''Bulman'' is a British television

crime drama Crime film is a film belonging to the crime fiction genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and fiction. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine with many other genres, such as Drama (film and television), dr ...

series, principally written and created by Murray Smith. It was first broadcast on ITV on 5 June 1985. The series, featuring retired ex-cop George Bulman (

Don Henderson Donald Francis Henderson (10 November 1931 – 22 June 1997) was an English actor. He was known for playing both "tough guy" roles and authority figures, and is remembered for his portrayal of detective George Bulman between 1976 and 1987 in ...

) and his assistant Lucy McGinty ( Siobhan Redmond), was a spin-off from the 1978 TV series ''

Strangers A stranger is a person who is unknown or unfamiliar to another person or group. Because of this unknown status or unfamiliarity, a stranger may be perceived as a threat until their identity (social science), identity and Character structure, chara ...

'', itself a spin-off of the 1976 TV series '' The XYY Man'', which was adapted from the novels of Kenneth Royce. Produced by

Granada Television ITV Granada, formerly known as Granada Television, is the ITV (TV network), ITV franchisee for the North West of England and Isle of Man. From 1956 to 1968 it broadcast to both the north west and Yorkshire on weekdays only, as ABC Weekend TV, ...

, ''Bulman'' ran for two series, with the final episode broadcast on 8 August 1987. In this incarnation, Don Henderson once again stars as former Detective Chief Inspector George Bulman, who is ostensibly retired from police work and now spends his spare time repairing old clocks. However, aside from fixing clocks, Bulman is also working as a private investigator, and even has an assistant, Lucy McGinty. Aside from a number of private clients, Bulman and Lucy are frequently drawn into the clandestine world of the secret service through the machinations of security chief Bill Dugdale ( Thorley Walters), and also find themselves helping the police with cases under the instruction of Bulman's former boss Jack Lambie (

Mark McManus Mark McManus (21 February 1935 – 6 June 1994) was a Scottish actor known for his roles in the British television series '' Sam,'' '' Bulman, The Brothers, Strangers,'' and '' Dramarama'' and the feature film '' 2000 Weeks''. He was best know ...

). Bulman's former assistant, Derek Willis (Dennis Blanch), also appears in two episodes. Both series were released on DVD via the Network imprint on 1 July 2013; however, these have since gone out of production. A complete box set was released on 20 August 2018, again via Network Distributing.

Cast

as George Bulman * Siobhan Redmond as Lucy McGinty * Thorley Walters as William 'Bill' Dugdale (Series 1 — Episodes 4, 6, 7 & 13; Series 2 — Episodes 5 & 7) * John Benfield as DI Holmes (Series 1 — Episodes 1, 5 & 11) *

as DCS Jack Lambie (Series 1 — Episodes 1, 2 & 13) * Simon Molloy as DS Mackay (Series 1 — Episodes 1, 5 & 7) * Dennis Blanch as DS Derek Willis (Series 1 — Episodes 1 & 3) * Jeremy Gagan as DCI Faulkner (Series 1 — Episodes 1 & 3)

Episodes

Series overview

Series 1 (1985)

Series 2 (1987)

References

External links

* * {{Epguides, Bulman 1980s British crime television series ITV television dramas 1985 British television series debuts 1987 British television series endings British English-language television shows 1980s British drama television series British television spinoffs Television series by ITV Studios Television shows set in Manchester Television shows produced by Granada Television