The Thin Blue Line. Image shows from L to R: D.I. Grim (David Haig), P.C. Habib (Mina Anwar), Inspector Fowler (Rowan Atkinson), P.C. Goody (James Dreyfus), D.C. Boyle (Mark Addy), Sergeant Dawkins (Serena Evans), P.C. Gladstone (Rudolph Walker). Copyright: Tiger Aspect Productions
The Thin Blue Line

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.

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Episode menu

Series 2, Episode 5 - Come On You Blues

Gasforth Football Club has reached the second round of the FA Cup. Fowler is looking forward to watching the game and Grim is looking forward to tackling some hooligans. The Mayoress tells Fowler that if he ensures a trouble free match she will recommend him for an MBE.

Further details

Gasforth Town FC has achieved the seemingly impossible and made it through to an advanced round of the FA Cup, with their next fixture to be played at home against Chelsea. Fowler and Grim are both worried about crowd control at the match and possibility of encountering Premier League hooligans that generally come with Premier League sides. Grim goes undercover to see what he can pick up locally in the run-up to the match, whilst Fowler trains his men in the use of riot equipment and how to employ intimidation using rhythmic beating on their shields.

The Mayoress decides to use the game as a way of pushing the town's "Relocate in Gasforth" business campaign. As the match will bring both people and the media into the town, she promises to recommend Fowler for an MBE if it all goes well. Grim, meanwhile, becomes a little over-excited and even more self-important than usual when the big boys of the Metropolitan Police liaise with him over the match's policing.

As the day of the game draws nearer, tensions around Gasforth rise. Wary of his MBE, Fowler shuts down a rowdy party the night before the match, whilst Grim pounces on a group talking of "Chelsea scum" in the local pizza restaurant, and Patricia takes the opportunity to arrest a group of builders who have been shouting lewd comments at her for the last few weeks.

All looks set for a smooth and peaceful Saturday afternoon.

Broadcast details

Date
Thursday 12th December 1996
Time
9:30pm
Channel
BBC One
Length
32 minutes

Repeats

Show past repeats

Date Time Channel
Tuesday 2nd August 2011 9:20pm Gold
Wednesday 3rd August 2011 12:40am Gold
Tuesday 29th April 2014 8:40pm Gold
Wednesday 30th April 2014 1:00am Gold
Saturday 12th July 2014 11:00am Gold
Wednesday 20th August 2014 11:00am Gold
Sunday 4th January 2015 11:00am Gold
Sunday 1st March 2015 4:40pm Gold
Wednesday 1st April 2015 1:20pm Gold
Monday 14th December 2015 7:10am Gold
Monday 14th December 2015 10:40am Gold
Friday 23rd December 2016 10:40pm Yesterday
Saturday 24th December 2016 8:40pm Yesterday
Monday 16th January 2017 10:00am Gold
Friday 23rd June 2017 8:00am Gold
Friday 23rd June 2017 1:20pm Gold
Friday 18th August 2017 3:25am Gold
Saturday 9th September 2017 2:50am Gold
Friday 23rd June 2023 9:00am Gold
Friday 23rd June 2023 1:00pm Gold
Monday 26th June 2023 9:00am Gold
Monday 26th June 2023 1:00pm Gold
Monday 18th September 2023 7:00pm Gold
Tuesday 19th September 2023 2:30am Gold
Tuesday 19th September 2023 1:40pm Gold
Tuesday 19th September 2023 6:20pm Gold
Tuesday 17th October 2023 1:00pm Gold
Tuesday 17th October 2023 4:20pm Gold
Tuesday 23rd January 2024 8:00pm Gold
Wednesday 24th January 2024 2:40pm Gold
Friday 1st March 2024 2:40pm Gold
Friday 1st March 2024 11:15pm Gold
Sunday 3rd March 2024 9:00pm Gold
Monday 4th March 2024 12:00am Gold

Cast & crew

Cast
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
Mark Addy D.C. Boyle
Lucy Robinson Mayoress Wickham
Guest cast
Alan David Football Manager
Chooye Bay (as Chooi Kheng-Beh) Japanese Businessman
Neil Maskell Man in 'Pizza Hole'
Writing team
Ben Elton Writer
Production team
John Birkin Director
Geoffrey Perkins Producer
Ben Elton Producer
Peter Bennett-Jones Executive Producer
Steve Tempia Editor
Charlie Fawcett Editor
James Dillon Production Designer
Howard Goodall Composer

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