The Thin Blue Line
- TV sitcom
- BBC One
- 1995 - 1996
- 14 episodes (2 series)
Police sitcom about fastidious Inspector Raymond Fowler, his array of uniformed officers, and the oafish CID Inspector Grim. Stars Rowan Atkinson, David Haig, Serena Evans, James Dreyfus, Mina Anwar and more.
Episode menu
Series 1, Episode 6 - Kids Today
Further details
Fowler informs his officers that Gasforth has been chosen to host the Sub-District Regional Police Conference and the subject is "juvenile crime". Habib suggests that they try to encourage youngsters to get involved in things to occupy themselves that aren't illegal, so Fowler devises a camping trip. Grim is not at all happy about this and insists that he and CID will show the conference the right way to deal with juveniles: nick 'em, lock 'em up and throw away the key.
His first attempt is to try an undercover operation; he sends Kray and Crockett into a squat to catch people dealing drugs at a rave, however they are instantly identified as police and refused entry. Back at the station the uniformed branch prepare for the camping trip but events are interrupted when Habib finds a baby abandoned outside. Despite her own protestations, Patricia becomes somewhat gooey over the little one and begins dropping hints to Raymond about a family of their own.
More trouble comes in the form of a riot at a fascist meeting, which the police are called in to break up. As a group are escorted to the cells, one hurls racist abuse at Habib and Goody punches him out! Unfortunately for Goody, he is only 15 and the boy's mother resolves to press charges for unprovoked assault.
With Goody under investigation, he, Fowler, Habib and Gladstone head off on the camping trip, much to Grim's amusement. He informs Raymond that while they're off rewarding young offenders he will be nicking some. Later that day Grim and his team arrive at the squat and begin a raid, only to be informed by a neighbour that they've been taken away already - camping!
Meanwhile, the trip gets off to a pleasingly uneventful, if not slow, start. As the group prepare to head into their tents, Habib raises the alarm that one girl, Natalie, has disappeared. After a search she is found in tears, and reveals that the abandoned baby is hers. As words are exchanged amongst Natalie, boyfriend Baz, Habib and Fowler, Raymond narrowly avoids losing his cool and suggests they all go to sleep and resolve the issue calmly in daylight.
The next morning however, Fowler and his team wake to find the kids and all the tents gone! Arriving back at the station, Raymond is once again faced with a dilemma over Goody's future - but in a meeting with the fascist youth, Geoffrey, and his mother, he sees her beating her son and realises he may yet have an opportunity to settle the situation...
Broadcast details
- Date
- Monday 18th December 1995
- Time
- 8:30pm
- Channel
- BBC One
- Length
- 30 minutes
Repeats
Show past repeats
Date | Time | Channel |
---|---|---|
Monday 25th July 2011 | 9:20pm | Gold |
Monday 25th July 2011 | 11:20pm | Gold |
Tuesday 16th August 2011 | 9:25pm | Gold |
Wednesday 17th August 2011 | 12:40am | Gold |
Friday 30th September 2011 | 9:20pm | Gold |
Friday 28th October 2011 | 9:20pm | Gold |
Saturday 29th October 2011 | 1:55am | Gold |
Thursday 17th November 2011 | 12:00am | Gold |
Tuesday 10th June 2014 | 9:25pm | Gold |
Wednesday 11th June 2014 | 1:30am | Gold |
Tuesday 14th October 2014 | 11:15pm | Gold |
Wednesday 15th October 2014 | 2:40am | Gold |
Thursday 29th January 2015 | 1:05am | Gold |
Thursday 29th January 2015 | 3:00am | Gold |
Thursday 18th June 2015 | 12:40am | Gold |
Thursday 18th June 2015 | 3:30am | Gold |
Wednesday 25th November 2015 | 2:00pm | Gold |
Thursday 26th November 2015 | 12:00am | Gold |
Thursday 26th November 2015 | 2:55am | Gold |
Tuesday 22nd December 2015 | 12:40am | Gold |
Monday 7th March 2016 | 11:20pm | Gold |
Tuesday 8th March 2016 | 2:55am | Gold |
Wednesday 10th May 2017 | 3:20am | Gold |
Thursday 11th May 2017 | 2:40am | Gold |
Thursday 3rd August 2017 | 2:40am | Gold |
Thursday 10th August 2017 | 2:10am | Gold |
Wednesday 23rd August 2017 | 2:50am | Gold |
Thursday 31st August 2017 | 3:10am | Gold |
Thursday 15th June 2023 | 9:00am | Gold |
Thursday 15th June 2023 | 1:00pm | Gold |
Friday 8th September 2023 | 7:00pm | Gold |
Monday 11th September 2023 | 1:35pm | Gold |
Monday 11th September 2023 | 6:20pm | Gold |
Monday 9th October 2023 | 1:00pm | Gold |
Monday 9th October 2023 | 4:20pm | Gold |
Wednesday 21st February 2024 | 2:40pm | Gold |
Cast & crew
Rowan Atkinson | Inspector Fowler |
David Haig | D.I. Grim |
Serena Evans | Sergeant Dawkins |
James Dreyfus | P.C. Goody |
Mina Anwar | P.C. Habib |
Rudolph Walker | P.C. Gladstone |
Kevin Allen | D.C. Kray |
Joy Brook | D.C. Crockett |
Stephen Fry | Brigadier Blaster Sump |
Alexander Armstrong (as Alex Armstrong) | Posh Man |
Amelda Brown | Mrs Bludger (Fascist's Mother) |
John Scott Mitchell | Geoffrey (Fascist Youth) |
Jay Simpson | Baz (Young Offender) |
Nicola Stapleton | Natalie (Young Offender) |
Albie Woodington | Hippy |
Ben Elton | Writer |
John Birkin | Director |
Geoffrey Perkins | Producer |
Ben Elton | Producer |
Peter Bennett-Jones | Executive Producer |
Graham Hutchings | Editor |
James Dillon | Production Designer |
Howard Goodall | Composer |