Spender

Spender
Intertitle
Genre	Drama Police
Created by	Jimmy Nail Ian La Frenais
Written by	Jimmy Nail Ian La Frenais Kenneth Ladd Val McLane
Directed by	Mary McMurray Roger Bamford
Starring	Jimmy Nail
Theme music composer	Tony McAnaney
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language(s)	English
No. of series	3 + 1 Special
No. of episodes	21
Production
Producer(s)	Martin McKeand
Running time	50 mins
Production company(s)	BBC Television/Big Boy Productions
Release
Original network	BBC One
Picture format	4:3
Audio format	Stereo
First shown in	1991
Original release	8 January 1991 (1991-01-08) – 29 December 1993 (1993-12-29)

Spender is a BBC television drama set in Newcastle upon Tyne, created by Ian La Frenais and Jimmy Nail, who also starred. Martin McKeand produced the first two series, broadcast on BBC One in early 1991 and 1992. A third and final series was shown in early 1993. A total of 20 episodes were produced, with one feature-length special, set and filmed in France.

Plot

The series focused on the life and exploits of Detective Sergeant Freddie Spender (Nail) who was often chosen to carry out more daring police cases. With his criminal sidekick Stick (Sammy Johnson), Spender was one of the more remarkable TV detectives of the 1990s. The series featured an extensive back story for the main characters with a number of episodes dealing with Spender's domestic life, his family and circumstances.

Some of the storylines were somewhat dark; one episode featured the death of Spender's wife at the hands of a ruthless gangster, another on the kidnap of one of his daughters.

Development

Nail mentioned the idea of a cop show to writer La Frenais, with whom he'd worked on Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, in 1987. The BBC commissioned a pilot script, written by the latter, which was enthusiastically received but La Frenais was too busy to work on further episodes. A producer suggested the Nail should try writing a script, which was also positively received by the BBC. Not confident he could repeat the formula for remaining episodes in the series on his own, Nail moved to Los Angeles in 1989 to be closer to La Frenais as he worked on the material.^[1]

Production

The first series was reported to have cost the BBC £2,500,000 to produce.^[2] The second and third series were produced by Initial.

The producer Martin McKeand, director of photography and first assistant director left during the making of the first series.^[3] A press article at the time said that three members of the production team had left citing 'creative and artistic differences'.^[4] Nail was said to have been demanding as the star and Executive Producer of the show.^[5]

No further series were produced after the special, despite the popularity of the show, and it being a smash hit for the BBC in terms of ratings.

Vehicles

Ford provided a new Ford Sierra Sapphire RS Cosworth for each series, for Spender's car.^[6] The first vehicle was stolen from the set, before later being found burnt out. A security guard for the car was hired during the production of the third series.^[7]

Stick drove a Volkswagen Beetle. A number of Ford, Vauxhall, BMW and Range Rover cars were also featured in the series.^[8]

Cast and characters

The show was Denise Welch's national television debut.^[2] Mickey Hutton, who played a recurring character in the series, was formerly in a band with Nail.^[9]

Guest stars in the series included Amanda Redman, Rodney Bewes, Frances Tomelty, Julie Peasgood, Jan Graveson, Geoffrey Hughes, Bobby Pattinson, Tom Bell and Ian McElhinney.

Episodes

Series 1

The series was broadcast on Tuesday evenings in the peak 9.30pm time slot that followed the BBC's flagship Nine O'Clock News.

Series 2

Series 3

Christmas Special

References

External links

• Spender at the Internet Movie Database
• Spender episode guide
• Toon on Television: Spender http://draperonfilm.com/2015/09/23/toon-on-television-spender/