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Reviews
The Professionals: The Rack (1978)
Gordon Jackson should have been nominated for a BAFTA!
Highly unlikely, as The Professionals was a hard-hitting and violent crime action series where the heroes could be just as ruthless as the villains, thus making it the target of angry critics.
This episode was a response to all their reactions with Brian Clemens writing a harrowing story about CI5 being put on trial after a man is killed in their custody. He was Paul Coogan (Burnside himself, Chris Ellison), the brother of much-feared London gangster Big John (an excellent Michael Billington), a sociopath of the highest order.
The Rack isn't only about Cowley's efforts to save his organization, but it's also about the predicament of Ray Doyle whose punch had killed Paul. He and Bodie try to find out if the younger Coogan brother had been in any fights before he got arrested by them.
Everybody gives superb performances in this one. Martin Shaw makes you empathize with Doyle as he comes to terms with his actions, Lewis Collins gives a highly supportive turn as the ever-loyal Bodie who also injects shades of humour into the proceedings and last, but not least, there is Lisa Harrow as the persistent and belligerent prosecutor Geraldine Mather. In some respect, she steals the show as she grills the main men in the case.
Not much action to speak of in this one, apart from the pre-credits teaser when the CI5 gang bust the Coogans.
The Incredible Hulk: Vendetta Road (1979)
Great all-action episode to close season 2
Vendetta Road is a joy to watch from start to finish. Lots of explosions, a gunfight involving the police, a likable anti-hero and his gorgeous, sympathetic partner, a decent plot concerning an oil baron (shades of JR Ewing here), McGee playing a vital part in the story with his investigative reporting and exciting hulk-outs. As ever, Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno are highly dependable in their roles.
One humorous scene involves The Incredible Hulk confronting a gang of moonshiners. When they accuse him of mishandling a young woman, a fight breaks out and we all know who the victor is.
Corruption in the oil world is the theme for Vendetta Road. People who knock the show always forget that it had realistic villains and situations that mirrored real life in some shape or form. This is the reason why it was such a success back in the late 1970s and early 1980s. We have the writers, producers and directors to thank for that, as well as a plentiful budget which got exceeded by the time cracking season 4 opener Prometheus came along.
A fitting way to round off the impressive second season which saw the series go from strength to strength (pardon the pun).
The Incredible Hulk: Deathmask (1980)
One of the greatest ever episodes of the entire series!
I first saw Deathmask at a friend's house when I was 17 and I never realized The Incredible Hulk could be this gritty and dark. A storyline involving a serial killer would have been more suited to a show like Starsky & Hutch or even Quincy ME, but it's a risk that paid off brilliantly in the Hulk, thanks to atmospheric direction from cameraman John McPherson and a terrific script from Nicholas Corea, who was a former soldier and policeman himself.
David Banner once again finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time as blonde, female students at a college are being mysteriously picked off by a masked maniac. After saving his friend Miriam as the Hulk from the killer, David is wrongly accused and arrested by Chief Frank Rhodes (a stunning performance from Gerald McRaney). It's while he's at the police station when David discovers who the real perpetrator is...
This one has got plenty of action and suspense, although the second hulkout could have been more eventful. Deathmask was shown very late at night on ITV (UK TV station) back in August 1990 because of its adult content. I don't think they even showed it back in the early '80s, because of what was going on with regard to The Yorkshire Ripper.
The Streets of San Francisco: Police Buff (1976)
Bill Bixby should have won an Emmy for this. Why not?
The Streets Of San Francisco was a realistic enough police action series and always painted most of its characters in 3-D. This goes for Police Buff in which the late, great Bill Bixby makes his second appearance in the show as the mentally unhinged Eric Doyle, a loner who works at a department store, decorating mannequins and being verbally abused by his boss. He wants to become somebody, so at nights, he dresses up as a uniformed police officer and begins stalking criminals who are guilty as sin for their crimes, but have been released on legal technicalities.
There is an amazing scene that's both chilling and touching where Doyle talks to a dummy. He pours out all his angst and rage in a moment that's worthy of Shakespeare.
It wouldn't be long before Bixby got the gig as Dr. David Bruce Banner.