 1974 seasons.
fortunately, that has all changed and so much the better.
apparently, these early programmes were never repeated on t.v after their inital broadcast. the scripts show great imagination and the actors bring the dialogue to life brilliantly.
the best performance is provided by derren nesbitt. his portrayal as the tough, determined inspector jordan is convincing. it is rare to see him play a good character.
however, the series is rather too studio-bound and talky, and lacks the gritty edge of "sweeney."
nevertheless, this is one of the more interesting police dramas made at the time.
hopefully, the 1970 season will also be released.

Special Branch Season 1
If you liked the George Sewell series a few years later, you won't necessarily enjoy this. Screenplay moves slower, is largely on video, some episodes in b/w and not nearly as entertaining.
What IS great is seeing Derren Nesbitt (constant one-off guest star in many sinister roles in The Persuaders, Gideon's Way & UFO for example) playing a regular good guy in the Special Branch.
Fulton Mackay (Vendetta for the Saint) is his regular superior.
Try it if you're a diehard fan of the series, but don't expect as much as the later series.