# The Professionals (1977)

> Two elite CI5 agents, the cynical ex-SAS Bodie and the principled ex-police Doyle, take on Britain's most dangerous terrorists and criminals under their hard-nosed controller George Cowley.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/10403

## Facts

- Seasons: 5
- Episodes: 57
- Episode runtime: 60 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: action, crime, drama
- Created by: Brian Clemens
- Network: ITV1
- Cast: Lewis Collins, Martin Shaw, Gordon Jackson, Jasmina Hilton, Al Matthews, Keith Barron, Donald Douglas, Di Trevis
- TMDB rating: 8.0/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075561/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: gritty, tense, brisk, sardonic, hard-edged

## What critics say

Viewers broadly regard the series as a taut, action-driven British crime series whose rough-edged partnership between its two leads carries it, with its early seasons rated highest.

## Synopsis

The Professionals (1977-1983) is a British ITV action crime series created by Brian Clemens, produced by LWT. Lewis Collins plays Bodie, a cynical ex-SAS paratrooper turned mercenary, and Martin Shaw plays Doyle, a former police officer with a more open-minded outlook, two agents of CI5, a covert British unit tasked with fighting terrorism and high-profile crime. Their hard-nosed controller George Cowley (Gordon Jackson), a former MI5 operative, hand-picks his men and assigns them the toughest cases. The engine of the show is the volatile partnership between the two leads, whose constant friction never undermines their skill as the country's top operatives. Each episode is a self-contained case of the week, built around bombings, kidnappings, armed robberies and shadowy plots, with tense set pieces, car chases and gunfights. Across five seasons the show keeps a lean, brisk rhythm and a gritty, cold-war-tinged atmosphere of urban menace. Set in 1970s and early 1980s Britain, it has a hard-edged, masculine tone, with sardonic banter softening the violence. Fans of The Sweeney, Hunter and Spooks will find resonance in its gritty, partnership-driven action.

## Shows like The Professionals

- [Murphy's Law (2001)](https://ember.film/tv/5828)
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- [Wiseguy (1987)](https://ember.film/tv/6114)
- [Scott & Bailey (2011)](https://ember.film/tv/36323)
- [The Persuaders! (1971)](https://ember.film/tv/2416)
- [Spooks (2002)](https://ember.film/tv/3847)
- [Bulletproof (2018)](https://ember.film/tv/68364)
- [Hardcastle and McCormick (1983)](https://ember.film/tv/1192)
- [Harry's Game (1982)](https://ember.film/tv/12623)
- [Kryminalni (2004)](https://ember.film/tv/14258)

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