The Chinese Detective
| The Chinese Detective | |
|---|---|
 This is the main title caption that was seen throughout the series. | |
| Created by | Ian Kennedy Martin |
| Starring |
David Yip Derek Martin Robert Lee |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| No. of series | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 14 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 1 Hour |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC1 |
| Original release | 30 April 1981 – 5 November 1982 |
The Chinese Detective is a British television series, transmitted by the BBC between 1981 and 1982 and created by Ian Kennedy Martin, who had previously devised The Sweeney and Juliet Bravo.
The series starred British-born Chinese actor David Yip as Detective Sergeant John Ho, and offered traditional police procedural storylines in a setting of occasional prejudice and distrust within the police force, and the prejudice displayed by those Ho encounters whilst doing his job. Like many other TV detectives, Ho was something of a maverick, often using unorthodox methods to solve crimes.
Ho's immediate superior in the police force was Det. Insp. Berwick (Derek Martin) and he was also often seen visiting his father Joe (Robert Lee) at his restaurant for advice. The series was set in and around London's docklands before redevelopment began in the 1980s.
Like many British TV detectives of the 1980s TV era, DS Ho drove a 'classic' car - in his case a Morris Minor Traveller.
Both series were released on DVD 14 April 2008 but have since gone out of print.
Cast
- David Yip as Detective Sergeant Johnny Ho
- Arthur Kelly as Detective Sergeant Donald Chegwin
- Robert Lee as Joe Ho
- Derek Martin as Detective Chief Inspector Berwick
Episode list
Series 1: 1981
| Nº | Ep | Title | Directed by: | Written by: | Air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Release" | Ian Toynton | Ian Kennedy Martin | 30 April 1981 |
| Guest stars: Alan Ford, Shirley Stelfox | |||||
| 2 | 2 | "Hammer And Nails" | Terry Green | Ian Kennedy Martin | 7 May 1981 |
| Guest stars: Brian Croucher, Matthew Scurfield, John Judd, James Marcus, David Sibley, Keith Hodiak | |||||
| 3 | 3 | "The Four from Fulham" | Ian Toynton | Ian Kennedy Martin | 14 May 1981 |
| Guest stars: Michael Melia, Peter Dean, Albert Moses, Jim McManus | |||||
| 4 | 4 | "Income Tax" | Ian Toynton | Ian Kennedy Martin | 21 May 1981 |
| Guest stars: Lee Montague, Marc Zuber, Bill Treacher, Renu Setna, Dicken Ashworth, Ishia Bennison | |||||
| 5 | 5 | "Washing" | Tom Clegg | Ian Kennedy Martin | 28 May 1981 |
| Guest stars: | |||||
| 6 | 6 | "Ice And Dust" | Tom Clegg | Ian Kennedy Martin | 4 June 1981 |
| Guest stars: Ian Hendry, Roger Sloman, Paul Barber | |||||
Series 2: 1982
| Nº | Ep | Title | Directed by: | Written by: | Air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 1 | "Trials" | Ian Toynton | Ian Kennedy Martin | 10 September 1982 |
| Guest stars: Maurice Denham, Frank Gatliff, Allan Surtees | |||||
| 8 | 2 | "Oblomov" | Terence Williams | Ian Kennedy Martin | 17 September 1982 |
| Guest stars: Michael Barrington, Alan Ford, John Savident, Albert Moses, Robert Russell, Barry Smith | |||||
| 9 | 3 | "Wheels Within Wheels" | David Green | Ian Kennedy Martin | 24 September 1982 |
| Guest stars: Rudolph Walker, George Sewell, Rosemary Martin, Keith James | |||||
| 10 | 4 | "Tapdancer" | Ian Toynton | Ian Kennedy Martin | 1 October 1982 |
| Guest stars: Edward Hardwicke, Bryan Marshall, Linda Marlowe, Pam St. Clement, Ben Howard | |||||
| 11 | 5 | "Bounty Hunter" | Laurence Moody | Eddie Boyd | 8 October 1982 |
| Guest stars: Maurice Roëves, Michael Attwell, Stevan Rimkus, Arnold Yarrow, Martin Gower | |||||
| 12 | 6 | "Chorale" | Jeremy Summers | Ian Kennedy Martin | 15 October 1982 |
| Guest stars: George Baker, Derren Nesbitt, Roy Pattison, Roy Scammell, Valentine Palmer, Peter Craze | |||||
| 13 | 7 | "Pasts" | Leonard Lewis | Eddie Boyd | 22 October 1982 |
| Guest stars: James Ellis, Peter Copley, John Collin, Patsy Smart, Albert Moses, Gordon Salkilld, Declan Mulholland, Ray Float | |||||
| 14 | 8 | "Secret State" | Brian Lighthill | Ian Kennedy Martin | 5 November 1982 |
| Guest stars: Tony Caunter, Patrick Malahide, Michael Robbins, Anna Wing, Maurice O’Connell, John Rolfe, Peter Spraggon | |||||
External links
- British Film Institute Screen Online
- The Chinese Detective at BBC Programmes
- The Chinese Detective at the Internet Movie Database