Special Squad (Australian TV series)

*Special Squad*
Special Squad
Genre	Crime drama
Starring	Alan Cassell; Anthony Hawkins; John Diedrich
Country of origin	Australia
Original language	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	43
Production
Executive producers	Hector Crawford; Ian Crawford; Terry Stapleton
Producers	Raymond Menmuir; Ross Jennings
Production company	Crawford Productions
Original release
Network	Network Ten
Release	1984

Special Squad is an Australian television series made by Crawford Productions for Network Ten in 1984.

Overview

The series focused on an elite division of the Victoria Police, which handled crimes either too sensitive or specialist for regular squads. The Special Squad was headed by Det. Insp. Don Anderson (Alan Cassell), with his main operatives being Det. Snr. Sgt. Greg Smith (Anthony Hawkins), and Det. Sgt. Joel Davis (John Diedrich).

Special Squad was seen by some as an Australian answer to the British series The Professionals both for its focus on action and violence, and the fact that both programs were produced by Raymond Menmuir;^[1] story consultant Gerry O'Hara also worked on both shows.^[2] It was suggested in the press that the show was the most expensive yet made for Australian television; John Diedrich told writer/actor Barry Dickins that the show cost A$5 million.^[3] The first series was sold to Paramount Pictures for international distribution.^[4]

Special Squad lasted 43 episodes in total. In 2023, Crawfords produced a box set of all episodes on DVD.

Cast

Main

Alan Cassell as Det. Insp. Don Anderson
John Diedrich as Det. Sgt. Joel Davis
Anthony Hawkins as Det. Snr. Sgt. Greg Smith

Guests

Abigail as Mrs Quinn (1 episode)
Daniel Abineri as Dillon (episode 41: "Mad Mountain Mumma")
Elizabeth Alexander as Edith (episode 8: "The Wurzburg Link")
Julianna Allan (episode 4: "Easy Street")
Christine Amor as Robyn Symons (1 episode)
David Argue as Bazza (1 episode)
Ronne Arnold as Kwan (episode 23: "Big Bad World")
Lesley Baker as Chambermaid (episode 5: "Counterfeit Lady")
Vincent Ball (2 episodes)
Bruce Barry as Sloan (episode 6: "The Long Secret")
Briony Behets as Rhonda Watson (1 episode)
Francis Bell as Burnett (episode 8: "The Wurzburg Link")
Pat Bishop as Barbara Prowse (1 episode)
Steve Bisley as T-Bar (1 episode)
Jon Blake as Pig (episode 13: "Jacko")
Betty Bobbitt as Daisy (episode 32: "Until Death")
Tony Bonner as Carver (1 episode)
Nigel Bradshaw as Gant (episode 1: "Trojan Horses")
Shane Briant as Ian Cummings (episode 14: "Slow Attack")
Scott Burgess as Michael
Antoinette Byron (1 episode)
Simon Chilvers as Maguire (episode 12: "The Golden Run")
Jane Clifton (1 episode)
Norman Coburn as Griffin (episode 5: "Counterfeit Lady")
Robert Coleby (1 episode)
Diane Craig (1 episode)
Peter Curtin as Thomas (episode 13: "Jacko")
Leslie Dayman as Mr Fitzgerald
Mercia Deane-Johns as Molly (1 episode)
Myra De Groot as Grace Kiddell (1 episode)
Arthur Dignam as Grayson (1 episode)
Gosia Dobrowolska (1 episode)
Carmen Duncan as Lorraine (episode 9: "Same Time Friday")
Tommy Dysart as Scottie / Bingo Caller (2 episodes)
Nicholas Eadie as Driscoll (episode 18: "The Chen Legacy")
Maureen Edwards (episode 4: "Easy Street")
Cliff Ellen as Priester (1 episode)
John Ewart as Mungo Lennox
Michele Fawdon as Maggie
Willie Fennell as Sol Greenberg (episode 32: "Until Death")
Marina Finlay as Suzie (1 episode)
Peter Fisher (1 episode)
Jill Forster as Mrs. Watson (episode 25: "The Bribe")
Deborra-Lee Furness as Liz Jenkins (episode 6: "The Long Secret")
Frank Gallacher as Slater
Roslyn Gentle as Judith Deans
Vincent Gil as The Blindman (episode 16: "War")
Terry Gill (1 episode)
Tottie Goldsmith as Fiona (episode 9: "Same Time Friday")
Vic Gordon as Dr. John Perry (episode 15: "Country Girl")
Reg Gorman as Ryan (episode 1: "Trojan Horses")
John Gregg as Golodkin (episode 26: "Farewell to a Comrade")
Lucky Grills as Earwig
Robert Grubb as Sims (1 episode)
Jennifer Hagan as Rachel (episode 21: "A Wild Oat")
Billie Hammerberg (1 episode)
Chris Haywood as Carter (episode 6: "The Long Secret")
Frankie J. Holden (3 episodes)
Liddy Holloway as Mrs. Tait (episode 1: "Trojan Horses")
Brian James as Bert (episode 22: "Mates")
John Jarratt as Michael Cohen (episode 39: "The Haunting")
Bartholomew John as John Sutton (episode 14: "Slow Attack")
Ivar Kants as Scalese / Denning
Paul Karo as Scaffer / Skinny
Norman Kaye (2 episodes)
Gerard Kennedy as Harry Tait (1 episode)
Trevor Kent as Doggy Barker (episode 4: "Easy Street")
Maxine Klibingaitis as Chico (episode 37: "Pigs")
Alwyn Kurts as Teddy
Nina Landis as Lisa (episode 10: "Duel")
Bruno Lawrence as Arthur Poole
Serge Lazareff (1 episode)
Alan David Lee as Jimmy Steele (1 episode)
Lorna Lesley as Sharon (1 episode)
Michael Long (1 episode)
Gerard Maguire as Hansen (episode 8: "The Wurzburg Link")
Dina Mann as Mandy (episode 11: "The Set-Up")
Bryan Marshall as Calvin (episode 18: "The Chen Legacy")
Monica Maughan as Mrs Trane (1 episode)
Ricky May as Mandrake
Rhys McConnochie as Mathieson (episode 21: "A Wild Oat")
Terry McDermott (episode 13: "Jacko")
Ian McFadyen as Evans
Mary-Anne Fahey (1 episode)
Judith McGrath as June Holgate (episode 26: "Farewell to a Comrade")
Sally McKenzie as Rosetta
John McTernan as Ted (episode 22: "Mates")
Ben Mendelsohn as Spud (episode 14: "Slow Attack")
Jane Menelaus as Penny (1 episode)
Maria Mercedes (1 episode)
Gus Mercurio as Haliwell (episode 38: "Mombasa")
Maggie Millar as Joyce (episode 30: "The Patchwork")
Dennis Miller as Finch
Mark Mitchell (1 episode)
Brian Moll as Charlie Everett (episode 14: "Slow Attack")
Anna Maria Monticelli as Teresa Parrissa (1 episode)
Peter Moon as Eddie (1 episode)
Gennie Nevinson as Kate (episode 32: "Until Death")
Tom Oliver as Tobin (episode 3: "Code of Silence")
John Orcsik as Ted Rafferty
Anne Phelan as Ma Robinson (episode 33: "Ghosts")
Max Phipps (2 episodes)
Wendy Playfair
Robin Ramsay as Massini (episode 30: "The Patchwork")
Glenn Robbins (episode 21: "A Wild Oat")
Wyn Roberts as Superintendent Kerslake (3 episodes)
Tim Robertson as Roberts (episode 2: "The Expert")
Ilona Rodgers as Helen Anderson (episode 32: "Until Death")
Sean Scully (2 episodes)
Dinah Shearing
Louise Siversen as Laura (episode 4: "Easy Street")
Alister Smart as Haskell (episode 21: "A Wild Oat")
James Smillie as Donaghue (episode 9: "Same Time Friday")
Bruce Spence as Professor (1 episode)
Peter Sumner as Nick Hardy (1 episode)
Red Symons as Warton (episode 9: "Same Time Friday")
Nick Tate as Harris
Grigor Taylor as Bob Daley (episode 23: "Big Bad World")
Gil Tucker as Hammond (episode 41: "Mad Mountain Mumma")
Martin Vaughan as Ben Alexander
Roger Ward as Bill Foster / Peaches (2 episodes)
Ken Wayne as Ted Baker
Frank Wilson as Dorahee
John Wood (2 episodes)
Jackie Woodburne as Sharon (episode 22: "Mates")

Episode list

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
1	1	"Trojan Horses"	TBD	TBD	()
2	2	"The Expert"	Arch Nicholson	John Upton	()
3	3	"Code of Silence"	TBD	Vince Moran	1984 (1984)
4	4	"Easy Street"	TBD	TBD	()
5	5	"Counterfeit Lady"	Patrick Edgeworth	Arch Nicholson	()
6	6	"The Long Secret"	Unknown	Shane Brennan	22 July 1984 (1984-07-22)
7	7	"The Second Mr Swift"	TBD	TBD	()
8	8	"The Wurzburg Link"	TBD	TBD	()
9	9	"Same Time Friday"	Chris Langman	David Wilks and Gerry O'Hara	()
10	10	"Duel"	Arch Nicholson	Luis Bayonas	()
11	11	"The Set Up"	Paul Moloney	John Upton	()
12	12	"The Golden Run"	Ranald Graham	Catherine Millar	()
13	13	"Jacko"	Arch Nicholson	Luis Bayonas	()
14	14	"Slow Attack"	Paul Maloney	Philip Dalkin	()
15	15	"Country Girl"	Arch Nicholson	Cliff Green	()
16	16	"War"	Catherine Millar	Everett De Roche and Vince Moran	()
17	17	"Wild Man"	Paul Moloney	Ranald Graham	()
18	18	"The Chen Legacy"	Chris Langman	Shane Brennan	()
19	19	"Child Of Fortune"	Tim Burstall	Ranald Graham	()
20	20	"Business As Usual"	Mark Joffe	Shane Brennan and Kris Steele	()
21	21	"A Wild Oat"	Brian Trenchard-Smith	Leon Saunders	()
22	22	"Mates"	Rob Stewart	Luis Bayonas	()
23	23	"Big Bad World"	Howard Rubie	Cliff Green	()
24	24	"Early Birds"	Rob Stewart	Michael Harvey	()
25	25	"The Bribe"	TBD	TBD	()
26	26	"Farewell to a Comrade"	Michael Caulfield	Shane Brennan	()
27	27	"In The Cause Of Justice"	TBD	TBD	()
28	28	"Hot Streets"	TBD	Michael Aitkens	()
29	29	"Killer"	TBD	TBD	()
30	30	"The Patchwork"	TBD	David Phillips	()
31	31	"Brothers"	TBD	TBD	()
32	32	"Until Death"	Rod Hardy	Vince Moran	()
33	33	"Ghosts"	TBD	Vince Gil	()
34	34	"The Haley Inheritance"	Colin Budds	Shane Brennan	()
35	35	"Suzie's War"	Dan Burstall	Luis Bayonas	()
36	36	"Return Of The Cat"	John Power	John Upton	()
37	37	"Pigs"	Ken Cameron	Shane Brennan	()
38	38	"Mombasa"	TBD	TBD	()
39	39	"The Haunting"	Tim Burstall	Luis Bayonas	()
40	40	"Rotten Apple"	TBD	TBD	()
41	41	"Mad Mountain Mumma"	TBD	TBD	()
42	42	"Life After Teddy"	Collin Budds	Shane Brennan	()
43	43	"Gone For The Doctor"	TBD	TBD	()

Home media

In January 2023 Crawford Productions announced that the series would be released on DVD in March 2023.

On 31 May 2023 Crawford Productions released the complete series on DVD.

Title	Format	Ep #	Discs	Region 4 (Australia)	Special Features	Distributors
Special Squad (Complete Series)	DVD	43	09	31 May 2023	None	Crawford Productions

References

^ Garrie Hutchison, "Special Squad: Gloss Can't Hide Faults" Melbourne Age 16 August 1984 p. 35
^ Tim Cribb, 'Crawford's Cops Return' Sydney Morning Herald 'The Guide' section, 20 August 1984, p. 2
^ Barry Dickins 'Take Ten - in the Pigeon Coop' Melbourne Age 'Green Guide' section, 31 January 1985 p. 9
^ Tim Cribb, 'Crawford's Cops Return' Sydney Morning Herald 'The Guide' section, 20 August 1984, p. 2

External links

[1] Garrie Hutchison, "Special Squad: Gloss Can't Hide Faults" Melbourne Age 16 August 1984 p. 35

[2] Tim Cribb, 'Crawford's Cops Return' Sydney Morning Herald 'The Guide' section, 20 August 1984, p. 2

[3] Barry Dickins 'Take Ten - in the Pigeon Coop' Melbourne Age 'Green Guide' section, 31 January 1985 p. 9

[4] Tim Cribb, 'Crawford's Cops Return' Sydney Morning Herald 'The Guide' section, 20 August 1984, p. 2

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