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Gangsters (BBC, 1976-78) was conceived on a train to Birmingham by producer
David Rose, who realised that the city could present a vivid and unusual setting
for a drama with similar sensibilities to The French Connection (US, 1972). Rose was also keen to raise the profile of Pebble Mill (BBC's Birmingham studios), and he asked writer Philip Martin to research and develop a
drama for Play for Today (1970-84) set in England's second city.
Gangsters deals with illegality in a multicultural society, with various
white and ethnic groups competing to run scams, exploit illegal immigrants and
outwit the morally suspect forces of Law. Almost inevitably, therefore, the
series features racial stereotypes, occasionally portraying Indians as servile,
black men as thugs and white males as culturally unaware. This caused an uproar
after the original Play for Today was broadcast (on 9/1/1975), from Birmingham
City Council - which resented the perceived slur - and from an outraged press.
However, as the media debate continued, critics slowly began to adjust their
perception of the play, accepting that racist characters did not make the
programme inherently racist. When the BBC noted it had achieved higher ratings
than any previous Play for Today, Martin was commissioned to write a full
series.
The first season forms an extension of the pilot, following the underworld
exploits of John Kline (Maurice Colbourne), ex-con and ex-SAS, now undercover
agent for DI6. As such, early episodes represent an update of classic Westerns,
with tough lawmen attempting to patrol the 'new frontier' which a change in
society has wrought. Indeed, the genre is directly alluded to with situations
and music and, tellingly, the working title for the first episode was at one
stage 'Ride On, Roy Rogers'.
Emboldened by strong ratings but stung by continued criticism of the show's
violence, Martin altered the course in the second season, focusing on problems
caused by the Triads. Crucially, he injected bizarre, surreal elements, intended
to reassure viewers that they were not witnessing actual reality. These reach
their zenith when a W.C. Fields-type character (a role originally intended for
Les Dawson but ultimately played by Martin himself) appears as a mystical figure
who effortlessly and mysteriously kills Kline.
At its best, Gangsters delivered an ironic mixture of sex, sadism, humour and
'dime-novel' drama: an unexpectedly stylish combination of Ian Fleming's Bond
novels and the urban grimness of Get Carter (d. Mike Hodges, 1970).
Gavin Collinson
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1. Opening sequence and titles (3:01)
