I can remember sitting in the lounge room with mum and dad watching "Gideon's Way" with it's familiar whistling theme and painting a picture of the bobby on the beat - you know, back in the days when parents always said "if you get lost, find a policeman"!! Watching the episodes over 45 years later the shows have not let me down and my husband thinks the series is fantastic. I also wonder whether Ruth Rendell got her idea for the Wexford and Burden books from these shows, her first book, "From Doon With Death" came out around 1964 I think. John Gregson is terrific as Commander Gideon, a down to earth copper who never takes things at face value and Alexander Davion is the younger Det. Chief Insp. Keene, full of ideas but often quick to judge. "The Rhyme and the Reason" was particularly good. It dealt with the new phenomena (for 1964) of the Mods and the Rockers. Keene is very dismissive, even the young murder suspect is convinced he won't be treated fairly due to his "Mod" outlook but Gideon believes in him and along with his sister helping, finds the real culprit.They weren't just "by the numbers" police shows but attempted to deal with psychological issues ie "The Tin God" was about a child who refused to believe his father, a desperate escapee, was anything but a hero. Another one "Big Fish, Little Fish" attempted to show what life was like for a little kid growing up in a family of hardened criminals - believe me it wasn't warm and cosy.I know it sounds simplistic but I just love all the episodes - a couple that stand out (apart from the ones I mentioned) are "The Lady Killer" - Keene always seemed to date models and this one took place among the beautiful people of the swinging sixties. "The Nightlifers" was about young people who live for kicks and Keene's girlfriend in this one is Jean Marsh (way before Rose in "Upstairs, Downstairs"). "Subway to Revenge" is about a girl who is very keen on her boss but she can tell he is in danger even if he can't and "The Wall", about a young couple who are very keen to move away from their pokey bedsit and their very creepy neighbour - a really super episode.As well, there were many parts played by actors just starting out who became huge stars - John Hurt, George Cole, Ray Barratt (in Australia), Donald Sutherland and a luminous Carol White who shot to fame the next year as the star of Ken Loach's "Cathy Come Home".Highly Recommended.

This series appeared on television about the time I moved to secondary school. A friend recommended it and I got hooked. I agree with other commentators that John Gregson was perfectly cast for the part, rather in the way that only Patrick McNee could have been John Steed of The Avengers.I recollect it being a perfect successor to Dixon of Dock Green. Public sensibilities had hardened a little and the series addressed criminal issues with a greater realism, yet without that descent into cynicism of the later and equally excellent Sweeney. It was still basically a feel-good series. We could all continue to rest easy in our beds. No matter what the villains could muster, decent old George could always be relied upon to do the right and honourable thing.How times have changed. Gimme back them 60's any day. I haven't seen the series since then, yet even now I find myself whistling its jaunty little theme tune, and feeling that guilty pang of not having done my homework, which the program invariably forestalled.

Happily 'Gideons Way' was recently released on DVD in the UK in full. At 32, I obviously missed the series first time round, and some may suppose a B&W police series for 1965 may be somewhat old fashioned for a thirtysomething. However, its blend of well crafted story lines, an often shocking brutality for 1960s television, and the honest and natural acting make it unmissable. It represents now a lost London : of gangs and protection rackets, Soho coffee bars, undeveloped docklands and seedy rooming houses. Superb!John Gregson was hugely underrated as an actor. A biography on this talented man is highly overdue. Anyone know of one? Or shall I have to write one myself?!

Long forgotten police drama series featuring the cases and adventures of honest family man copper Inspector Gideon.All the hallmarks of its production company are there,such as easily digestible stories that had an international appeal and production values that were head and shoulders above the well remembered police series of that day such as 'Z Cars' and 'Dixon Of Dock Green'. Shot entirely on film it was possibly one of the first British police series to escape the studio and use extensive location filming. TV stations have prejudice against shows made in black and white so consequently this has probably not been on TV since its first or second showing?