Strangers (1978 TV series)

Strangers
GenreCrime drama
Created byMurray Smith
Starring
ComposerMike Moran
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons5
No. of episodes32 (list of episodes)
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Production
Executive producerRichard Everitt
ProducerMervyn Watson
CinematographyMike Thomson
Mike Popley
EditorDavid Rees
Running time60 minutes
Production companyGranada Television
Original release
NetworkITV
Release5 June 1978 (1978-06-05) –
20 October 1982 (1982-10-20)
Related
The XYY Man
Bulman
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Strangers is a British television crime drama series, principally written and created by Murray Smith, and first broadcast on ITV on 5 June 1978. The series, featuring the characters of Detective Sergeant George Bulman (Don Henderson) and his assistant Detective Constable Derek Willis (Dennis Blanch), was a spin-off from the 1976 TV series The XYY Man, adapted from the novels of Kenneth Royce.[1] The series was first suggested by Granada Television executives, who in 1977, outlined their plan to devise a new series to feature the regular characters of Bulman and Willis.[2]

"... I was sent here to be a stranger in town, a face they didn't recognise ..." - George Bulman

The series began life as a fairly standard police drama, with Bulman positioned as its eccentric lead. The series' premise centred around a group of police officers, including Bulman and Willis, known as 'Unit 23', who are brought together from different parts of the country to Manchester to infiltrate areas and investigate crimes that familiar local detectives could not.[3] Five series were broadcast, with the final episode airing on 20 October 1982.

All five series of Strangers were released on DVD via the Network imprint as a complete box-set on 19 October 2009.[4]

Following the series, a further spin-off, simply entitled Bulman, ran for two series on ITV. It follows Bulman, again played by Don Henderson, as he retires from the police and becomes a private detective.

  1. ^ "..: THE STRANGERS / THE XYY MAN / BULMAN :." www.britishdrama.org.uk.
  2. ^ "Strangers & Bulman". www.mediagems.de.
  3. ^ "Strangers (ITV 1978-1982, Don Henderson, Dennis Blanch)". 12 July 2016.
  4. ^ "Strangers - The Complete Series". 19 October 2009 – via Amazon.