- Publisher: Miwk Publishing / Ten Acre Films
- Available in: Trade Paperback & Limited Edition Hardcover
Written and edited by Paul Watts; I contributed an essay to this guide to one of my favourite cult tv shows from the late 1980’s…
When Chris Boucher finished working on Doctor Who and Blake’s 7, he moved onto crime series. But the seed had be sown to combine both science-fiction and detective drama and Star Cops was born.
Broadcast on the BBC in 1987, it was ahead of its time and made an impact on those that stayed loyal to it. Despite only one series, it gained a dedicated audience and became a multi-award winning drama.
Above The Law traces the journey of Star Cops from Boucher’s childhood radio influences and first submission to the BBC, through to its transition as a television drama and successful 2018 re-launch for Big Finish. Looking at both fact and fiction, script changes and production difficulties, writing, effects, editing and music, this book will take you back to the studios of Television Centre and the making of a cult classic.
For the first time ever this publication covers both television and audio series, and features over thirty interviews including: David Calder, Graeme Harper, Trevor Cooper, Philip Martin, Linda Newton, John Collee, Malcolm Thornton, Mike Kelt, David Richardson, Rakhee Thakrar, Philip Olivier, Andrew Smith… and many more.
It’s the definitive volume on all things Star Cops.
AUTHOR’S NOTES:
My contribution to this guide is a short essay on one of my favourite episodes of the show, “Observations on ‘Trivial Games and Paranoid Pursuits‘ 30 Years On…”
