Dixon of Dock Green Collection 3 Review

5 Star Classic, Classic British Cop Show.

From a show created by Ted Willis (The Blue Lamp), that earned it’s run from 1955 – 1976, this DVD is the last instalment in the classic copper-on-the-beat that finally ends up behind the desk, but still remains the brains behind the solving of cases.

Dixon of Dock Green never really went for the big crimes of later shows but kept it real to the people watching the show and what they might face on a day to day basis, with a clear captain steering their ship.

This is a series set when the fastest connection depended on how fast you could run to a phone box and looking something up was as easy as knowing which filing cabinet to look in and the police cars hadn’t even become ‘jam sandwiches’. Brains and experience were what was needed back then for the criminals and the police, and thankfully the police have more.

George Dixon (Jack Warner, The Blue Lamp) is no longer walking the beat, he is now behind the collators desk, pulling all information in and sending it to the relevant parties. He has a new sidekick in the shape of Harry Dunne (Stephen Marsh) who will learn the ropes from all that experience. Dock Green may not be the centre of the metropolis, but even the quiet backstreet’s and wastelands can brew up some criminal events. Behind the counter is Sergeant Johny Wills (Nicholas Donnelly, Lifeforce) who is the man that takes all the calls, whether they be nuisance calls (Mrs Hooker, Queenie Watts, Schizo) or ones where people are in danger (Sam, Jim McManus), with his trusted and enthusiastic regular team, Len Clayton (Ben Howard, A Bridge too Far) and Alun Bruton (Richard Heffer, Enemy at the Door).

Dixon uses his years of experience to guide those around him to solving the cases put before them and puts two plus two together as coincidence after coincidence come together to become something of importance, as rich daughters go missing, as well as valuable paintings.

With Jacks summing up at the end of each episode, it reassures the watcher that the police are doing their job, keeping the streets clean of all danger to the general public. A great end to an elder statesman’s career.