JOHN THAW IN 'THE SWEENEY: THIN ICE' WITH JOHN FLANAGAN

John Thaw and John Flanagan in THE SWEENEY: THIN ICE Year: 1975 Rating: ***

THE SWEENEY season one's third episode THIN ICE can be called the "dog one" as it centers on a sophisticated criminal who flees to France, leaving his beloved pet behind... to be babysat and then imported to France by Brian Glover, an inept/bungling criminal who Regan and Carter (John Thaw and Dennis Waterman aided by grouchy PC John Flanagan as Matt Matthews) keep their eyes on and eventually sink their interrogating hooks into...

Making THIN ICE not only a quirky, semi-comedic episode but is the first of a series broken up into GET CARTER style gritty action/exploitation pieces or offbeat ventures like this one; yet it's also replete with the usual ingredients including a strict, overbearing chief for Regan to rebel against (Peter Jeffrey, who co-starred with John Thaw in the DR. PHIBES sequel) and the usual collection of character-actors also including Brian Wilde as a high-class lawyer and token bimbo-moll Margaret Nolan, waiting poolside with the classy antagonist Alfred Marks. 

John Thaw and Peter Jeffrey in THE SWEENEY: Thin Ice

John Thaw and John Flanagan in THE SWEENEY: Thin Ice

Alfred Marks and Margaret Nolan in THE SWEENEY: Thin Ice

John Thaw and Brian Glover in THE SWEENEY: Thin Ice

John Thaw and Brian Glover in THE SWEENEY: Thin Ice

Brian Wilde from Curse of the Demon in THE SWEENEY: Thin Ice