The Sweeney: Stay Lucky, Eh? (ITV 27 Oct 1975, with Alun Armstrong)

In Stay Lucky, Eh? a pair of crooks, Jenner and Tyson, pull off a robbery only for themselves to be robbed by another gun wielding villain, in the process one of the pair, Jenner, is shot in the leg. The duo were being bankrolled for major gangland villain Kirby (the always fabulous Peter Vaughan) and he is not at all pleased about the money going missing.

The villain, Vaughan, thinks he has hit on a nice scheme, robbing the robbers, he has teamed up with pub landlord Herbie Mew who supplies the info.

Jenner manages to get struck off Doctor Clare to deal with his wound but things take a turn for the worse and he ends up in hospital. It quickly leads Regan and Carter to him and Tyson. Regan also discovers a link between Jenner’s wife Liz and her father who just happens to be Herbie. Herbie had only given Vaughan the info to get back at son-in-law Jenner because he hasn’t been letting Liz see him. Alun Armstrong is the injured Jenner.

When Regan learns what he is going on he manages to set up both Vaughan and Kirby. Although it ends in a shoot-out that leaves Kirby and his hench-man Skef shot and Vaughan dead.

Meanwhile an old colleague tempts Regan with a well paying security firm job away from the force.

Another top episode, in fact most of writer Trevor Preston’s episodes tend to be top notch. The guest cast is fabulous too including the already mentionedPeter Vaughan, Ken Hutchinson as Vaughan, Alun Armstrong as the badly injured Jenner and Michael Ripper as the weak Herbie. There are also roles for Sandy Ratcliff and John Challis. Peter Vaughan is big time villain Kirby.

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

Writer: Trevor Preston / Director: Douglas Camfield

Series: The Sweeney Season 2 Episode 9

cast
John Thaw as Regan
Dennis Waterman as Carter
Garfield Morgan as Haskins
Peter Vaughan as Kirby
Ken Hutchinson as Vaughan
Alun Armstrong as Jenner
Paul Moriarty as Tyson
Sandy Ratcliff as Liz
Brian McDermott as Algar
Michael Ripper as Herbie Mew
John Woodnutt as Dr Clare
John Challis as Skef
Donald Webster as Llewellyn
Ray Barron as Bobby Haigh
Gloria Walker as Kirby’s Girl