Juliet Bravo
Juliet Bravo is a British television police procedural drama series, first broadcast on 30 August 1980, that ran for six series and a total of 88 episodes on BBC1.[1] The theme of the series concerned a female police inspector who took over control of a police station in the fictional town of Hartley in Lancashire. The lead role of Inspector Jean Darblay was played by Stephanie Turner in series 1 to 3, but in series 4 to 6 she was replaced by Anna Carteret for the role of Inspector Kate Longton. Carteret remained with the series until its demise in 1985.[2]
| Juliet Bravo | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Police procedural |
| Created by | Ian Kennedy Martin |
| Starring | Stephanie Turner Anna Carteret David Ellison Noel Collins David Hargreaves Tony Caunter Edward Peel C.J. Allen Mark Botham |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 6 |
| No. of episodes | 88 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Producers | Geraint Morris Terence Williams |
| Cinematography | Alan Jonas |
| Editor | Sheila S. Tomlinson |
| Running time | 50 minutes |
| Production company | BBC Studios |
| Distributor | 2 Entertain |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC1 |
| Picture format | 4:3 |
| Audio format | Mono |
| Original release | 30 August 1980 – 21 December 1985 |
The series was devised by Ian Kennedy Martin, who had already enjoyed success with another police drama series, The Sweeney. Although the genre of police dramas was well-established on British television by 1980, Juliet Bravo and London Weekend Television's The Gentle Touch, which started a few months earlier, were the first series that saw female officers as lead characters, having to fight both crime and the prejudice of male colleagues.[3] Kennedy Martin based the character of Jean Darblay on a real female police inspector, Wynne Darwin.[4]
UKTV’s Drama channel reran all six series in 2018 and again in early 2019. The series had previously been repeated in its entirety on the cable and satellite channel UK Gold from the launch in 1992 until 2001.
Production
The series' name was devised from the inspector's radio call sign "J-B" or "Juliet Bravo" as it features in the NATO phonetic alphabet. This sign was used only twice during Stephanie Turner's tenure, both times in series 3, episode 14 Where There's Muck – Stephanie Turner's final outing as the series' protagonist – when Inspector Darblay initially radios into Hartley Police Station from the scene of a road traffic accident involving a lorry carrying chemical-filled drums. On all other occasions she identifies herself as Inspector Darblay in radio communication. However, from the fourth series onwards, the call sign was frequently used. The original working title of the programme was "Inspector, Ma'am," a reference to the lead character's rank and title. This title was held during the filming of the first series, but was dropped prior to broadcast. The character upon whom Inspector Jean Darblay was based held the rank of Inspector at Great Harwood station just outside Blackburn. However, the fictional Lancashire town of Hartley featured in the programme was based on Bacup.
The first two series were produced by Terence Williams. From the third series, Jonathan Alwyn was appointed as producer, with Chris Boucher acting as script editor. Series 4, 5 and 6 were produced by Geraint Morris. The series signature theme tune was composed by Derek Goom. Bob Cosford was the initial graphic designer, who matched the theme tune to the opening and closing graphics centred on a revolving police "star and crown" cap badge, which bore the familiar "E II R" device of English police forces, but in place of the force name around the blue circle, it instead featured the generic words "County Constabulary."
In the first two series, Inspector Darblay is seen driving an orange Austin Mini (licence registration RVH 873T). In the third series she is seen driving a pale yellow Austin Mini Metro (licence registration MVP 519W[5][6]) which, in episode 4 Amateur Night, she can be seen parking next to an orange Mini – possibly the car used in the previous two series – in the car park outside the Hartley Little Theatre, except for episode 5 A Breach of the Peace where she is seen driving a marked Ford Escort police patrol car.
Studio scenes for the first two series were recorded at BBC Television Centre, Wood Lane in London. From the third series onward, studio scenes were recorded at the BBC's Pebble Mill Studios in Birmingham. Exterior scenes were filmed in the Lancashire towns of Colne, Bacup, Accrington, Nelson, Burnley, and in Todmorden, West Yorkshire. Other locations around east Lancashire, West Yorkshire and the Black Country (Tipton and Dudley) were also used. The exterior of Hartley Police Station seen throughout the entire series run was in fact the real-life police station in the town of Bacup. When the station closed in 2011, a campaign was mounted by fans of the series to save it from demolition, and turn it into a museum dedicated to the series' legacy.[7]
Merchandise
All six series of Juliet Bravo have been released on DVD by 2|Entertain/Cinema Club. Series 1 was released on 12 September 2005.[8] Series 2 was released on 14 November 2005.[9] Series 3 was released on 20 February 2006.[10] Series 4 was released on 22 May 2006.[11] Series 5 was released on 14 August 2006.[12] Series 6 remained unreleased for over two years after the release of Series 5, until a petition created by fans of the series was delivered to 2|Entertain, demanding the sixth and final series be released on DVD. Series 6 was eventually released on 29 September 2008.[13] Series 1 & 2 have also both been released on Region 4 DVD in Australia.
Aside from the DVD releases, the BBC licensed three TV tie-in novelisations of the show. These were authored by Mollie Hardwick. The first two were published by Pan Books. Juliet Bravo 1 (1980) was a novelisation of the first series episodes Shot Gun, Fraudulently Uttered, The Draughtsman, The Runner and Family Unit.[14] Juliet Bravo 2 (1980) was a novelisation of the first series episodes Cages, The One Who Got Away, Relief and The Anastasia Syndrome.[15] A third novel was published by BBC Books. Calling Juliet Bravo: New Arrivals (1981) was a novelisation of the second series episode New Arrivals and the third series episode Cause For Complaint.[16]
A script book, containing five TV scripts from the first series compiled by Alison Leake, was issued by Longman Imprint Books in February 1983.[17] The theme tune was also released on 7-inch vinyl via BBC Records in 1980.[18]
Cast
- Stephanie Turner as Inspector Jean Darblay (Series 1–3)
- Anna Carteret as Inspector Kate Longton (Series 4–6)
- David Ellison as Sergeant Joseph Beck
- Noel Collins as Sergeant George Parrish
- David Hargreaves as Tom Darblay (Series 1–3)
- Tony Caunter as DCI Jim Logan (Series 1–3)
- Edward Peel as DCI Mark Perrin (Series 4–6)
- Mark Drewry as PC Roland Bentley (Series 1)
- Gerard Kelly as PC David Gallagher (Series 2)
- David Straun as PC Martin Helmshore (Series 3)
- C.J. Allen as PC Brian Kelleher (Series 4–6)
- Mark Botham as PC Danny Sparks (Series 4–6)
- Tom Georgeson as John Holden (Series 4)
Recurring cast
- John Ringham as Divisional Supt. Lake (Series 1)
- Geoffrey Larder as DS Dave Melchett (Series 1)
- Wendy Allnutt as Jennie Randall (Series 1)
- Martyn Hesford as PC Ian Skelton (Series 1–2)
- James Grout as Divisional Supt. Albert Hallam (Series 2)
- Lloyd McGuire as DS Bernie Duckworth (Series 2 & 4)
- David Gillies as PC Peter Sims (Series 3)
- Sebastian Abineri as DS Dick Maltby (Series 4–6)
- Julie Foulds as WPC Sheila Saunders (Series 6)
Guest appearances
A number of famous names, either of the time or of the future, appeared in the show. They included David Ryall, Kevin Whately, Eric Richard, Jeff Rawle, Jean Boht, Patricia Hayes, Peter Jeffrey, Peter Martin, Brenda Fricker, David Daker, Andrew Burt, Frances White, Malcolm Terris, Joe Gladwin, Sara Sugarman, Tenniel Evans, Nadim Sawalha, Jack Smethurst, John Savident, William Gaunt, Colin Baker, Kenneth Waller, Rita May, Stephen Yardley, John Woodvine, Stephen McGann, Leslie Schofield, Alan Parnaby, Shirley Stelfox, Maggie Ollerenshaw, John Quarmby, Neil Morrissey, Del Henney, Iain Cuthbertson, Leslie Sands, Hilda Braid, Melanie Hill, John Challis, Paul Chapman, Simon Williams, Christopher Ettridge, George Irving, Bill Wallis, Carolyn Pickles, Jonathan Newth, Kenneth Cope, Sally Whittaker, Karl Howman, Diana Coupland, Martin Jarvis, Rosalind Ayres, Yvette Fielding, Bert Parnaby, Robert Glenister, Mona Hammond, Steve Hodson, Danny O'Dea and Bernard Kay.
Episodes
Series 1 (1980)
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Shotgun" | David Reynolds | Ian Kennedy Martin | 30 August 1980 |
| 2 | "Fraudulently Uttered" | Derek Lister | Ian Kennedy Martin | 6 September 1980 |
| 3 | "The Draughtsman" | Paul Ciappessoni | Ian Kennedy Martin | 13 September 1980 |
| 4 | "Coins" | Pennant Roberts | Ray Jenkins | 20 September 1980 |
| 5 | "Trouble At T’Mill" | Derek Lister | Brian Finch | 27 September 1980 |
| 6 | "The Runner" | Pennant Roberts | Ian Kennedy Martin | 4 October 1980 |
| 7 | "Coming Back" | Carol Wilks | Tony Parker | 11 October 1980 |
| 8 | "Cages" | Jonathan Alwyn | Kenneth Clark | 18 October 1980 |
| 9 | "Rage" | Tristan de Vere Cole | John Foster | 25 October 1980 |
| 10 | "The One Who Got Away" | Carol Wilks | Kenneth Clark | 1 November 1980 |
| 11 | "Expectations" | Peter Moffatt | Paula Milne | 8 November 1980 |
| 12 | "Home Grown Or Imported?" | Pennant Roberts | Simon Masters | 15 November 1980 |
| 13 | "Family Unit" | Jonathan Alwyn | Ian Kennedy Martin | 22 November 1980 |
| 14 | "Oscar" | Derek Lister | Keith Dewhurst | 29 November 1980 |
| 15 | "The Anastasia Syndrome" | Pennant Roberts | Steven Morgan | 6 December 1980 |
| 16 | "Relief" | Jonathan Alwyn | Ian Kennedy Martin | 13 December 1980 |
Series 2 (1981)
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "New Arrivals" | Derek Lister | Ian Kennedy Martin | 5 September 1981 |
| 2 | "Arlene" | Les Chatfield | Brian Finch | 12 September 1981 |
| 3 | "Party Fun" | Leonard Lewis | Ian Kennedy Martin | 19 September 1981 |
| 4 | "Lies And Liars" | Jonathan Alwyn | Ray Jenkins | 26 September 1981 |
| 5 | "A Private Place" | Jonathan Alwyn | Colin Haydn Evans | 3 October 1981 |
| 6 | "Unpicking The Stitches" | Christopher Barry | Simon Masters | 10 October 1981 |
| 7 | "Clever Boy" | Leonard Lewis | William Humble | 17 October 1981 |
| 8 | "Aunt Sally" | Les Chatfield | John Foster | 24 October 1981 |
| 9 | "Gorgeous" | Leonard Lewis | Keith Dewhurst | 31 October 1981 |
| 10 | "Whispers" | Leonard Lewis | Tony Parker | 7 November 1981 |
| 11 | "Barriers" | Jonathan Alwyn | Ian Kennedy Martin | 14 November 1981 |
| 12 | "Journeys" | Ben Rea | Ian Kennedy Martin | 21 November 1981 |
| 13 | "Catching Up" | Ken Hannam | John Foster | 28 November 1981 |
| 14 | "The Third Man" | Derek Lister | Ian Kennedy Martin | 5 December 1981 |
Series 3 (1982)
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Betrayals" | Robert Tronson | Nick McCarty | 4 September 1982 |
| 2 | "Heat" | Paul Ciappessoni | John Foster | 11 September 1982 |
| 3 | "Amenities" | Peter Moffatt | William Humble | 18 September 1982 |
| 4 | "Amateur Night" | David Maloney | Brian Finch | 25 September 1982 |
| 5 | "A Breach of the Peace" | Paul Ciappessoni | Robert Holmes | 2 October 1982 |
| 6 | "Family Ties" | David Maloney | Simon Masters | 9 October 1982 |
| 7 | "Nothing to Report" | Robert Tronson | Henry Livings | 16 October 1982 |
| 8 | "You Can Go Home Again" | Peter Moffatt | Allan Prior | 23 October 1982 |
| 9 | "Past Lives" | Oliver Horsbrugh | Tony Parker | 30 October 1982 |
| 10 | "Cause for Complaint" | Christopher Barry | Tony Charles | 6 November 1982 |
| 11 | "Hartley’s Midnight Cowboy" | Diarmuid Lawrence | Bill Lyons | 13 November 1982 |
| 12 | "The Intruder" | Sarah Hellings | James Doran | 20 November 1982 |
| 13 | "Misunderstandings" | Diarmuid Lawrence | Valerie Georgeson | 27 November 1982 |
| 14 | "Where There’s Muck..." | Sarah Hellings | Chris Boucher | 4 December 1982 |
Series 4 (1983)
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Teamwork" | Peter Cregeen | Ian Kennedy Martin | 3 September 1983 |
| 2 | "Teacher’s Pet" | Leonard Lewis | Wally K. Daly | 10 September 1983 |
| 3 | "Retribution" | Leonard Lewis | Ewart Alexander | 17 September 1983 |
| 4 | "Solvent Solution" | Sarah Hellings | Wally K. Daly | 24 September 1983 |
| 5 | "Who’s Your Friend?" | Marc Miller | Tony Charles | 1 October 1983 |
| 6 | "Mates" | Peter Cregeen | Julia Jones | 8 October 1983 |
| 7 | "Bad Seed" | Marc Miller | John Foster | 15 October 1983 |
| 8 | "Doors" | Leonard Lewis | Tony Parker | 22 October 1983 |
| 9 | "Guilt" | Sarah Hellings | William Humble | 29 October 1983 |
| 10 | "John the Lad" | Leonard Lewis | Tony Parker | 5 November 1983 |
| 11 | "Who Says the War is Over?" | Marc Miller | Douglas Watkinson | 12 November 1983 |
| 12 | "Off Duty" | Leonard Lewis | William Humble | 19 November 1983 |
| 13 | "Simple Simon" | Marc Miller | John Foster | 26 November 1983 |
| 14 | "Backtrack" | Leonard Lewis | Ian Kennedy Martin | 3 December 1983 |
Series 5 (1984)
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Attack" | Marc Miller | Ewart Alexander | 1 September 1984 |
| 2 | "There’s None So Blind" | Michael Custance | Tony Charles | 8 September 1984 |
| 3 | "The Day That the Circus Left Town" | Michael Custance | Tony Parker | 15 September 1984 |
| 4 | "Getting Away With It" | Adrian Shergold | Don Webb | 22 September 1984 |
| 5 | "No Peace" | Adrian Shergold | William Humble | 29 September 1984 |
| 6 | "Strike the Father" | Graeme Harper | John Foster | 6 October 1984 |
| 7 | "Lost and Found" | Paul Ciappessoni | Tony Charles | 13 October 1984 |
| 8 | "Work Force" | Paul Ciappessoni | Tony Parker | 20 October 1984 |
| 9 | "Halloween" | Marc Miller | Ewart Alexander | 27 October 1984 |
| 10 | "Alibi" | Graeme Harper | Wally K. Daly | 3 November 1984 |
| 11 | "Abuse" | Jan Sargeant | Susan Pleat | 10 November 1984 |
| 12 | "Ducks in a Row" | Marc Miller | Don Webb | 17 November 1984 |
| 13 | "Resolution" | Marc Miller | Don Webb | 24 November 1984 |
| 14 | "Flowers Tomorrow" | Jan Sargeant | Wally K. Daly | 1 December 1984 |
Series 6 (1985)
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Hostage to Fortune" | Andrew Morgan | Don Webb | 7 September 1985 |
| 2 | "Scab" | Colin Cant | Ewart Alexander | 14 September 1985 |
| 3 | "Chasing the Dragon" | Frank W. Smith | John Foster | 21 September 1985 |
| 4 | "Talk to Me" | Michael Owen Morris | Tony Charles | 28 September 1985 |
| 5 | "Friends and Neighbours" | Michael Owen Morris | William Humble | 5 October 1985 |
| 6 | "The Cut" | Graeme Harper | Don Webb | 12 October 1985 |
| 7 | "Keys" | Ron Jones | Tony Charles | 19 October 1985 |
| 8 | "Flesh and Blood" | Ron Jones | Don Webb | 26 October 1985 |
| 9 | "Unlawful Arrest" | Andrew Morgan | Ewart Alexander | 2 November 1985 |
| 10 | "Inspection" | Graeme Harper | Tony Charles | 9 November 1985 |
| 11 | "We Are the People" | Frank W. Smith | Don Webb | 16 November 1985 |
| 12 | "Turbulence" | Colin Cant | Tony Parker | 23 November 1985 |
| 13 | "Girl Talk" | Roderick Graham | Wally K. Daly | 30 November 1985 |
| 14 | "Jobs for the Boys" | Roderick Graham | Wally K. Daly | 7 December 1985 |
| 15 | "In a Man’s World" | Colin Cant | Tony Charles | 14 December 1985 |
| 16 | "Reason for Leaving" | Colin Cant | Don Webb | 21 December 1985 |
See also
- Down, Richard, and Christopher Perry (eds.). 1997. The British Television Drama Research Guide 1950–1997, second, revised edition. Ashton, Bristol: Kaleidoscope Publishing.
- Tibballs, Geoff. 1992. The Boxtree Encyclopedia of TV Detectives. London: Boxtree Limited.
References
- "Juliet Bravo – BBC One". BBC. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
- "Hartley Calling Juliet Bravo". 1 October 2012. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
- TV.com. "Juliet Bravo". TV.com. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
- "BFI Screenonline: Juliet Bravo (1980–85)". www.screenonline.org.uk. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
- Series 3, Episode 4 Amateur Night
- Series 3, Episode 14 Where There's Muck
- "Bacup's 'Juliet Bravo' police station to become flats". Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
- "Juliet Bravo – Series 1". 12 September 2005. Retrieved 5 April 2018 – via Amazon.
- "Juliet Bravo – Series 2". 14 November 2005. Retrieved 5 April 2018 – via Amazon.
- "Juliet Bravo – Series 3". 20 February 2006. Retrieved 5 April 2018 – via Amazon.
- "Juliet Bravo – Series 4". 22 May 2006. Retrieved 5 April 2018 – via Amazon.
- "Juliet Bravo – Series 5". 14 August 2006. Retrieved 5 April 2018 – via Amazon.
- "Juliet Bravo: Series 6". 29 September 2008. Retrieved 5 April 2018 – via Amazon.
- results, search (1 September 1980). "Juliet Bravo: v. 1". Macmillan. Retrieved 5 April 2018 – via Amazon.
- results, search (7 November 1980). "Juliet Bravo: v. 2". Macmillan. Retrieved 5 April 2018 – via Amazon.
- results, search (3 September 1981). "Calling Juliet Bravo: New Arrivals". BBC Books. Retrieved 5 April 2018 – via Amazon.
- Hardwick, Mollie; Jenkins, Ray; Miln, Paula; Martiu, Ian Kennedy (1 February 1983). Leake, Alison (ed.). "Juliet Bravo: five scripts from the 1st series on BBC Television(Imprint Books)". Longman. Retrieved 5 April 2018 – via Amazon.
- GROOM, DEREK (5 April 1980). "JULIET BRAVO. THEME FROM THE BBC TV SERIES. 1980 VINYL 7"". BBC RECORDS. Retrieved 5 April 2018 – via Amazon.
External links
- Juliet Bravo at IMDb