User Reviews

This is the original TV play that was the forerunner to the successful UK TV series 'The Sweeney'.It is well worth tracking down now as it is not easy to find on either VHS or DVD.It rarely turns up on TV either. Excellent story and top drawer acting plus some great location shots too.Just look how much London has changed ! It is not as violent or bloody as the series it spawned as it concentrates more on Regan's home life although that is not a bad thing. I thought Carter was a bit too mild here but other than that there is an excellent supporting cast.The music and soundtrack is very 70,s and it is missing the usual Sweeney theme.If you get the chance to see it don't miss it.

Firstly this is Not the pilot of The Sweeney,it was a one off of six plays written for a totally different series. The actual Pilot is the first episode shown of a new series,each series has a pilot for example Ringer is the pilot of season one ,Chalk and Cheese is the pilot of season 2 and so on. The Sweeney was made into a series because of Regan a couple of years later. Regan for me is as if the main characters of The Sweeney had been working together ages. All the elements are in place and makes for a great introduction for Sweeney fans.

Detective Sergeant Cowley, a member of the Flying Squad, is brutally assaulted and left fighting for his life. His boss, Detective Inspector Jack Regan is determined to find the culprits but is forced off the case: being a gangland crime the Serious Crimes team is on it. Regan is determined to carry out his own, unauthorised investigation but needs a tough assistant who knows the area and the likely thugs involved as well as, like Regan, not be afraid to use some rough, underhanded methods to get information. Enter Detective Sergeant George Carter.

The TV movie that lead to the brilliant TV series The Sweeney. Shows how the iconic duo of Regan and Carter was formed and sets the tone for that series.

More than just a frontrunner for the series, it's great in its own right. Some gritty police work, good action scenes, decent banter and a fair amount of intrigue make for a great movie.

Regan, despite what the DVD cover insists, is not a film, but a 1974 television play which was so successful it led to a series being commisionned, which was none other than "The Sweeney", probably still the best crime drama British television has ever produced. And what a drama Regan is.It's hard to imagine there was ever any doubt a series would follow this, as a thoroughly professional team struck gold with this gripping and superbly directed thriller driven by John Thaw's powerhouse performance. Unlike the early episodes of the series, Regan focuses exclusively on Thaw's character, underlining his loner, maverick traits by isolating him from his Scotland Yard colleagues as he goes out on a limb to find the killers of a young policeman. The cast give outstanding performances, from Lee Montague's terrifying gangland boss dale (the scene with the ice skate is breathtaking) to Maureen Lipman in a charming supporting role as Regan's girlfriend. The two best scenes however are cunningly positioned next to each other. Regan has to visit the dead policeman's grandmother to break the news to her. "You know something, " he tells Carter as they sit in the car, the rain falling on the glass. "That old lady's got no reason to go on living. Whoever killed Cowley killed two people." It is a beautiful scene and even more affecting as is followed by Regan visitng his ex-wife. Trying to explain the reason why he is late she interrupts with "I'm not interested anymore in your silly cases and your stupid criminals." There is some super black comedy too as Regan's tension distorts into offensiveness, directed at his wife's new lover. By turns seedy, violent, funny, touching and exciting, Regan is a stunning piece of television which excels in all areas.

A series called "Armchair Cinema" surfaced in the mid 1970s. It was a series of plays that were shot entirely on film and represented major changes for British television. Now, viewers would be watching programmes which would cast aside the constraints of the studio and give television a more natural and less flamboyant look. Each play from "Armchair Cinema" was a self-contained story and with some fine actors. In all honesty, a few of them aren't very good, the stories weren't interesting enough. However, a few others are great. The plays were broadcast between 1974 and 1980. In my honest opinion, "Regan" is by far the best play. It was the only one out of all of them that led to its own series and that gives me a slightly proud feeling. Meet Detective Inspector Jack Regan of the Flying Squad at Scotland Yard - unorthodox in his methods and constantly clashing with his fellow officers. Regan usually achieves good results but at a cost. He's always going by his own hunches and doesn't feel a need to function as part of a team. In today's world, Regan would struggle to fit into the kind of "politically correct" world that we inhibit. After a police officer is fatally beaten by a London syndicate, Regan takes it upon himself to investigate and to bring those responsible to book. He secures the help of George Carter, a Detective Sergeant, in uncovering something quite complicated and sinister regarding warring London syndicates. The writing and the acting are exceptional. The tone and the style that would follow with the series of "Sweeney" is immediately established, which is vital. The play had a few twists and turns and I was enthralled. The play has a much more harsh and gritty style than the other ones from "Armchair Cinema." Neither Regan or Carter are more or less brave or heroic than your typical Police officer. They just carry out their duty to the best of their ability and hope they catch some criminals. Television of this quality is rather seldom nowadays.

Always been a fan of the series, great scripts good actors & very believable. I love the no nonsense of the 70's the coppers just got on with it. This movie pilot gives you great insight in the forthcoming 4 seasons of the sweeney in my opinion the best cop show British television has produced. It's great to see a young Maureen Lipman, in a less glamorous role as Regans bit on the side. Great viewing! I highly recommend the series & the 2 spin off movies there great viewing too. Sweeney, & Sweeney 2. Pure nostalgia of a by gone age, love the cars the clothes & all the cigarettes & Smokey pubs.