The Sweeney: Abduction (ITV 27 Mar 1975, with Wanda Ventham)

In Abduction someone is out to get Regan, his daughter Susie has been abducted but no-one knows why.

Inspector Knowles is in charge of the case but Regan, naturally, is determined to find his daughter no matter what. Regan gets a phone call from the people who have taken her and tell him to lay off an old man called Proctor. He is the key to helping Regan unravel a robbery case he is working on. Carter is currently on sick leave but quickly agrees to help Jack – much to the disgust of Alison, Carter’s wife.

By the start of part three Regan has managed to track down Susie, in his own unorthodox way, Haskins and Knowles are not best pleased about the way he went about it either. Brenda, the woman, who was holding Susie, also gives Jack and Carter all the info they need to catch the robbers in the act.

Stuart Wilson plays Detective Inspector Knowles.

Lots of well known faces popping up including Wanda Ventham, the always excellent Stuart Wilson, Patricia Maynard as Susie’s teacher Doreen Alexander, as well as lovely old Joe Gladwin as Proctor.

This was the final episode of the firsts season, the TV Times for the week had two prominent features on guest stars Wanda Ventham and Janet Key.

classic quote
“I sometime hate this place, it’s a bloody holiday camp for thieves and weirdos.All the rubbish. You age prematurely trying to sort some of them out. Try and protect the public but all they do is call you fascist. You nail a villain and some ponced up, pin-striped Hampstead barrister screws it up like an old fag packet on a point of procedure. Then pops off for a game of squash and a glass of madeira. He’s taking home thirty grand a year and we can just about afford ten days in Eastbourne and a second hand car. Nah it’s all bloody wrong my son.”

Wanda Ventham as Brenda.

production details
UK / ITV – Thames / 1×50 minute episode / Broadcast Thursday 27 March 1975 at 9.00pm

Writer: Trevor Preston / Director: Tom Clegg

Series: The Sweeney Season 1 Episode 13

cast
John Thaw as Regan
Dennis Waterman as Carter
Garfield Morgan as Haskins
Janet Key as Kate Regan
Stuart Wilson as Inspector Knowles
Wanda Ventham as Brenda
Patricia Maynard as Miss Alexander
Stephanie Turner as Alison Carter
Joe Gladwin as Stanley Proctor
Reginald Marsh as Foss
Arnold Diamond as Dr Cohen
Naomi Chance as Miss Mayhew
Eric Marson as Jarvis
Jonathan Dennis as Alan Foss
Michael McVey as Paul
Jenny Thamisch as Susie Regan