Police Interceptors

Police Interceptors
Created by	Steve Warr; Bill Rudgard
Developed by	Raw Cut
Narrated by	Christopher Fox (2008–2015); John Thomson (2015–)
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
No. of series	18
No. of episodes	220 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Steve Warr; Bill Rudgard
Producer	John Everett
Running time	55–60 minutes (inc. adverts)
Release
Original network	Channel 5
Picture format	16:9, 1080i HDTV
Original release	9 May 2008 –; present
Chronology
Related shows	Road Wars; Street Wars
External links
	Website
	Production website

Police Interceptors is a British factual programme that profiles the work of elite police units from across the UK. There have to date been 18 series following police units from Essex, South Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Cumbria, Lincolnshire, Durham & Cleveland, Cheshire and West Yorkshire. The current series follows the work of Nottinghamshire Police's Roads and Armed policing unit, as well as their dog unit. The documentary has been broadcast by Channel 5 since the first episode on 9 May 2008. The show is produced by the same producers of the former Sky series Road Wars.

History

The first 3 series follows a police ANPR Intercept Team (now known as the Territorial Support Team) in Essex. Series 1 began on 9 May 2008 on Channel 5 (as Five) and ran for six weeks with an additional compilation episode. Series 2 began at 8pm on 10 October 2008 on Channel 5 and ran for twelve weeks with two additional compilation episodes. Series 3 began on 7 June 2010 on Five for 15 episodes.[1] The 4th series began on 13 June 2011 on Channel 5 and rode with South Yorkshire Police's Road Crime Unit for 8 weeks and returned in January 2012, this time following Derbyshire Police's Road Policing Unit.[2] Series 5, consisting of 10 episodes, began on 28 January 2013 and followed the Cumbria Constabulary's Roads Policing Unit. Series 6, 7 and 8 all consist of 10 episodes and followed the work of Lincolnshire Police's Road Policing, and Special Operations Units.[3] Series 9. 10 and 11 are based around the work of the collaborative Durham Constabulary and Cleveland Police's Specialist Operations Units. Series 12 follows the work of the Cheshire Police Roads Policing Unit.[4] Series 13 & 14 saw the Durham and Cleveland Special Operations Unit return as hosts in September 2017.[5] Series 14 again follows the Durham Constabulary and Cleveland Police's Specialist Operations Units and began broadcasting on channel 5 on 30 April 2018.[6] Police Interceptors returned for its 15th, 16th and 17th series in late 2018, March 2019 and October 2019 respectively, this time following a new police force, West Yorkshire Police's Roads Policing Unit (RPU), as well as other Specialist Operations Units. Series 18 is the current series and returned to observe the work of West Yorkshire Police RPUs on 12 October 2020.

Interceptor team

The series features the following police officers from across the UK involved in high-speed car chases following car thieves in stolen vehicles, speeding and drunken drivers. They use the latest high-speed police cars to follow and hunt down boy racers presenting a danger to the public. The Interceptors also use the latest number-plate reading technology (ANPR) to detect drivers without car insurance, often resulting in an argument with the driver and the disclosure of other crimes. The chases are often interspersed with light-hearted incidents involving the team's food breaks, harmless drunks and practical jokes in the incident room. The show often identifies officers by humorous nicknames and on-screen graphics feature data on their years in service, likes and dislikes. Most incidents are tracked down by uniform officers from the Interceptor team but plain clothes and undercover police have also featured in the series.

Episodes

	No. of episodes		Policing unit	Original air date	Ref.
1	7		ANPR Intercept Team in Essex.	9 May 2008 – 20 June 2008	[7]
2	14	7 7	ANPR Intercept Team in Essex	10 October 2008 – 21 November 2008 13 February 2009 – 20 March 2009	[8]
3	15		ANPR Intercept Team in Essex	7 June 2010 – 17 September 2010	[9]
4	18	8 10	South Yorkshire specialist pursuit unit Derbyshire policing unit	3 June 2011 – 1 August 2011 16 January 2012 – 9 July 2012	[10]
5	10	6 4	Cumbria Constabulary road policing unit	28 January 2013 – 4 March 2013 9 – 30 September 2013	[11]
6	10		Lincolnshire's Road Policing and Special Operations	27 January 2014 – 7 April 2014	[12]
7	10		Lincolnshire's Road Policing and Special Operations	7 July 2014 – 11 September 2014	[13]
8	10		Lincolnshire's Road Policing and Special Operations	9 February 2015 – 20 April 2015	[14]
9	11		Durham Constabulary high-speed intercept team, Cleveland Specialist Operations	14 September 2015 - 28 November 2015	[15]
10	12		Durham Constabulary high-speed intercept team, Cleveland Specialist Operations	14 March 2016 – 30 May 2016	[16]
11	12		Durham Constabulary high-speed intercept team, Cleveland Specialist Operations	5 September 2016 – 6 February 2017	[17]
12	12		Cheshire Police Roads Policing Unit.	20 March 2017 – 19 June 2017	[18]
13	12		Durham Constabulary high-speed intercept team, Cleveland Specialist Operations	11 September 2017 – 28 November 2017	[19]
14	13		Durham Constabulary high-speed intercept team, Cleveland Specialist Operations	30 April 2018 – 22 July 2018	[20]
15	10		West Yorkshire Police Roads Policing Unit	5 November 2018 - 21 January 2019	[21]
16	15		West Yorkshire Police Roads Policing Unit	11 March 2019 – 24 June 2019	[22]
17	15		West Yorkshire Police Roads Policing Unit	16 October 2019 – 11 May 2020	[23]
18	14		West Yorkshire Police Roads Policing Unit	12 October 2020 – 25 January 2021	[24]

Ultimate Police Interceptors

On 8 August 2011, a new show started entitled Ultimate Police Interceptors, a compilation of the best bits from episodes of the previous series.[25]

Series 1

#	Synopsis	Original air date
1	The new recruits are put to the test by a burglary.	8 August 2011
2	A runaway driver leads the interceptors on a lengthy pursuit.	22 August 2011
3	The interceptors deal with a knife-wielding man in Essex	30 September 2011
4	The interceptors weed out a drug dealer.	7 October 2011
5	The team contends with a street-fighting man.	14 October 2011

Series 2

#	Synopsis	Original air date
1	Highlights of the road-crime documentary series.	12 March 2012
2	Highlights of the road-crime documentary series.	19 March 2012
3	Highlights of the road-crime documentary series.	2 April 2012
4	Highlights of the road-crime documentary series.	9 April 2012

Series 3

#	Synopsis	Original air date
1	The specialist pursuit team arrest a man for domestic violence but he refuses to accept the situation he has found himself in, while Jon Peacock is kept on his toes by a nimble criminal. Elsewhere, a raid has an unexpected outcome when officers head to a suspected drug dealer's home.	15 September 2014
2	A routine drugs raid brings officers from Lincolnshire Police's specialist team face to face with an armed suspect, and some rogue traders get a taste of their own medicine. Plus, a drink-driver receives an unwelcome home visit.	22 September 2014
3	Highlights of the road-crime documentary series.	27 September 2014
4	Highlights of the road-crime documentary series.	6 October 2014
5	Highlights of the road-crime documentary series.	13 October 2014
6	Highlights of the road-crime documentary series.	20 October 2014

Series 4

#	Synopsis	Original air date
1	Highlights of the road-crime documentary series.	5 June 2015
2	Highlights of the road-crime documentary series.	12 June 2015
3	Highlights of the road-crime documentary series.	19 June 2015
4	Highlights of the road-crime documentary series.	26 June 2015

Compilation shows

The Essex series included Best of Police Interceptors showing highlights of the chases and incidents from the previous programmes. At the end of series 4, Ultimate Police Interceptors contained highlights from previous shows with updates on the fate of the criminals since the series' first airing.