In Hazell and the Rubber-Heel Brigade Hazell has been out of the force for 18 months but his old job comes back to haunt him when he is accused of taking a substantial bribe just before he quit the police. When the villain who is supposed to have given Hazell and his partner at the time, Dave Ryman, the bribe is arrested by Choc Minty he tells him about the money supposedly given to Hazell and Ryman.
Hazell has a serious problem on his hands, at the time of the alleged bribe his life was in free, pretty much an alcoholic and with a failing marriage on his hands. At the time he also used to ask Ryman to cover for him when he went on a drinking spree. To complicate matters Ryman’s and Hazell’s work diaries from the time in question don’t tally. It turns out Ryman, played by the taciturn David Daker, was having a fling with Hazell’s wife at the time.
Good to see that pretty much everyone, from lawyer Gregory to Choc Minty is sympathetic to Hazell. The normally acidic Maureen even offer to make Hazell a cuppa!
production details
UK / ITV – Thames / 1×50 minute episode / Broadcast Monday 20 February 1978 at 9.00pm
Writer: Richard Harris / Production Design: David Ferris, Bill Palmer / Director: Peter Duguid
Series: Hazell Season 1 Episode 6
cast
Nicholas Ball as James Hazell
Roddy McMillan as Choc Minty
Betty Hardy as Mrs Hazell
Maggie Riley as Maureen
Barbara Young as Dot Wilmington
John Phillips as Detective Sergeant Bull
David Daker as Dave Ryman
Patricia Franklin as Betty Ryman
James Faulkner as Gordon Gregory
Suzan Farmer as Jackie
Colin Burns as Detective Sergeant Fenner
Belinda Sinclair as Judith
