Dixon Of Dock Green

1 9 5 5 - 1 9 7 6 (UK)
367 x 25/45 minute episodes

PC George Dixon was the first British copper to walk the beat. The series ran for 21 years, so he was also the longest-lasting British copper. 

The character was first introduced in the Rank movie The Blue Lamp (1950) where he was shot dead by Dirk Bogarde after a mere 21 minutes.

The kindly, tea-drinking bobby was so popular with audiences that the BBC resurrected the character (based on a real bobby from Leman Street in London's East End).

Each of the 367 episodes opened with Dixon's matey greeting, "Evenin' all" and he reflected the public image of the police at the time. He was the friendly local bobby with a kind word for everyone - There was very little serious crime in Dock Green.

Jack Warner made sure all details were authentic - For example, a policeman was not supposed to remove his helmet when entering a house, but should take it off when asking an elderly lady about her dog license (and the helmet had to be held under the arm when addressing a bishop!). 

In order to achieve realism the BBC kept 250 real police officers on their payroll to pass on anecdotes about their job.

The emphasis was on small every day police work, not major crimes as is the case with most cop shows today. The debut episode, PC Crawford's First Pinch, was introduced by the Radio Times with the words "Murder cases are not so frequent as some crime writers would have us imagine".

Other characters also made the transition from the movie, such as Andy Crawford (later to become a Detective and to marry Dixon's daughter, Mary), PC "Laudy" Lauderdale and Desk Sergeant Flint (who lodged with Dixon's mother).

George Dixon was always a benevolent father figure to the local community, and in 1964 was promoted to Sergeant and became desk-bound, too old to pound the beat anymore. 

He finally retired in 1976 as the show seemed out of place now amongst the new breed of TV copper such as The Sweeney.

Jack Warner died five years later aged 85. His coffin was carried by police officers from Paddington Green and the show's theme tune An Ordinary Copper played over the church PA.

Sadly, the majority of episodes of Dixon of Dock Green were either destroyed or lost and no longer exist.