The Thin Blue Line
Inspector Raymond C. Fowler is the officer in charge of Gasforth police station, a devoted servant of the crown--and a terrible stickler for rules and all forms of correctness. His second-in-command, Sergeant Patricia Dawkins, is also his partner and very much in command in all non-police matters, with a nasty tendency to forget her professional place. The uniform branch is further manned by three Constables: older Trinidadian-born Frank Gladstone, promising foxy Pakistani Maggie Habib, and English simpleton Kevin Goody, good friends but constantly arguing and overeager, especially by Fowler's impossibly-high standards. They share the station with loudly arrogant but stupid and shockingly discourteous Detective Inspector Derek Grim's CID branch, which includes Detectives Robert Kray and Gary Boyle. The Mayoress, whom Fowler knew in schooldays, is a further worry. The crooks usually cause much less trouble then the permanent cast.
- 1995-1996
- 2 seasons
- BBC Warner
- Comedy, Suspense
- TV-PG
Inspector Raymond C. Fowler is the officer in charge of Gasforth police station, a devoted servant of the crown--and a terrible stickler for rules and all forms of correctness. His second-in-command, Sergeant Patricia Dawkins, is also his partner and very much in command in all non-police matters, with a nasty tendency to forget her professional place. The uniform branch is further manned by three Constables: older Trinidadian-born Frank Gladstone, promising foxy Pakistani Maggie Habib, and English simpleton Kevin Goody, good friends but constantly arguing and overeager, especially by Fowler's impossibly-high standards. They share the station with loudly arrogant but stupid and shockingly discourteous Detective Inspector Derek Grim's CID branch, which includes Detectives Robert Kray and Gary Boyle. The Mayoress, whom Fowler knew in schooldays, is a further worry. The crooks usually cause much less trouble then the permanent cast.
Season 1 Episode Guide
7 Episodes 1995
Episode 1
The Queen's Birthday Present
Mon, Nov 13, 1995 29 mins
Sergeant Patricia Dawkins is making a big deal of her tenth wedding anniversary with Inspector Raymond Fowler. She practically ignores the coinciding official birthday of the monarch. Alas with him it's exactly other way around, patriotically renewing the royal monogram EII, forgetting about a commoners gift. Meanwhile CID is too stupid to work the police computer, a vital tool to fight the burglary crime wave.
Episode 2
Fire and Terror
29 mins
While Grim brags about CDI's part in a 'terrorism containment' arrest, Fowler stresses over daily details, even the immaculate uniforms. Goody is desperately envious when Habib falls at first sight for macho fireman Gary. Commander Crow comes to commend Grim's action, but Fowler's findings change his perspective. Gary also surprises.
Episode 3
Honey Trap
29 mins
Grim is planning a honey trap, trying to pressure the famous criminal Terry the Tank into confessing. Despite advising heavily against the idea, Fowler agrees to let Habib participate in the trap. Suspecting that something is going on between Habib and Fowler, Sergeant Dawkins takes action.
Episode 4
Rag Week
29 mins
Gasford's Inspector Fowler carefully briefs his uniformed staff on how to handle 'rag week', when student hazing causes 'plain and excessive' excesses of prank nonsense, this year masked. His CID colleague Grim is nostalgic for 'common crime'. Fowler's bitchy lover nags for him to handle a standing bank order during lunch break. However, his stickler lecture to P.C. Goodie makes that fail, so she goes. Next the bank is robbed by masked men who take her hostage. Only Fowler acts forcefully.
Episode 5
Night Shift
29 mins
Fowler reluctantly agrees to let his son Bill stay with him and Patricia for a few days. When they hear Bill and his girlfriend making love Patricia has a crisis and demands that she and Raymond start visiting a sex therapist. Meanwhile, Grim initiates an all-out operation against organized crime.
Episode 6
Kids Today
29 mins
Gasford is hosting a sub-regional police district conference and is invited to suggest a project to deal with delinquent youth. Grim just plans to raid teenage squatters. Fowler decides to take some risk teenagers on a camping trip. When racist punker Geoffrey (15) verbally abuses Habib, Kevin can't control himself, and faces an official abuse charge.
Episode 7
Yuletide Spirit
29 mins
Christmas comes to Gasforth and Goody intends to try again with Habib by giving her some sexy underwear for Christmas. He also buys Fowler a puncture repair kit. Unfortunately, he mixes up the packages and gives Habib the puncture repair kit and Fowler the underwear. When Patricia finds the underwear in Fowler's office, she becomes overjoyed, believing he bought them for her. Meanwhile, the Gasforth Amateur Drama Soceity are performing "Peter Pan" and Fowler hopes for the role of Captain Hook instead of the crocodile as every other year. To everyones' surprise, Grim gets to play Hook.