Dalziel and Pascoe

Dalziel and Pascoe was a successful police drama that aired for 12 series on BBC One from 1996 to 2007. However, if it had stayed on ITV when initially produced as a three-part miniseries titled A Pinch of Snuff, it might have only been remembered as an abject failure.

In 1993, ITV approached the English crime writer Reginald Hill who had written 15 novels featuring the mid-Yorkshire detectives Andrew Dalziel (pronounced dee-ell), Peter Pascoe and Edgar Wield, which first appeared in print in 1970. Detective Superintendent Dalziel is a gloriously vulgar savant from the old school of policing, in complete contrast with his younger sidekick, the fast-tracked university educated Pascoe. The complete opposite of his abrasive, impolite partner, Detective Inspector Pascoe is a family man and his wife, Ellie, would often, in the novels, present parts of the story. DS Wield is Dalziel's right-hand man, who appears not to share the sense of humour of either Dalziel nor Pascoe. He does, nonetheless, always keeps his eye on the ball and is a reliable detective who provides the evidence needed to convict the guilty party.

In the ITV miniseries, A Pinch of Snuff (1994), the fifth book in the series, the characters of Dalziel and Pascoe were played by comedians Gareth Hale and Norman Pace, with Christopher Fairbank as Wield, and Malcolm Storry as Insp. Ray Crabtree. Reginald Hill was so unhappy with the casting, with ITV's treatment of the principal characters, and Robin Chapman's adaptation, that he prevented ITV from making any further adaptations. A review in The Independent called out the 'critical contempt' of the series and complained that 'a complex story of pornography and murder was turned into a vehicle for the dramatic talents of Hale and Pace, by common consent breathtakingly miscast as the chalk-and-cheese Yorkshire coppers. While either of them might conceivably have scraped by as the blunt, earthy Dalziel, it's hard to see how anybody could have imagined one of them playing the sensitive, intellectual Pascoe.'

Thankfully, in 1995, BBC Worldwide, believing there was still mileage in the detective stories, stepped in with an offer to produce a 1996 series, beginning with three episodes, A Clubbable Woman, An Advancement in Learning and An Autumn Shroud, the first, second and fourth Reginald Hill novels. With scripts by Alan Plater and Malcolm Bradbury, and the casting of Warren Clarke as Dalziel and Colin Buchanan as Pascoe, Hill was happy enough to give the go ahead. The series proved an instant hit.

Set in the fictional town of Wetherton, with its moody landscapes and atmospheric backdrops, the series was lauded for its well-crafted and often complex plots. What Warren Clarke as Dalziel lacked in physicality as described in the novels, he more than made up for in his effortless and engaging performance bringing depth, complexity, and charisma to the character. The series was known for its well-crafted and often complex plots, the first three series, comprising eleven episodes, being entirely based on Hill's novels, as were the first two episodes of Series 4. After that, subsequent stories, with the exception of Dialogues of the Dead, were stories written exclusively for television. Some critics felt that the later stories lacked the same edge, and the series suffered as a result.

During its run, Dalziel and Pascoe won the Royal Television Society Award for Best Drama, The Royal Television Society Craft Award (1999) for Best Film and Tape Editing and the Royal Television Society Award for Best Drama (2003) for its Christmas Special: Dialogues of the Dead.

Colin Buchanan was impressed by the show's consistently high standards. "It's quality drama and this in turn attracts great talent to come and appear in the series." Among the guests that appeared were Christopher Cazenove, Richard E. Grant, Bill Maynard, Robert Powell, Miriam Karlin, Michelle Dockery and Celia Imrie.

Other main characters were WPC Spicer (Jennifer James – Coronation Street), DC Novello (Jo-Ann Stockham - Doctors), DC Harris (Keeley Forsyth – Guardians of the Galaxy) and DS Milligan (Katy Cavanagh – Coronation Street). DS Wield was played by David Royle (Casualty).

The series was axed in 2008, citing falling viewing figures as the main reason. BBC1 controller, Peter Fincham said the decision was part of a broader strategy by the BBC to refresh its drama output and make room for new shows. The BBC was also facing budget constraints, and the high salaries of the stars in these long-running series made them increasingly difficult to sustain.

Dalziel and Pascoe, celebrated for its strong performances, compelling storylines, strong character development, and the dynamic partnership between its lead characters, remains a memorable example of British crime drama.