Softly, Softly (TV series)Softly, Softly is a British televisionpolice procedural series produced by the BBC and screened on BBC1 from January 1966. It was created as a spin-off from the series Z-Cars, which ended its fifth series run in December 1965. The series took its title from the proverb "Softly, softly, catchee monkey", the motto of Lancashire Constabulary Training School.
Lancashire ConstabularyLancashire Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for policing the ceremonial county of Lancashire in North West England. The force's headquarters are at Hutton, near the city of Preston. As of September 2020, the force has 3,088 police officers, 190 special constables, and 280 police community support officers (PCSO), 300 police support volunteers (PSV), and 2,287 staff.Stratford JohnsAlan Edgar Stratford Johnson (22 September 1925 – 29 January 2002) known as Stratford Johns, was a South African-born British stage, film and television actor known for playing the role of senior CID officer Charlie Barlow, a character he originated in the long-running BBC police series Z-Cars, and continued to play in several spin-off series in the 1960s and 1970s. Early lifeJohns was born and grew up in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.
Brian BlessedBrian Blessed ( ; born 9 October 1936) is an English actor. He is known for his distinctive bushy beard, loud booming voice, and exuberant personality and performances.
Police proceduralThe police procedural, police show, or police crime drama is a subgenre of procedural drama and detective fiction that emphasises accurate depiction of the investigative procedure of police officers, police detectives, or law enforcement agencies as the protagonists, as contrasted with other genres that focus on non-police investigators such as private investigators (PIs).
James Ellis (actor)James Ellis (15 March 1931 – 8 March 2014) was a Northern Irish actor and theatre director from Belfast who had a career stretching over sixty years. Originally a stage actor and director in his native city, he moved to London in the early 1960s. After gaining recognition in Great Britain through the Z-Cars (1962–78) police series on BBC1, he appeared in many other television and film roles. He was also a translator.
KirkbyKirkby ( ) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley, Merseyside, England. The town, historically in Lancashire, has a size of 4,070 acres (16.5 km) is 5 miles (8 km) north of Huyton and 6 miles (10 km) north-east of Liverpool. The population in 2016 was 41,495 making it the largest in Knowsley and the 9th biggest settlement in Merseyside.Criminal Investigation DepartmentThe Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is the branch of a police force to which most plainclothes detectives belong in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth nations. A force's CID is distinct from its Special Branch (though officers of both are entitled to the rank prefix "Detective"). The name derives from the CID of the Metropolitan Police, formed on 8 April 1878 by C. E. Howard Vincent as a re-formation of its Detective Branch.
BBCBritish public service broadcaster"The Beeb" redirects here. For other uses, see Beeb.The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current state with its current name on 1 January 1927.Frank WindsorFrank Windsor Higgins (12 July 1928 – 30 September 2020), known professionally as Frank Windsor, was an English actor, primarily known for his roles on television, especially policeman John Watt in Z-Cars and its spin-offs.
LiverpoolCity in Merseyside, EnglandCity and metropolitan borough in EnglandLiverpool is a portcity and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, 178 miles (286 km) north-west of London. It had an estimated population of 507,915 in 2025. The city is within the larger Liverpool City Region, a combined authority area with a population of over 1.5 million.Television in the United KingdomThe BBC is the largest public broadcaster in the world.Television broadcasts in the United Kingdom began in 1932, however, regular broadcasts would only begin four years later. Television began as a public service which was free of advertising, which followed the first demonstration of a transmitted moving image in 1926.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.