Special Branch

Groundbreaking British police drama series following the exploits of the Special Branch of the Metropolitan Police: an elite group of officers tasked with protecting London from spies, terrorists, and subversives.

Genre: Action, Crime, Drama

Cast:Derren Nesbitt , George Sewell , Morris Perry , Fulton Mackay , Patrick Mower , Roger Rowland , Keith Washington , Paul Eddington , Wensley Pithey , Frederick Jaeger , Sheila Scott Wilkinson , David Garth , Paul Antrim , Jennifer Wilson , Sandra Bryant , Susan Jameson , Anne Rutter , John Bailey

1Season 1

S1.E1 ∙ Troika

Tue, Sep 16, 1969

At 3.55 am in London John Morrissey gets into a taxi to Scotland Yard. He is rushing to join a meeting about the planned arrest of three people who have broken the Official Secrets Act by selling information. The codename for this operation is Troika. Before the raid by Special Branch at 6 am, Greenaway sends a coded message to Moscow. When Cowley is arrested he tells Jordan that he has valuable information to tell him. After the raid they have arrested both Cowley and Morris but the third, Greenaway, has escaped, dressed as a woman, with a fake passport. Special Branch is then told by American Intelligence that Greenaway is really Major Igor Alexandrov, a KGB sleeper agent.

2Season 1

S1.E2 ∙ Smokescreen

Tue, Sep 23, 1969

Cowley commits suicide shortly after an unproductive round of questioning by Eden in jail, which leads to an embarrassing public coroner's inquest. Jordan investigates a scientist being vetted for a sensitive position, and all agree he is politically too far left for further consideration, yet he still succeeds.

3Season 1

S1.E3 ∙ The Promised Land

Tue, Sep 30, 1969

A small boat arrives at a beach in Kent where illegal aliens are unloaded, but the police bag the smugglers and all bar one of the Pakistanis, now quite ill, who seeks refuge with an immigrant rights activist.

4Season 1

S1.E4 ∙ A Date with Leonidas

Tue, Oct 7, 1969

A teenager's vow of vengeance leads to Inspector Jordan interrupting a wedding and Superintendent Eden accepting a parcel that contains death. Before the day is over both men have cause for concern.

5Season 1

S1.E5 ∙ The Kazmirov Affair

Tue, Oct 14, 1969

Informed that the manuscript of a Russian author's novel which has been smuggled into Britain is a forgery and could discredit the Goverment, Inspector Jordan goes against orders and investigates the claim.

6Season 1

S1.E6 ∙ A New Face

Tue, Oct 21, 1969

The son of a trusted officer of the special branch has become radicalised while away at university, trying to join a gang of riot-minded militant socialist students. This threatens to break up his family, and his father's position.

7Season 1

S1.E7 ∙ You Don't Exist

Tue, Oct 28, 1969

A girl lands at Heathrow from Rhodesia, but owing to Britian's break of diplomatic relations, she has no valid passport. A young officer is supposed to mind her until she can be sent back, but takes her for a tour instead.

8Season 1

S1.E8 ∙ The Children of Delight

Tue, Nov 4, 1969

Is there something sinister going on behind the facade of 'The Children of Delight' - a group of hippies who have arrived on Eden's patch. Detective Sergeants Webb and Gifford go undercover to investigate.

9Season 1

S1.E9 ∙ Reliable Sources

Tue, Nov 11, 1969

Superintendent Eden is on the spot. The Security Commission has met to consider the leak that tipped a spy during the Troika affair. The detective is cleared - but told that he cannot continue his role as Special Branch controller.

10Season 1

S1.E10 ∙ Short Change

Tue, Nov 18, 1969

A girl being held for giving official secret documents to the Russians faces a long gaol term, but an exchange offer for a Briton arrested in Moscow is offered. The officers suspect she's far more than she seems to be.

11Season 1

S1.E11 ∙ Exit a Diplomat

Tue, Nov 25, 1969

When a member of a foreign embassy is caught shoplifting in London, but tries to hide her status by willingly accepting arrest, Superintendent Inman takes an interest in her employers.

12Season 1

S1.E12 ∙ Care of Her Majesty

Tue, Dec 2, 1969

A British embassy in Eastern Europe receives a coded message from London to say that Jordan of Special Branch would be visiting. This is mainly (so he's told) to check why ten thousand pounds in cash has gone missing. The cover story is that it was royalties for a published novel, but Jordan is told the truth that it was money to bribe the local enemy agents. While searching the embassy Jordan finds a large picture that would cover the safe from the security cameras when it was broken into. Jordan is then told the real truth in that the money has not been stolen but top secret files have gone missing instead. The thief is later caught by Jordan and it turns out to be Sarah Landring.

13Season 1

S1.E13 ∙ Visitor from Moscow

Tue, Dec 9, 1969

When a KGB officer is sent to London to coordinate security measures with the SB team for the forthcoming visit a Russian VIP, Inman instructs Jordan to help him - with disastrous results.

14Season 1

S1.E14 ∙ Time Bomb

Tue, Dec 16, 1969

Sent to investigate the death of the son of a pro-British oil sheikh in a bomb plot, Superintendent Inman finds a hotbed of intrigue and a dangerous international situation about to explode in his face.

1Season 2

S2.E1 ∙ Inside

Mon, Aug 10, 1970

Jordan finds himself in Wormwood Scrubs. What's he up to? No one is saying - least of all Supt Inman, who believes that time is running out in a situation that could place his department in danger.

2Season 2

S2.E2 ∙ Dinner Date

Mon, Aug 17, 1970

Jordan flies to Frankfurt to escort a British subject, Selby, back to England. Selby had disappeared three years earlier in East Germany and the British Government are anxious to learn what he's been up to - but the Russian KGB hide in the shadows.

3Season 2

S2.E3 ∙ Depart in Peace

Mon, Aug 24, 1970

An ex-colonial policeman is pressured to return to Africa to testify at the trial of a onetime Mau-Mau warlord, but he adamantly refuses.

4Season 2

S2.E4 ∙ Miss International

Mon, Aug 31, 1970

What appeared to be a straightforward case - protecting the wife of a foreign VIP, who has entered a beauty competition in the cause of female emancipation for her own country - turns into a nightmare situation for DCI Jordan.

5Season 2

S2.E5 ∙ Warrant for a Phoenix

Mon, Sep 7, 1970

An accusation of theft against a highly respected Greek historian sets the Special Branch team a problem. Interpol have requested his extradition from England - but Inman isn't satisfied with the facts of the case.

6Season 2

S2.E6 ∙ The Pleasure of Your Company

Tue, Sep 15, 1970

Inman meets the CIA's new man in London. Jordan meets an old friend from Moscow. All perfectly legal - until the two are seen together at intervals and the Special Branch team become involved in international politics.

7Season 2

S2.E7 ∙ Not to Be Trusted

Tue, Sep 22, 1970

Is an eminent scientist, on lone to a top-secret research establishment, a security risk? That's the question facing Inman and his team. The research establishment is suddenly prone to 'leaks'. Has the man been got at?

8Season 2

S2.E8 ∙ Borderline Case

Tue, Sep 29, 1970

While a member of the SB team keeps watch on Karl Peters' flat, Inman and his team scan though his charge sheet. They believe he will attempt to incite London dockworkers into taking industrial action against their employers.

9Season 2

S2.E9 ∙ Love from Doris

Tue, Oct 6, 1970

When military security intercepts a letter written to a lonely serviceman by his foreign 'penpal' Rita, which contains casual references to secret information, Supt Inman sends DCI Jordan to investigate.

10Season 2

S2.E10 ∙ Sorry Is Just a Word

Tue, Oct 13, 1970

When a Czech au-pair goes missing in London and her father is one of the most powerful men in the country, Inman and Jordan must find out what's happened to her. But their enquiries lead to a dead end.

11Season 2

S2.E11 ∙ Error of Judgement

Tue, Oct 20, 1970

When Inman discovers that "The Guardians" are taking a more-than-usual interest in a group of pro-germ-warfare people and finds that their leader is a pretty girl, he decides to send Jordan along to question her.

12Season 2

S2.E12 ∙ Reported Missing

Tue, Oct 27, 1970

An attractive Russian ballerina from a visiting ballet company goes missing. Jordan has doubts about the report's authenticity, but Inman goes out on a limb to champion the girl's cause - with disastrous results.

13Season 2

S2.E13 ∙ Fool's Mate

Tue, Nov 3, 1970

When Britain's top code and cypher breaker is forced to mingle with Communist players during a chess tournament, Inman goes along to keep an eye on him. Moxon, meanwhile, is playing a dangerous game of his own: the pawn being Jordan.

1Season 3

S3.E1 ∙ A Copper Called Craven

Tue, Apr 3, 1973

DCI Alan Craven is accused of taking bribes. Things go from bad to worse as an internal investigation uncovers a questionable deposit in his bank account. Suspended from duty, Craven must clear his name or face criminal charges.

2Season 3

S3.E2 ∙ Round the Clock

Tue, Apr 10, 1973

Tensions mount as Craven and Haggerty are on a stakeout. Haggerty believes Craven is hunting for a dead suspect while Craven sees his new colleague as the source of bitter setbacks in his career and life.

3Season 3

S3.E3 ∙ Inquisition

Tue, Apr 17, 1973

Craven busts a fraudster for carrying an unlicensed firearm and forged passport. But while his fellow officers question his holding the cooperative suspect without charges, the detective increases the pressure to get the information he's really seeking.

4Season 3

S3.E4 ∙ Assault

Tue, Apr 24, 1973

Haggerty's father is beaten into a coma in the latest of a series of attacks on travelers. At first the case falls outside of Special Branch's jurisdiction, but when sensitive government documents are stolen from the next victim, the team launch a manhunt

5Season 3

S3.E5 ∙ Polonaise

Tue, May 1, 1973

Special Branch officers North and Craven are asked to protect a former Nazi collaborator. Although they have contempt for the man and their assignment, they must shield him from those who remember his old war crimes.

6Season 3

S3.E6 ∙ Red Herring

Mon, May 7, 1973

A group of London youths are linked to several deadly bombing attempts. With connections to the IRA, the Communist Party and anarchist elements, the group continues their plot, while the Special Branch works with an explosives-disposal expert to stop them

7Season 3

S3.E7 ∙ Death by Drowning

Tue, May 15, 1973

A junior defense minister's missing husband turns up dead. Highly placed people push for immediate investigation of the case, as growing evidence indicates a suspicious cause of death. Special Branch must learn if it was an accident, suicide, or murder.

8Season 3

S3.E8 ∙ All the King's Men

Tue, May 22, 1973

When a psychotic ex-CID officer barricades himself and a hostage in an office building, lacing it with multiple bombs, Craven and the Special Branch team are called in. Time ticks down as negotiation fails and the man threatens to set off the detonator.

9Season 3

S3.E9 ∙ Threat

Tue, Jun 5, 1973

An outspoken Hollywood actress born in the U.K. comes to star in a London play. Acting on a warning from the FBI, the Special Branch officers attempt to protect her from a highly credible murder threat by a group of right-wing extremists.

10Season 3

S3.E10 ∙ The Other Man

Tue, Jun 12, 1973

A physician is under surveillance as a possible security risk. Despite accusations of the doctor leaking politically sensitive trade secrets from a former Special Branch officer's business, Craven grows increasingly uncertain that the man is a traitor.

11Season 3

S3.E11 ∙ You Won't Remember Me

Tue, Jun 19, 1973

A recently engaged couple is placed under heavy surveillance due to the groom-to-be's international ties. While Craven is skeptical of their guilt, he doggedly purses the case nonetheless.

12Season 3

S3.E12 ∙ Hostage

Tue, Jun 26, 1973

A German diplomat's daughter is kidnapped by a Middle Eastern terrorist group. Craven and Haggerty must rescue her before she is killed. But time works against the detectives, and events build to an explosive conclusion.

13Season 3

S3.E13 ∙ Blueprint for Murder

Tue, Jul 3, 1973

A South African diplomat visits London, and the men of Special Branch are assigned to protect him from an anticipated assassination attempt. But DCI Craven worries about Sgt. North's effectiveness and doesn't find the diplomat's attitude helpful.

1Season 4

S4.E1 ∙ Double Exposure

Wed, Feb 13, 1974

Craven and Haggerty investigates a handsome, successful photographer who takes intimate pictures of the famous. Their assignment: to discover if the man is a patriot - or a threat to national security.

2Season 4

S4.E2 ∙ Catherine the Great

Wed, Feb 20, 1974

Informed that Rehfuss, a dangerous assassin, has slipped into the country, Craven is ordered to bring him in. A difficult task: the policeman has no idea what he looks like - or the name of his intended victim.

3Season 4

S4.E3 ∙ Jailbait

Wed, Feb 27, 1974

Craven and Haggerty must find out who organised a jail break which allowed a dangerous traitor to escape. Was it the criminal underworld? Or the spy's foreign friends? A man's life depends on them reaching an answer quickly.

4Season 4

S4.E4 ∙ Stand and Deliver

Wed, Mar 6, 1974

The Special Branch team face an explosive situation when they are asked to find the thieves who stole a top-secret weapon fitted with a new laser device. The weapon is unstable - and could blow up at any time.

5Season 4

S4.E5 ∙ Something About a Soldier

Wed, Mar 13, 1974

When two children run riot in the luggage department at London Airport and cause a mix-up with passengers' baggage, it inadvertently results in the discovery of a sinister secret - which leads Craven to investigate two army officers.

6Season 4

S4.E6 ∙ Rendezvous

Wed, Mar 20, 1974

Craven is put in charge of security for a vital debriefing exercise being held at a derelict mental institution. He has difficulty deciding which which of the group is mad - the interrogator, the KGB agent, or the woman being interrogated.

7Season 4

S4.E7 ∙ Sounds Sinister

Wed, Mar 27, 1974

It's blackmail with a difference. Key public figures are having dirty linen washed in public by a pirate radio station. Craven and Haggerty tune into the people behind the scheme and DS Ross becomes a DJ.

8Season 4

S4.E8 ∙ Entente Cordiale

Wed, Apr 3, 1974

Craven's personal problems intrude into his police activities. Opening his door to a midnight caller, he finds his ex-wife, Claudia. Within hours Craven finds himself suspected of being connected with his wife's terrorist activities.

9Season 4

S4.E9 ∙ Date of Birth

Wed, Apr 10, 1974

A spy is killed in Canada and Craven must find out what connection he had with a young au-pair working in London. A girl he apparently never met, but whose welfare the dead man had watched from afar.

10Season 4

S4.E10 ∙ Intercept

Wed, Apr 17, 1974

The Special Branch team face a quandary. Why should Morales, a foreign VIP whose help is vital to Britain, turn out to be as dubious as the thugs who relieve him of a fortune in diamonds? Craven is given the job of finding out.

11Season 4

S4.E11 ∙ Alien

Wed, Apr 24, 1974

Gunter Hellman, a student revolutionary, is allowed into Britain with his wife Gisela to continue his studies. The condition of his entry permit states that he must not engage in political activities. Suspecting that he has, Craven and Haggerty pay him a call.

12Season 4

S4.E12 ∙ Diversion

Wed, May 1, 1974

Why has Strand suddenly begun a relationship with a lady colleague and started to drink heavily? Has the pressure finally caught up with him? Or is he playing a solo game to unmask a villain.

13Season 4

S4.E13 ∙ Downwind of Angels

Wed, May 8, 1974

The media carries the news: Murder at Maison Igor's.' Craven and his team must use their own approach to get a line in an unseen gunman now stalking the London streets intent on further killings.