The Professionals screenshot thread

[synx508]

There was a few year's delay between filming and broadcast, I think filming stopped in 1981 and broadcast was a few years behind that. Also, the last episode wasn't aired last, owing to a cock-up.

[warren t claim]

There was a few year's delay between filming and broadcast, I think filming stopped in 1981 and broadcast was a few years behind that. Also, the last episode wasn't aired last, owing to a cock-up.

 

Neither was the "Klansman" episode.

[hammy]

Great thread, having watched practically every episode plenty of times, the Professionals still remains a firm favourite and I'm amazed that I've never noticed some of this stuff before.

 

There are certain cars that reappear and must have belonged to the production team over and above the vehicles supplied by Ford, the blue Datsun FLA 941T appears in several episodes and so does the Renault 14 hatchback ALH 195S, then the Big Merc LYK 900P. Then there are the Ford supplied vehicles used by either side (the V reg Transit and Mk5 Cortinas). The Red Opel Commodore estate has two different reg plates but appears to be the same car (SOO 636T sounds like a Ford issue plate from Essex as SOO 636R was on Doyle's Mk2 Capri X-Pack)

 

One of the best car chase episodes has to be 'Blind Run' which was clearly put together by the stunt team's banger racing brigade - the Princess limo loved by the banger boys at the time up against the big Chrysler Valiant saloon (which sounds great in the chase sequence). The Princess dishes out quite a bit of punishment before it finally meets its end.

 

Now did you spot?

 

- To extend the chase sequence in this episode, they reverse the footage of the Audi and play it back so it flits between LHD & RHD at points.

 

- This is a total balls up, on arriving to a screaming halt the driver of the car badly misjudges the kerb and clouts it at some force, you can see it knackers the front O/S wheel on the Tina in this shot.

 

- in this episode Doyle is knocked out a hitman who is disturbed before he can kill him, so he bundles his body into this Jag. The Jag is later stolen by two youths who go off on a joyride whilst drinking, they end up heading into a quarry where they miss a truck (the jolt throws the boot open and out comes Doyle) just before the Jag goes over the edge - the Jag is filled with two manikins to show the lads but it can be seen clearly in the video that the head of one of the manikins comes off mid flight, to aid spotting this the editor even slows the footage down in the episode to make it even more hillarious.

 

- This truck is driven by the actor who played 'Bill the driver' in the Sweeney, clearly he was out of work when that show finished in '78 and got a job on the wagons to make ends meet!

[trigger]

Yeah that Cortina crash was a right cock up, He really hits the kerb with some force yet still mangaged to drive off ok in it afterwards!.

 

The Chase scene with the Princess is also great, You never see stuff like that anymore!

[Pete-M]

The Chase scene with the Princess is also great, You never see stuff like that anymore!

 

Possibly because forums like this would spend a month moaning about Bodie and Doyle crashing classics...

[trigger]

True, but I mean with modern cars, You rarely see the like's of Mondeo's and Insigna's smashing the shit out of each other down some gritting back alley or docks.

[eddyramrod]

The Chase scene with the Princess is also great, You never see stuff like that anymore!

 

You don't. Look at what the stars are lumbered with. Ray Winstone as the new Jack Regan is going to be driving a FOCUS! Whose fucking brilliant idea was that? And the bad guys are no better, it's wall-to-wall black SELs these days. Best non-police chase since Ronin (406, FFS?) has to go to the secound Bourne movie (no, I don't know which order they come in either): JB and Marie are chased very early in their Suzuki SJ, by a baddie in a Hyundai! Now that's Autoshite....

 

True, but I mean with modern cars, You rarely see the like's of Mondeo's and Insigna's smashing the shit out of each other down some gritting back alley or docks.

 

Just to prove you wrong, they did exactly that in The Bill from time to time! I remember Des and Reg having a barging match in their Area Car Mondeo, against a Cavalier 3 IIRC.

[Tayne]

the secound Bourne movie (no, I don't know which order they come in either): JB and Marie are chased very early in their Suzuki SJ, by a baddie in a Hyundai! Now that's Autoshite....

 

Maruti Gypsy (Indian license-built SJ) for double shite points.

[eddyramrod]

Even better! Thank you Tayne, I hadn't realised.

[Sam Glover]

 

 

WOW!!! A Volga estate!!! Right hand drive, too! Rare as the proverbial snow flake in Hades, the Elstree studios had two blue ones, that were used in "The Champions" and other 1960's TV series made there. Given the paucity of their availability I suspect that this might be one of them, albeit re-sprayed. Great to see one! Thanks, mate!!

 

Excellent! Here's this car now:

 

 

As far as I know, this is one of two UK-spec M22s in existence. There's another in a private collection in Derbyshire. The two desperately scratty examples that were festering on a driveway in Surrey have disappeared - presumed scrapped. I recently met a chap who claimed to have personally crushed the blue car that appeared in Thunderball and The Champions.

 

In know of five UK-spec M21s - three in the UK, one is Moscow and one in Vladivostok.

 

If anyone has any leads, though - please holler.

 

Sam

[Andrew353w]

The two desperately scratty examples that were festering on a driveway in Surrey have disappeared - presumed scrapped. I recently met a chap who claimed to have personally crushed the blue car that appeared in Thunderball and The Champions.

 

In know of five UK-spec M21s - three in the UK, one is Moscow and one in Vladivostok.

 

If anyone has any leads, though - please holler.

 

Sam

 

Here's a few photos of those two M21s from Addlestone, in Surrey:

 

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately the best photo didn't copy across to Flickr, but you get the idea-they were very ropey, but might have made one decent estate.

 

The guy in who's garden these 2 estates were slowly rotting actually knew the salesman from & Taylor & Thompson, who were the original importers of the Volgas into the UK in the 1960's & they still went drinking together! History!!

 

Sam, don't suppose you consider a 1972 RHD Wartburg Tourist against the Volga estate???? Might throw in a 1978 Lada 1500 ES too.......

[trigger]

Thanks Sam, it's great that it still exists, In fact I'm amazed that it still exists!