The Professionals from Network???

[Thwaity]

Well then...

News from the Network website suggesting THE PROFESSIONALS is coming soon from Network.

What can they do that Contender haven't, apart from Bluray?

Very interesting :-)
Steve

[Lord Brett]

They can find the original negatives to work from. The difference should be startling as Contender had to do the best they could working from quite elderly prints.

[Thwaity]

Something to look forward to!!

[jno]

Extras: Without Walls docu + Commentaries (Please!) + would love to hear from Lewis Collins these days.

[Koen]

They can find the original negatives to work from.

They clearly have, the short clip on the website shows all you need to know. A BD would be a definite sale from me, and considering new transfers will most probably be HD ones anyway plus the fact Network are also releasing The Sweeney on BD means there's probably a good chance of a BD release. :-)

[Simon36]

That would be fantastic. For sure a well shot series it looks appalling these days.

On one of Clemens's commentaries he hints that in his archive there is bound to be footage of Andrews as Bodie if someone had a week to go through it. Why has no one volunteered!

[45doyle]

Looking forward to this. They do however need lots of extras to make it viable to anyone who already has the various Contender sets. As for that missing Andrews footage - I've volunteered on many an occasion....

Lets see if Network reply to my suggestions.....

[Lord Brett]

They can find the original negatives to work from.

They clearly have, the short clip on the website shows all you need to know. A BD would be a definite sale from me, and considering new transfers will most probably be HD ones anyway plus the fact Network are also releasing The Sweeney on BD means there's probably a good chance of a BD release. :-)

Coo, that does look nice - even on a laptop screen one can tell it's a lovely clean, bright image. A definite buy for me.

[fatcat]

Does anyone know anything about the Rolls Royce titles, were they the earliest episodes ?

[Jaz_Wiseman]

That would be fantastic. For sure a well shot series it looks appalling these days.

On one of Clemens's commentaries he hints that in his archive there is bound to be footage of Andrews as Bodie if someone had a week to go through it. Why has no one volunteered!

I volunteered at the time we recorded the commentary you mention.

[Lord Brett]

Does anyone know anything about the Rolls Royce titles, were they the earliest episodes ?

They were the original season one titles, which were replaced on subsequent screening for most episodes. The more familiar 'Ford through a plate glass window' titles seemed absolutely thrilling when then firsr seen and to me the quality of the series improved immensely at this point also.

Hopefully the original season one opening will be restored for the Network release.

[videoking]

Where is the clip on network's site, I can't find it.

[JWG]

Cor.I hope that's a joke.Go on the Network site,and you can't get any other info until you've clicked "break glass" to view the clip.Or opted out.

Or doesn't that appear on some of the tiddlier devices?

[Bodie]

Where is the clip on network's site, I can't find it.

It pops up when you go to the main page, so if you're going to any other page you won't find it. Click on the 'Home' link at the top of the screen and you'll be taken to the screen where it should pop up.

[SDG1970]

Does anyone know anything about the Rolls Royce titles, were they the earliest episodes ?

They were the original season one titles, which were replaced on subsequent screening for most episodes. The more familiar 'Ford through a plate glass window' titles seemed absolutely thrilling when then firsr seen and to me the quality of the series improved immensely at this point also.

I think the 'familiar Ford (Granada ((or perhaps Consul))) through a plate glass window titles' was something that happened more by committee than 'intended effect'!??! Wasn't it all something that occured after Ford (thankfully) became preffered car supplier, after BL's relentless failure to supply cars (or reliable cars at least) on a fairly consistent basis. Didn't stunt genius Peter Brayham design and engineer the subsequent opening shots?? I would wager Clemens & Co learnt their lesson with BL's products on the New Avengers; thus giving them short thrift on The Professionals..

Would be nice to see a Network set; though for me a Martin Shaw commentary or interview finally (horror of all horror's) would be a big plus!

45Doyle: How's a certain restoration coming along these days???? ;)

[Simon36]

Weird they never worked the car through a window shot into an episode. The New Avengers would have!

[Simon36]

Cor.I hope that's a joke.Go one the Network site,and you can't get any other info until you've clicked "break glass" to view the clip.Or opted out.

Or doesn't that appear on some of the tiddlier devices?

On my iphone it doesn't appear even if I go to Network's home page again, and on my laptop it appears but won't play when I click on it..

[JWG]

Sorry if I sounded sarky,Simon.I thought it might have been meant in jest,since the 'play me' box sits like a web over the page for most of us.I have to admit that I didn't see why it was a big deal that the show was being re-released.I've watched it again,and the picture quality is good,though it would be clearer on static shots.(What we get is opening credits,ending in the Professionals logo,and a "coming soon to Network"
message).
I'm using a laptop.
I can't see it on Youtube,but can it be long?

[Simon36]

That's ok, it wasn't me who sent the first post saying they couldn't see it. I've seen it now, google chrome obliged me. Looks lovely. Let's hope for a huge load of extras!

[GarethR]

Weird they never worked the car through a window shot into an episode. The New Avengers would have!

Were all of the shots used in the titles specially shot for that purpose, or were any of them taken from episodes?

That's the first time I've noticed that the car loses its indicator lens when it comes through the glass.

[fatcat]

Does anyone know anything about the Rolls Royce titles, were they the earliest episodes ?

They were the original season one titles, which were replaced on subsequent screening for most episodes. The more familiar 'Ford through a plate glass window' titles seemed absolutely thrilling when then firsr seen and to me the quality of the series improved immensely at this point also.

Hopefully the original season one opening will be restored for the Network release.

Ah thanks I wondered where they fitted in as I have only seen them pop up once or twice.

As Gareth said this is the first time I have noticed the indicator lens breaking as the Ford goes through the window-because of the new transfer no doubt? I remember film cameramen use to moan that on TV you never saw programmes how they had shot them, I can understand what they mean now. Although I doubt if it will do much for the grotty 70s decor LOL

[GarethR]

If you frame-step you can also see the edge of the thing (photographic blowup supported by scaffolding?) they're using to reflect the cityscape onto the glass. Look at the right-hand side of the image in the frame before the glass actually shatters. I love noticing stuff like that.

[fatcat]

If you frame-step you can also see the edge of the thing (photographic blowup supported by scaffolding?) they're using to reflect the cityscape onto the glass. Look at the right-hand side of the image in the frame before the glass actually shatters. I love noticing stuff like that.

The underside edge of the car is quite rusty too - not long for this world then? LOL

[Lord Brett]

Viewers who didn't see The Professionals on first transmission can only imagine the impact the new credits had when first seen. Not only were the new credits the very best that TV of the late seventies had to offer, their appearence after the pre-credits secquence was a total surprise. You expect the next scene, then - crash! - it's the opening titles.

[billo]

To be honest I always felt the revised opening credits were rather farcical...!

the original re a training stint was credible enough but the later opening with the car through the glass I felt was mega pretentious !

Gordon Jackson was o.k. by a computer, but Martin Shaw, being all mega tough then looking all 'cool' and Lewis Collins walking up the street, then boxing etc, just looked so silly ! next a car speeding through a tunnel as we look up at the extractor fan...then the trio resoulutely marching along, all 'super tough' etc ....it looked like a parody of a USA style show (as was done superbly in a TV Commercial later)

The Sweeney also went from a decent moving collage in blue opening...to a farcical 'all leap up out of a car...and then pause' (Haskins barely emerging from the car unlike our 'super heroes' Regan & Carter...) was a complete joke of an opening...

I assume these openings were meant to impress potential American viewers...?

[Roll ACR]

I couldn't disagree more. I think the original titles - although charming for their own sake and their novelty value - are rather limp. The later titles are smashing! ;-) They are dynamic and perfectly demonstrate what the show is. They're also extremely well shot. Indeed, the shot you mention with the tilt up to the fan is excellently executed.

I'm very pleased that there is to be a new release of the series in decent quality. The cranky old shitty prints that have been used for years - with the Mark One for LWT cap replaced by GSkyB on the current TX copies - are awful. I will certainly buy this.

I agree re. "The Sweeney" though. The titles of the final series were fucking dreadful. Shit shots through a Toblerone box :-/

[Simon36]

The Sweeney 1978 opening titles are lousy but I do like the end ones, the wandering around Shepherd's Bush and Soho and the final stubbing the cigarette out shot I thought was very nice.

[Roll ACR]

Yeah I agree Simon, the closing shots do work.
The closing music and the shots work well together but it's spoiled by the stupid Toblerone effect. IMHO it just doesn't work. It looks silly! As an optical effect, done in post, so that you were seeing the frame reflected like a kaleidoscope it would have maybe looked ok. But the spurious, off axis reflections from doing it in camera just look crap IMHO. It looks amateurish.

[SDG1970]

Weird they never worked the car through a window shot into an episode. The New Avengers would have!

Were all of the shots used in the titles specially shot for that purpose, or were any of them taken from episodes?

That's the first time I've noticed that the car loses its indicator lens when it comes through the glass.

The 'Granada through the glass' (as I like to call it) was certainly a stand alone sequence done by Brayham (I will stand corrected of course, but that is my understanding). The rest of the latter opening titles look to be similarly produced; though as i generally tend not to study things in molecular detail, again I could be wrong!

I often wondered if the 'Granada through the glass' shot had been influenced in any way, shape or form by the action sequence from Sweeney 2 - where the yellow Cortina is seen smashing through a shop front window on a bank raid getaway. Sweeney 2's release must have been around the same time would it not!!??!!

[Simon36]

I've always wondered this too. Sweeney 2 was released in April 1978, and I'm guessing Brayham did that stunt too. Perhaps it gave him the idea for the Professionals. Professionals began airing in December 1977, but I'm not sure if all of Series 1 originally had the training ground sequence on and most were swapped later or not...

Certain that none of the footage from the titles appears in any episode.