In Trojan Bus it’s a very quick return for Aussie Larrikins Colin and Ray who are back from their sojourn in Rio and up to their old tricks. They have teamed up with Nancy who works for a high profile art gallery. They have the opportunity to get their hands on a Goya and need to find someone to sell it on to.
Jack has a real bee in his bonnet about the pair and is determined that this time they will not get the better of him. Regan detests the fact that they are thought of as a pair of happy go lucky petty crooks but after all as Regan says these are villains who are willing to use a shotgun to make a point. It’s a valid statement from Jack too, they may be out for fun but they Colin and Ray do have a hard edge – witness the scene where Ray uses a sock filled with coins to knock out art dealer Geisler.
Regan is 100% convinced there will be a woman on the inside and the trail very quickly leads to Nancy.
It’s another fun filled frolic of an episode, Colin and Ray’s Aussie accents are just as wayward as in the Golden Fleece episode, the plot is clever (Colin and Ray even steal a bus at one stage) the dialogue is fun and the soundtrack is groovy, a mixture of Ragtime music ala The Sting movie for Colin and Ray scenes and funky jazz rock for the rest.
Besides the return of George Layton and Patrick Mower the episode also features the gorgeous Lynda Bellingham as the girl on the inside and Frederick Jaeger as the art collector who wants the painting. Other familiar faces include Leslie Dwyer and Roger Sloman. Page 3 model and game show hostess Gillian Duxbury plays Goldman’s girlfriend.
According to the TV Times of the week 1 Nov 1975 the planned episode was to be Thou Shalt Not Kill. In the end that episode closed out the season.
Lynda Bellingham is Nancy.
production details
UK / ITV – Thames / 1×50 minute episode / Broadcast Monday 3 November 1975 at 9.00pm
Writer: Roger Marshall / Director: Ted Childs
Series: The Sweeney Season 2 Episode 9
cast
John Thaw as Regan
Dennis Waterman as Carter
Garfield Morgan as Haskins
Patrick Mower as Colin McGruder
George Layton as Ray Stagpole
Lynda Bellingham as Nancy
Robert Dorning as Geisler
Frederick Jaeger as Goldman
Leslie Dwyer as Ted Greenhead
Carol Macready as Kath
Roger Sloman as Cosby
Frederick Schiller as Austrian Tourist
Gillian Duxbury as Goldman’s Girlfriend