Dixon of Dock Green. Full Episode “Sounds” (1973) HD

Dixon of Dock Green. Full Episode called “Sounds” (Made in 1973) and starring Jack Warner as George Dixon.

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This episode…
Written by …Eric Paice
Created by… Ted Willis
Music by… Jeff Darnell
Produced by… Joe Walters
Directed by…Ian Wyatt

Full cast members in this complete episode were…
Jack Warner as George Dixon
Marion Lines as Anne Turner
Lyn Doyle as Janey
Jaqueline Stanbury as WPC Hawkins
Gregory de Polnay as Det. Sgt. Mike Brewer
Peter Byrne as Det. Insp. Andy Crawford
Nicholas Donnely as Sgt. Wills
Chris Sullivan as PC Slater
Bernard Martin as Sgt. Thomas
Richard Parry as Erickson
David Wood as Dave
Colin McCormack as PC Wakeman
Michael Graham Cox as Davis

Part 5/6 on History of Dixon of Dock Green

Later series (Ctd. From Part 4/6...   • Dixon of Dock Green.  Full Episode  “...  ...)

Reception

The BBC scheduled Dixon of Dock Green in the family time slot of 6:30pm on Saturday night. At the time it started on air in 1955, the drama schedule of the BBC was mostly restricted to television plays so that Dixon had little trouble in building and maintaining a large and loyal audience. In 1961, the series was voted second most popular programme on British television with an estimated audience of 13.85 million. Even in 1965 after three years of the gritty and grimy procedural police-work of Z-Cars, the audience for Dixon stood at 11.5 million. However, as the 1960s wore on, ratings began to fall and this and health questions were asked around Jack Warner.

Later series

The series evolved, though slowly, Ted Willis ensuring that the familiarity of the format remained its greatest strength for many years. The procedural detail formed a backbone on top of which the dramatic story played out, allowing the whole to make perfect sense. Often delivered at a genteel pace, this approach led to criticism from some quarters in the face of faster-paced (and sometimes more violent) contemporaries such as The Sweeney and even Z Cars. Overall, the show ran for 22 series. Fans continued their support for the character with each new series. When Dixon was shot in one episode, the BBC received 4,000 letters of anxious inquiry and had it announced on television that Jack was all right. Other characters weren't forgotten; indeed, PC Andy Crawford —- as well as being the main character's son-in-law —- would go on to rise through the ranks of the CID to become chief inspector in Dock Green.

Dixon of Dock Green is sometimes unfavourably compared with later police procedural series (such as Z-Cars in the 1960s, The Sweeney in the 1970s and The Bill in the 1980s) which were seen as having a higher degree of realism due to their harder hitting and more dynamic nature. However the style of the programme did evolve over time and some of the 1970s episodes which have been preserved demonstrate little of the homely nature for which the show was often criticised. Plot lines in this period included the suspected suicide of a police officer, a gangland killing, and the shooting of a suspect by police officers using firearms. Police in the UK do not routinely carry firearms, and in the 1970s guns were rarely ever seen in the their hands.

"Firearms Were Issued" (20 April 1974, one of the surviving episodes) examines that last point. A notorious gang of bank robbers has performed a raid locally and Dock Green police are tipped off "from a reliable source" that they have retreated into a suburban house on their patch. Taking no chances, the go-ahead for a raid is given and Sergeant George Dixon issues firearms to D.I. Andy Crawford and his team. With the gang attempting to flee under cover of darkness, shots are fired, including two from Crawford. At least one of these apparently hits and kills the target in the dark, the truth of which only comes to light later during the investigation that is quickly launched back at Dock Green police station. All officers are quizzed and re-quizzed by a senior external CID officer, going over the rights and wrongs of each step, looking for accountability. Everyone involved is left in no doubt as to the consequences of their actions, should they prove to be truthfully theirs. In retrospect, the process can be seen as primitive compared to the in-depth procedural investigations of the 21st century, but was rarely touched on in contemporary productions. The detail ensured that neither characters nor viewers could be completely sure about the outcome, ensuring gripping television drama.

Part 6/6 on history of Dixon of Dock Green with episode "Firearms were Issued" from 1973 at    • Dixon of Dock Green. Full Episode.  "...