The Sweeney: Queen’s Pawn (ITV 23 Jan 1975, with Tony Selby)

In Queen’s Pawn major villain Lyon and his two right hand men have just been found not guilty of armed robbery after a police case that lasted a full year. Maynon, who is usually on Jack’s case, this time wants him to pull out all the stops to bring Lyon down. Maynon promises Jack five days without interference from above to try and either gather enough evidence on Lyon or on his two men Clarke and Budd to persuade them to turn informer against him.

Jack uses some very dodgy tactics (and George makes it plain he is not happy about it) in his bid to bring in Lyon, including staging a fake kidnap of Clarke and trying to pin it on Lyon.

Keith Washington, who plays a reporter at the beginning of the episode, was a regular on fellow Thames series Special Branch during it’s early days. The final two seasons of SB were shot on film and are considered to be something of a try out for the Thames-Euston style of filming. The fabulous Tony Selby has the lead as Lyon with Tony Caunter and Chris Ellison as his henchmen.

Julian Glover as lawyer Bernard Stone who is working for Lyon but not overly happy about it.

production details
UK / ITV – Thames / 1×50 minute episode / Broadcast Thursday 23 January 1975 at 9.00pm

Writer: Ranald Graham / Director: Viktors Ritelis

Series: The Sweeney Season 1 Episode 4

cast
John Thaw as Jack Regan
Dennis Waterman as George Carter
Garfield Morgan as Haskins
Morris Perry as Maynon
Tony Selby as Lyon
Julian Glover as Bernard Stone
Tony Caunter as Clarke
Christopher Ellison as Budd
Lynn Dearth as Sheila
John Flanagan as Mathews
Martin Read as Thorpe
Ben Howard as Ronnie
Malou Cartwright as Angie
Gertan Klauber as Luigi
Judy Monahan as Mrs Budd
Malcolm Knight as Lodger
Jonathan Blake as Army Man
Louis Raynes as Publican