Seasons & episodes

A mysterious meeting at a sports pavilion attracts the attention of Z-Victor Two. John Watt investigates. When a sharp warning to a friend is unheeded Watt finds himself at the centre of hostilities.

Barlow's attendance at a police conference starts a spring cleaning at Newtown station. But the arrest of an elderly drunk by Smith and Weir upsets the efficiency drive.

When a seemingly harmless practical joke goes wrong and leads to a disturbance Lynch finds himself involved in a very personal problem.

When a young offender escapes from custody he is seen hiding on a roof and DC Hicks is detailed to bring him down.

When Josh Tansfield tries to make a deal with the police John Watt is worried - but Barlow gets the best of a good bargain.

A mother finds her schoolboy son in possession of pornographic photographs. Then the lad goes missing and Smith and weir have the job of finding him. Meantime Barlow tracks down the source of the photographs. John Watt deals with his marital problems. JOSS ACKLAND appears here as the villain: four years later he became a cast regular as DI Todd.

A mail van raid - a quick getaway - and no description of the raiders. When an easy arrest is made Barlow finds a new angle on the 'inside job'.

The search area is wide and time is short - for Barlow is in charge of a murder enquiry for the first time. He places his faith in two seemingly harmless questions.

'Punchy' Palmer is not too bright. When he tries to help Newtown police it isn't easy to know what is truth and what is daydreams. In this guesswork lies the answer to a series of crimes.

Two children are the only witnesses of a robbery. It seems that the men concerned will get away with it - until Barlow takes over.

Old Eli Mosscrop was once the best spiderman in the north. Now no-one will employ him. When he tries to show his skill he makes a problem for John Watt, who has no head for heights.

It is a routine job - a break-in at a jeweller's shop. But Barlow believes the owner is in danger.

A brutal mid-afternoon shooting in the middle of a shopping area leaves a store full of people dumbfounded and the Newtown police force shaking its head in disbelief.

A baby is taken from a pram near a bingo hall. Graham and Lynch are involved in a long search.

A wrist-watch and a camera. Not unusual gifts for a twenty-first birthday, but they make a busy Saturday for Smith and Weir and upset a wedding.

Frank Wood is a homosexual, unable to go to the police when a man sets out to blackmail him. If he does go to the police he faces trial, possible conviction, even prison, not to mention local scandal and the end of his business career.

Arty Timmins is out of jail. Chief Supt. Robins put him away when he was an Inspector and Sgt. Blackitt was a constable. With Barlow away on a course Robins makes it his personal business to keep a close watch on one of the hardest characters ever to cross his path. For there are three citizens of Newtown who, even after ten years, have good cause to be frightened.

When Danny Sullivan, boisterous and irresponsible, returns to Newtown Z-Victor Two is alerted. When he goes into the used car business there is trouble.

Smith and Weir are called to a disturbance in a tenement block. An unemployed black man has attacked a bailiff with an axe, then barricaded himself in his flat with his wife and children. Barlow is called and eventually persuades the man to come out, whereupon he is promptly arrested. It looks like an open and shut case of attempted murder, but Barlow is not satisfied. Later that evening Smith and Weir find the man's wife and children sleeping in a bus shelter: they have been evicted without notice.

Outside in the dark a girl screams. Inside the tall flats she is heard and ignored. It is half an hour before one man puts out a reluctant hand to dial 999.

Two men in a parked car - and the beginning of a night Lynch and Graham will talk about all their lives. The eventual haul is so good it even induces Barlow to stand drinks for the duo.

The grimy cafe down by the docks is keeping pretty busy as usual. The juke-box is giving out the latest sounds of the Mersey Beat at full volume; the youngsters are sitting around drinking strong tea out of thick mugs. But there is one customer at McKinley's who doesn't seem to fit in. That is Brayne, the old tramp. He has no money for tea, but he is wearing an expensive overcoat and a business gent's bowler hat. Smith and Weir get really involved when they try to find the reason.

To the young Mrs. Napier the man at the door seems anything but sinister, just buying old gold. But his method of purchase leaves something to be desired.

Alby Rafferty, an over-zealous car enthusiast, is not past redemption according to John Watt. But Watt is not the only influence in Alby's life. So when Mr. Cull's shiny new white car is driven off from under his nose, it is not for use in a robbery - just Alby indulging his passion.