Each week, we will be taking an in depth look at some of the best sitcoms and comedy shows from both the UK and the USA.

Today we will be looking at a comedy that very nearly cast Chris Barrie as the lead role – The Thin Blue Line

Opening Titles / theme tune

About the Show

Summary of Plot

Various mishaps at a police station in an English town. The main character is the anachronistic, yet charming and funny Inspector Fowler. CID foil to Fowler, Inspector Grim is a bumbling, seething idiot.– IMDb

Number of Seasons / Episodes

2 Seasons

Characters:

Rowan atkinson – Inspector Raymond Fowler

Mina Anwar – W.P.C Maggie Habib

James Dreyfus – P.C Kevin Goody

Serena Evans – Sergent Patricia Dawkins

David Hag – D.I Derek Grim

Trivia

• The series contains numerous in-jokes referencing the Blackadder series, which also starred Rowan Atkinson and was co-written by Ben Elton. For example, Inspector Fowler often addresses his girlfriend, Sergeant Dawkins, as ‘Sergeant Darling’ – ‘Captain Darling’ is a character in _Blackadder goes Forth (1989)_. There are also references to strangely shaped turnips, Stephen Fry guest starring as an extremely loud and hare-brained authority figure, amongst others.
• In Season 2, the theme tune was done in different styles.
• Chris Barrie was considered for the role of Inspector Fowler.
• Rowan Atkinson starring in the sitcom as Inspector Raymond Fowler had been foreshadowed in the Not The Nine O’Clock News (1979) sketch “Constable Savage” which Atkinson played a senior police officer.

Classic Clips

My arse will be on the line

Fowler takes on the robbers

Sick Bum

Constable Goody