Talk:Special Branch (TV series)

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Series 3: Revived? Recommissioned?[edit]

Last week I watched the last episode of series 2 and it seemed like it had all turned sour for the characters and it was some sort of conclusion to the story for viewers. This week I watched the first episode of series 3 and it is a totally different programme (except for the title), so "The show was revamped in 1973", in the article feels like a wrong way to describe it. Middle More Rider (talk) 01:36, 3 March 2020 (UTC)[reply]

I agree that "revamped" understates the extent of the changes. Even to call them "changes" understates the zero resemblance apart from their both revolving around different portrayals of the real Special Branch. They are as different as, say, Dixon of Dock Green and Z-Cars, although both are centred around the police. If a rival channel had produced series 3 and 4 under a different name then there wouldn't be the remotest chance of them being accused of plagiarism. I am not sure that there is a common word or phrase to describe this total change under the same title as it's quite a rare phenomenon, but something like "Special Branch resumed in 1973 but with so little in common with the first two series as to be essentially a different programme" would be appropriate. (For what it's worth this isn't a criticism, both incarnations are excellent of their type.) Artwest57 (talk) 14:37, 26 April 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Moxon and Strand[edit]

"Played by Morris Perry and Paul Eddington respectively, Moxon and Strand were similar: supercilious civil servants who kept an unwanted eye on the detectives and their budgets."

I don't know about Strand (I haven't seen series 3 and 4) but Moxon has no influence on the detectives' budgets. His role is to influence their actions by getting them to do favours for him and his organization, DI6. Harfarhs (talk) 13:17, 27 September 2020 (UTC)[reply]

I can't remember Strand ever talking about budgets, maybe he did and I forgot? To me, Strand was absolutely Moxon under another name. Shame they didn't take Moxon or any of the 1 and 2 series characters into series 3 and 4. Some of the episodes of 3 and 4 felt just like they were an episode of The Sweeney or The Professionals. Craven was sometimes seen in a Ford Consul as well. Middle More Rider (talk) 00:34, 30 October 2020 (UTC)[reply]