Barlow at Large, later Barlow, is a British police procedural television programme starring Stratford Johns in the titular role. A total of 29 episodes over 4 series were produced, and were broadcast on BBC1 between 1971 to 1975.
Background Johns had previously played Barlow in the Z-Cars, Softly, Softly and Softly, Softly: Task Force series on BBC television during the 1960s and early 1970s. Barlow at Large began as a three-part self-contained spin-off from Softly, Softly: Taskforce in 1971 with Barlow co-opted by the Home Office to investigate police corruption in Wales. Johns left Softly, Softly for good in 1972, but returned for a further series of Barlow at Large in the following year, Barlow having gone on full-time secondment to the Home Office. This second series, rather than telling one story in serial form, as the 1971 series had, was instead ten 50-minute episodes, each with a self-contained story (this would be the format of all subsequent series). In this series, Barlow was supported by Norman Comer as Detective Sergeant Rees, who had been helpful to him during the first series. He also had to deal with the political machinations of the senior civil servant Fenton (Neil Stacy).
In 1974 the series was retitled Barlow and a further two series of eight episodes each followed, introducing the character of Detective Inspector Tucker, played by Derek Newark. In 2015 BBC's Genome Blog noted that as well as a new title the final two series also saw an effort to make the series "more action-packed and modern" including by giving it a "new title sequence and theme tune". The final episode was transmitted in February 1975.
The BBC's Genome Blog argued that the series suffered from the fact that "the concentration on Barlow alone" did not have the same appeal as the earlier series featuring Barlow noting that "the long-running sparring with Watt was hard to replicate".
The Barlow character was seen again in the series Second Verdict in which he, along with his former colleague John Watt (Frank Windsor), looked into unsolved cases and unsafe convictions from history.
Cast Stratford Johns – (DCS Charlie Barlow /... 1971, 1973-1975 / Series 1-4 / 29 episodes) Norman Comer – (DS David Rees /... 1971, 1973-1974 / Series 1-3 / 13 episodes) Neil Stacy – (A. G.(Anthony Gordon) Fenton /... 1973-1975 / Series 2-4 / 18 episodes) Derek Newark – (DI Eddie Tucker /... 1974-1975 / Series 3-4 / 15 episodes)
Others: Tenniel Evans – (Chief Con. James 1971 / Series 1 / 2 episodes) Philip Madoc – (Rizzi 1973-1975 / Series 2-4 / 3 episodes) Noel Willman – (Sir Hugh Anderson 1973-1974 / Series 2-3 / 2 episodes) Ray McAnally – (Commander Benson 1973-1974 / Series 2-3 / 2 episodes) Peter Sallis – (Joseph Miller 1974 / Series 3 / 1 episode)
Episodes Episodes were 50 minutes in length and were filmed in colour: Series 1: 15 – 29 September 1971, 3 episodes Series 2: 7 February – 11 April 1973, 10 episodes Series 3: 23 January – 13 March 1974, 8 episodes Series 4: 8 January – 26 February 1975, 8 episodes Series 1 (1971) No. overall No. in Series Title Air Date Directed By Written By Archival Status Media11"A Welcome in the Hillside"15 September 1971Simon LangtonElwyn JonesExists16mm colour film22"Come to Dust"22 September 1971Michael SimpsonElwyn JonesExists16mm colour film33"Heat of the Sun"29 September 1971Leonard LewisElwyn JonesExists16mm colour film
Series 2 (1973) No. overall No. in Series Title Air Date Directed By Written By Archival Status Media41"Strays"7 February 1973Gilchrist CalderElwyn JonesExistsPAL 2" colour videotape52"Wanted"14 February 1973Michael HayesElwyn JonesExists16mm colour film63"Review"21 February 1973Frank CoxRobert BarrExistsPAL 2" colour videotape74"Publicity"28 February 1973Michael HayesAllan PriorExistsPAL 2" colour videotape85"Wheelbarrows"7 March 1973Gilchrist CalderArnold YarrowExists16mm t/r96"Informant"14 March 1973Frank CoxJames DoranExists16mm t/r107"Trespass"21 March 1973Roderick GrahamArnold YarrowExists16mm t/r118"Assessor"28 March 1973Gilchrist CalderAllan PriorExists16mm t/r129"Treasure"4 April 1973Elwyn JonesKeith WilliamsExists16mm colour film1310"Confidence"11 April 1973Geraint MorrisElwyn JonesExists16mm t/r
Series 3 (1974) No. overall No. in Series Title Air Date Directed By Written By Archival Status Media141"Big Deal"21 January 1974George Spenton-FosterBrian HaylesExistsPAL 2" colour videotape152"Snatch"28 January 1974Paul CiappessoniAllan PriorExistsPAL 2" colour videotape163"Plunder"6 February 1974Michael HayesArnold YarrowExistsPAL 2" colour videotape174"Hit"13 February 1974Gilchrist CalderAllan PriorExists16mm t/r185"Corruption"20 February 1974Martin FriendIan CurteisExists16mm t/r196"Restitution"27 February 1974David ProudfootElwyn JonesExistsPAL 2" colour videotape207"Snookered"6 March 1974Paul CiappessoniElwyn JonesExistsPAL 2" colour videotape218"Sect"13 March 1974George Spenton-FosterJack RonderExistsPAL 2" colour videotape
Series 4 (1975) No. overall No. in Series Title Air Date Directed By Written By Archival Status Media221"Vindication"8 January 1975Michael HayesElwyn JonesMissingn/a232"Away"15 January 1975Michael HayesAllan PriorExistsPAL 2" colour videotape243"Bullion"22 January 1975Ben ReaIan CurteisMissingn/a254"Rat Run"29 January 1975Terrence WilliamsIan CurteisMissingn/a265"Asylum"5 February 1975Paul CiappessoniAllan PriorExistsPAL 2" colour videotape276"Contessa"12 February 1975Ben ReaJack RonderMissingn/a287"Nemesis"19 February 1975Paul CiappessoniAllan PriorMissingn/a298"Protection"26 February 1975Geraint MorrisElwyn JonesExistsPAL 2" colour videotape
Archival Status Due to the BBC's wiping policy at the time, 5 episodes all from Series 4 are missing from the archives. Of its entire run, only 12 episodes survive on 2" PAL Colour Videotape, while a further 7 episodes exist as b&w 16mm telerecordings. All of the episodes shot entirely on film also survive, this includes the whole of Series 1 and the Series 2 episodes "Wanted" and "Treasure" respectively.
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