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This is not going to be a standard 'How many episodes are there?' kind of thing, since that question has been answered
elsewhere.
1) What's with The Professionals? Aren't you
a bit young to be interested in them?
Well, not exactly. I do remember the repeats from 1987 and '88. I enjoy the show
because it's just good fun! I love the corny dialogue and the occasionally duff acting, and the whole un-PC-ness. I love shows
from the 60's and 70's anyway. I mean, who doesn't like the original Star Trek or Starsky and Hutch? I love shows like The
Sweeney, The New Avengers, Blake's 7 and Return of the Saint. A lot more fun than shows today. See Buffy for a good example.
Bleaugh.
2) Who's your favourite character?
Bodie. I enjoyed Who Dares Wins, so I knew who Lew Collins was,
so when I saw he was in the show, it was another reason for me to watch it. I don't mind Doyle so much either.
3) What
do you think of Martin Shaw?
Do you want an honest answer to that?!
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4) Which is better,
a Capri or an Escort RS2000?
That's down to personal taste, but I'm a Capri man, so I'll stick with that.
5)
What's your favourite episode?
Close Quarters. Check out my episode review for my opinion.
6) Do you talk to
other Professionals fans?
Yeah, I'm a member of several Yahoo groups on the subject, and I have a few friends on those
lists.
7) Who the hell are you?!
Well I can tell you that I'm an extremely boring person who ought to get out more! LMAO. But seriously, I'm from Derby in
England. I'm not a trained television critic, actually I work for a computing company. I'm just an avid fan of a few shows,
and enjoy talking about them. |
For more about me (for those that really want to know) click here
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8) I would like to write to one of the actors. Could you help me?
I would say that you're best off writing
to the agents of the actors. When writing to them, always send an SAE and try to include a picture for them to sign. That
way you greatly increase your chances of a reply.
9) I've noticed something odd. Two episodes from the first season have a different opening title sequence, showing an assault
course and a Rolls Royce. Another two episodes have different music. Do you know why?
Ask the editing department at
ITV! I've got no idea why they did that.
10) Do you write any fan fiction?
I have written a couple of stories,
but they're not brilliant. I may post them on a group at sometime, but I haven't decided if they should be allowed into the
community!
11) Who do you think is the hardest of the two guys?
I'd have to say Bodie. Doyle just doesn't have
the physical presence to be a hard man.
12) Do you think Bodie and Doyle are in love with each other?
You're
best off asking one of my friends on the Professionals yahoo group if they are! My view is that Doyle is too ugly for Bodie
to fancy him, and Bodie pulls anything with a skirt anyway!
13) Do you think the series will be repeated on terrestrial?
I should think so. There's still enough interest out there,
and I believe that Shaw has signed the paperwork needed to allow repeats to be shown. Lew would also have to sign as well,
but I don't think that would be a problem.
14) What's the worst episode?
The Gun. Definitely. Also Bloodsports
and a few others need to be avoided. Check the episode guide.
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15) Is it true there was going to be a film?
Yeah. Clemens and the other creators tried to make a film in 1979,
but Shaw (surprise, surprise) wanted script approval and all kinds of perks. So it was never made, but if you want to see
a Professionals-y film watch Who Dares Wins with Lew Collins.
16) How does The Professionals compare to the New Professionals?
I
wouldn't touch the New Professionals with a 30 foot pole!! It is just an absolutely duff remake of a classic.
17) What
were the guns that Bodie and Doyle used?
They were called Browning Hi-Power pistols. In later series, Doyle used a
Walther P38 and Bodie used either a Colt Python 357 or a Smith & Wesson Model 29 with 4' barrel, I can't tell between them!
18) What else did Lewis and Martin appear in that's worth watching?
For Lew, watch out for a sitcom called
The Cuckoo Waltz, an episode of Robin of Sherwood called The Sherriff of Nottingham (definitely look for this one. It's probably
the best thing Lew ever did, including Bodie!), a film called Codename: Wildgeese, Who Dares Wins, and a TV film called Jack
The Ripper.
For Martin, you should check out The Chief, Always & Everyone-now called A+E, and Judge John Deed.
Talking of Judge John Deed, Jon Culshaw who appears on comedy show Dead Ringers does an absolutely brilliant take-off of Shaw
as Deed. 'You're going DOWN, son! 'Cos I am JUDGE... JOHN... DEED!!'
19) Did anyone really famous appear in the show?
Yes!
Several people in fact!
What I'm going to do is list the actors and the episodes they appeared in.
David Suchet
starred as Poirot in the series of the same name. He appeared in Where The Jungle Ends
Geoffrey Palmer who was in Tommorrow
Never Dies, and a lot of sitcoms was also in Where The Jungle Ends and also in The Ojuka Situation
Pierce Brosnan!!
James Bond himself was in the extremely bad episode Bloodsports
Alice Krige, who was in Chariots of Fire and Star Trek:
First Contact was in Operation Susie. She still looks very pretty today as well!
Gabrielle Drake who was Lieutenant
Ellis in U F O was in Close Quarters as Bodie's girlfriend
Ed Bishop, who was Commander Straker in U F O was in 2 episodes,
Long Shot and Man Without A Past
Finally, Michael Billington, who was also in U F O as Colonel Foster and the Onedin
Line was in The Rack
Other mentions go to Patricia Hodge, Pamela Stephenson (3 times!), Suzanne Danielle, Stephen Rea,
Ian McDiarmid and Tony Booth-who is Tony Blair's father!
20)What are Lewis and Martin and Gordon doing now?
Martin
is working on a new TV show for BBC, where he plays Inspector Adam Dalglish, a role played before by another actor called
Roy Marsden.
Lewis now lives in America with his family and appears now and again in English TV shows, the most recent
being an episode of The Bill.
Sadly Gordon Jackson died in 1990, but the stuff he appeared in is mostly very watchable.
21) How long did it take to film an episode?
About 10 days to actually film it, but that doesn't include all the pre-production and post-production work.
22) Why did Shaw hate the series so much?
The only person who can really answer that is Shaw himself, but I'll try to answer as best as I can. Martin was (and is!)
an experienced and versatile stage and screen actor who felt his talents were being wasted playing what he thought was a one
dimensional character in a one dimensional show. He is also a committed pacifist and has interests in many charities around
the world, so I think he saw Doyle as completely the opposite of what he is. Just my take on it.
23) I love the show! What other shows are there like it?
Well, I'd reccommend The Sweeney for starters. Also Starsky and Hutch, which was basically the American version of The Professionals
and Life On Mars, which I think is the best show to come on TV for over a decade.
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