Characters
Superintendent Sandra Pullman - Amanda Redman
Pullman is an ambitious career woman who was sidelined to head up UCOS
after a kidnap rescue went wrong.
Initially reluctant to work with retired cops, she has turned the
squad into a success story, despite the ex-detectives' unusual methods.
But her devotion to her job means Pullman is less successful in her
personal life.
Jack Halford - James Bolam
Jack Halford was a distinguished detective, honoured with the Queen's
Police Medal, who left the force when his beloved wife Mary was injured
and later died after a hit-and-run accident.
He filled his days with golf and gardening but jumped at the chance
to join UCOS.
Halford is determined to bring justice for every victim and family.
Brian Lane - Alun Armstrong
With an analytical mind and a photographic memory for names and dates,
Brian Lane was a first class detective.
He was forced into early retirement after becoming paranoid about a
death in custody.
Being in UCOS has helped mend his relationship with his wife Esther
and son Mark, but Lane still has the potential to obsess.
Gerry Standing - Dennis Waterman
Gerry Standing was a top thief taker in his time and is about as un-PC
as you could get.
He mixes easily with criminals, and suspicions abound that he was a
bent copper who left under a cloud.
With three ex-wives and three daughters, Standing finds UCOS a much-needed
source of cash - but he also loves catching villains.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Robert Strickland - Anthony Calf
Strickland is a political animal who enjoys basking in the reflected
glory of UCOS's clean up rate.
His choice of cases is influenced by a desire to make his department
look good.
But the squad's methods are often at odds with his by-the-book approach
and he's not afraid to come down hard when he discovers they have broken
the rules.