Ian Kennedy Martin, the mastermind behind some of Britain's most thrilling police dramas, has left us at the age of 90 after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. His impact on our screens is immeasurable, a true trailblazer who shook up the staid world of law enforcement telly with his gritty realism and fearlessness to tackle the tough stuff.
The Sweeney, which burst onto our airwaves in 1975, was Martin's magnum opus – a game-changing series that redefined the police drama genre. Born from the acclaimed Armchair Cinema story Regan in 1974, it starred John Thaw as the iconic Detective Inspector Jack Regan and Dennis Waterman as his trusty sidekick George Carter, members of the Metropolitan Police's elite Flying Squad. The show was a visceral ride, with its heart-stopping car chases through London's streets, bone-crunching punch-ups, and unflinching portrayal of officers who were as tough as the villains they hunted. Martin's vision was to paint an honest picture of policing in 1970s London – a city torn apart by escalating issues like drug crime and armed robbery – a far cry from the sanitised dramas that came before.
Although Martin created Regan specifically for John Thaw, with whom he had previously collaborated on the military police drama Redcap, his departure from The Sweeney after just one episode was a shock. It seemed a clash of creative visions with producer Ted Childs and Euston Films, who wanted to push the boundaries even further with their gritty, location-shot style using 16mm film. But despite Martin's exit, the series went on to become a massive hit, running for four seasons and spawning two feature films.
Undeterred by his departure from The Sweeney, Martin continued to innovate in the genre, bringing us Juliet Bravo (1980-85) for the BBC – a groundbreaking series that shattered glass ceilings with its trailblazing female lead, Inspector Jean Darblay. Set in a fictional Lancashire town, the show tackled the tough challenges faced by women in policing. His next major police drama, The Chinese Detective (1981-82), took things to new heights, casting David Yip as the pioneering British Chinese officer Johnny Ho, tackling issues of racism within the force and society.
Martin's influence extended far beyond television, too – his idea for the 1969 heist classic The Italian Job helped put Michael Caine on the map. And let's not forget his original concept for a Regent Street robbery involving a new computerised traffic system, adapted by his elder brother Troy Kennedy Martin and reimagined as the iconic film we know today.
Ian Kennedy Martin's legacy is one of a writer who consistently dared to be different, bringing an authentic, complex, and socially aware perspective to British crime drama that continues to inspire new generations of makers and viewers alike.