Talk:Z-Cars

Origin of Z-cars
Did the name come from cars? Their radio callsigns were ZV1 and ZV2, I have a vague memory that those were real callsign groups in that part of Lancashire at that time so wonder if the car model names beginning with "Z" was just a coincidence? --jmb 13:08, 11 August 2007 (UTC)


 * I think must be true, I am getting mixed up with the control callsign that they use ("BD"), this was the real Lancashire Constabulary callsign. --jmb 15:19, 13 August 2007 (UTC)

I thought it originated from their use of Ford Zodiacs or Zephyrs... but I could be quite wrong... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.154.17.249 (talk) 01:44, 9 November 2007 (UTC)

No nothing to do with the make or model of the cars. The letter at the beginning of the call sign denotes the cars role. Z tells you the vehicle is a Crime Car. The next part of the call sign tells you where the car is based Victor is the word used in the International Phonetic Alphabet to represent the letter V. So Z tells you the vehicle is a Crime Car and Victor tells you the car is based in V Division. At that time Lancashire Constabulary didn't have a V Division so the call signs were fictional in that sense. Though LC latter gained a V Division as the result of an amalgation and there really was a Z Victor 1 and 2. More Crime Cars were big Vauxhalls than Zephyrs. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2407:7000:9C78:A700:CD9A:3185:61E4:80C0 (talk) 11:53, 21 June 2020 (UTC)

Always pronounced 'zed', never 'zee'
Why on earth are we specifying this? We don't mention in the Thanksgiving page that it's pronounced "ThanksGIVing", even though British English stresses the first syllable. Z-Cars is a British series, so shouldn't British pronunciation be taken as read? I'm minded to remove this pronunciation guide as being just a bit silly. 86.132.142.246 (talk) 23:56, 3 January 2008 (UTC)

Agreed - it's a British based article - we shouldn't need to explain British English to people! We don't have it for http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay-Z so I am removing it from here. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 109.155.228.113 (talk) 09:53, 21 September 2012 (UTC)

Nonsensical sentence
I have added a clarify tag to this sentence, in respect of the italicised section:

Also in 1960s episodes as David Graham was Colin Welland, who won an Academy Award for Chariots of Fire in 1981, ''upon receipt of he warned the industry "the British are coming!" speech.''

What on earth do the last twelve words mean? There appear to be several words missing and what remains makes no sense. I would tidy it up myself but I have no idea what it's supposed to be saying. Censorship Workaround (talk) 18:55, 14 December 2008 (UTC)

Table for cast?
The cast bullet list is really hard to read. It would probably be better as a table but I simply don't have the time. Would someone else be willing to jump in and pick up the slack? --Kitsunegami (talk) 09:05, 15 August 2011 (UTC)

This has been done this for both sections, it does make it easier to read. (Edit done, though this was anonymously as I was unable to remember my login (sorted now).) Ade barrett (talk) 14:50, 19 August 2015 (UTC)

Theme music, 1976-78
no mention in the theme music section of the later, electric arrangement of the theme music. I dimly recall that this was credited to "fuzz music"... duncanrmi (talk) 00:21, 6 June 2016 (UTC)
 * Nor is there even mention of the ca. 1971 new arrangement (though in the article Theme from Z-Cars it is vaguely referred to as "A later, much more syncopated arrangement"). Trust me, if I could find a reliable source, I would fix this in a flash, especially considering the obvious metrical relationship to "Overkill", the original theme for The Bill. I'm not familiar with the third, "electric" arrangement, but if you find a source, do not hesitate to add this information.—Jerome Kohl (talk) 00:40, 6 June 2016 (UTC)
 * Thanks to recent YouTube uploads, it appears that not only was the electric arrangement credited to "Fuzz Music" but also to Steeleye Span. However, these videos may not be acceptable as sources, unless perhaps a point is to be stretched. Harfarhs (talk) 11:37, 3 February 2021 (UTC)

well, now.... steeleye span? I had noted at the time (i.e. 1978, when I was 13 & a keen follower of various prog & hippyish acts) that the arrangemnt sounded like them. I then learned that the band's singer, maddy prior, was alan prior's daughter. so there's a connection. needs more proof, though, obvs.

https://steeleyespanfan.co.uk/the-music/rare-tracks

duncanrmi (talk) 23:33, 12 February 2022 (UTC)

"Glass head"
"John Thaw, later known for his roles in The Sweeney and Inspector Morse, appeared in four [episodes] as a detective constable who had to leave the force because he had a 'glass head' – he couldn't drink alcohol when socialising and mixing with the criminal fraternity, very much part of a detective's job."

I can't help but think this problem is misdescribed. Surely, if Thaw's character genuinely could not drink alcohol, for whatever reason, then administrative ('woodentop') positions in the force would still be open to him? Harfarhs (talk) 11:24, 3 February 2021 (UTC)


 * From the one episode I have seen with Thaw's DC character (1964's "Hide and Go Seek") the issue comes to a head when a newspaper prints a story detailing that a gang is about to be brought down and printing the name and photograph of the informer who has provided the information. The informant ends up seriously injured in hospital and there is a hunt to find out who talked to a journalist. Thaw's character, who has asked DS Watt to transfer back into uniform as he is not coping with CID work, appears drunk and stressed and admits he was the one to have done it when he had too much to drink and boasted to a reporter. He says CID officers need to drink, but he cannot handle it. He has only been in CID for a short period and says he only transferred because DCI Barlow told him he would be a good detective. Thus I think the story is slightly more complicated than presented here (though I am not sure if it is explained/developed further in a later episode). Dunarc (talk) 20:30, 25 August 2023 (UTC)

"Starring" in infobox
While the seven actors listed in the starring section of the infobox were undoubtedly the stars of the original 1962-1965 series, this article covers the whole of the series as it ran until 1978. Of these seven, Stratford Johns and Frank Windsor transferred to various spin-offs and apart from an appearance by Windsor as Watt in the last episode in 1978 never appeared again. Of the other five, Brian Blessed, Jeremy Kemp and Colin Welland did not return for the 1967 revival, though they appeared in cameos as different characters in the 1978 final episode. Joseph Brady did return in 1967, but left the next year (again playing a different character in a short cameo in the final episode). James Ellis stayed with the series to the end. However several actors who joined in 1967 appeared in far more episodes than those listed in the starring section, notably Bernard Holley, Douglas Fielding, Derek Waring and John Slater. I would also note Robert Keegan as Sgt Blackitt appeared in considerably more episodes of the 1962-1965 run than Collin Welland (though was less of a focus character). Given this I wonder if the section needs editing? Dunarc (talk) 20:57, 14 August 2023 (UTC)


 * This would be worth adding as a separate section. You can check details at IMDb, This says 126 episodes and even gives details, obtained by clicking on the number.--[[User:GwydionM|GwydionM] (talk) 07:47, 15 August 2023 (UTC)
 * Thanks - some of the IMDb entries for Z-Cars seem to contain errors. For instance it credits Brian Blessed with appearing in several 1967 episodes as PC Smith (interestingly all part 1 of two part stories), but he did not appear after 1965 and he is not in the Radio Times listing for these episodes. Dunarc (talk) 22:54, 17 September 2023 (UTC)

Episodes section - possible conflict with list of Episodes article
In the section "Episodes" it notes that when revived in 1967 the series consisted of two episodes a week, being part one and part two of the same story. It then says that "It ran like this until the episode "Kid's Stuff" (broadcast on 30 March 1971), shown as a single 50-minute episode for the week, proved the longer format would still work. Thereafter, Z Cars was shown in alternating spells of either two × 25 minute episodes or the single 50-minute episode each week over the next 16 months." However the article List of Z-Cars episodes suggests that a single episode "Let Nothing You Dismay" was broadcast on 29 December 1970 and was that week's only episode. So I am not sure it is correct to say that "Kid's Stuff" was the first single episode since the revival. However I cannot find out if "Let Nothing You Dismay" was a stand alone 25 minute episode, or if it was a 50 minute episode. Dunarc (talk) 13:51, 5 July 2024 (UTC)