Reviews

Perfect for those who like to look back at a London in black & white and full of bomb sites. It's the usual working class scenario of bored kids hoping to make it rich with a pop song, and parents in mundane jobs. The film is a good period piece and shows pretty much what the 60s were really like for those who think it was 'swinging' for anyone other than a select few.

What was brilliant, absolutely unmissable TV in 1978 looks dated nearly 40 years on. Other than Tom Bell most of the supporting cast look quite wooden, but this could be due to 1970s direction. The story line is excellent and it would be good to see it done today for a new audience. I think the rhyming slang used put a lot of people off as they would not have a clue what 'reels of cotton' meant; or 'dabs'; 'the island'. It was alright for me as I was in that world, but this may have been one of the reasons why it won just one award for Editing... It's a shame that they used a fleet of Ford cars all beginning with the same three letters as you never knew if it was the old bill or the villains pulling up! It was worth another watch after so long, but don't expect it to feel as good as it did back then. Euston Films did some great stuff back then, classic TV, but style has changed and moved on with television.