The Professionals poster

TV series

The Professionals

1977TV-MA5 seasons7.6 / 10

ANARCHY, ACTS OF TERROR, CRIMES AGAINST THE PUBLIC. TO COMBAT IT WE'VE GOT SPECIAL MEN...

The lives of Bodie and Doyle, top agents for Britain's CI5 (Criminal Intelligence 5), and their controller, George Cowley. The mandate of CI5 was to fight terrorism and similar high-profile crimes. Cowley, a hard ex-MI5 operative, hand-picked each of his men. Bodie is a cynical ex-SAS paratrooper and mercenary whose nature ran to controlled violence, while his partner, Doyle, comes to CI5 from the regular police force, and is more of an open minded liberal. Their relationship is often contentious, but they are the top men in their field, and the ones to whom Cowley always assigned to the toughest cases.

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Checked Sep 3, 2026

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Synopsis

The lives of Bodie and Doyle, top agents for Britain's CI5 (Criminal Intelligence 5), and their controller, George Cowley. The mandate of CI5 was to fight terrorism and similar high-profile crimes. Cowley, a hard ex-MI5 operative, hand-picked each of his men. Bodie is a cynical ex-SAS paratrooper and mercenary whose nature ran to controlled violence, while his partner, Doyle, comes to CI5 from the regular police force, and is more of an open minded liberal. Their relationship is often contentious, but they are the top men in their field, and the ones to whom Cowley always assigned to the toughest cases.

Season 1 episodes

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Episode 1

Private Madness, Public Danger

Dec 30, 19778.0 / 10

Charles Nesbitt, an expert on chemical weapons, threatens to contaminate the water sources of London with a lethal hallucogenic drug and in order to back up his claims, plans several small 'demonstrations' in warning to the local authorities - including CI5.

Episode credits

Directed by Douglas CamfieldWritten by Anthony ReadGuest stars Keith Barron, Donald Douglas, Di Trevis, Angus MacKay, Christopher Ellison, Peter Penry-Jones, Penny Irving, Donald MacIver

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Episode 2

The Female Factor

Jan 6, 19788.0 / 10

An Iron Curtain agent is using a young girl to extort secrets from, and ultimately destroy the career of, a future British Prime Minister, unaware that the girl is the long-lost daughter of a well-known local prostitute.

Episode credits

Directed by David WickesWritten by Brian ClemensGuest stars Anthony Steel, Walter Gotell, Felicity Dean, Pamela Salem, Barry Justice, Maggie Wright, Patrick Durkin, Stefan Kalipha

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Episode 3

Old Dog With New Tricks

Jan 13, 19787.0 / 10

A gangster called Turkel devises a plot to free his brother from jail by taking hostage an important figure in authority. He is unaware, however, that the 'important figure' he has taken in is actually Cowley masquerading as the Home Secretary, with Bodie as his bodyguard and Doyle ready to pull the trigger on Turkel's brother.

Episode credits

Directed by Sidney HayersWritten by Brian ClemensGuest stars Johnny Shannon, Phil Davis, Pamela Stephenson, Stephan Chase, Richard Hampton, Anthony Morton, Basil Hoskins, Edward Dentith

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Episode 4

Killer With a Long Arm

Jan 20, 19788.0 / 10

CI5 become aware that an assassination plot on a group of visiting Greek Royals is being planned using a rifle that has a range of over two miles. But they must find out who is the gunman and what is his target - before it is too late.

Episode credits

Directed by David WickesWritten by Brian ClemensGuest stars Michael Latimer, Diane Keen, Milos Kirek, Alan Tilvern, Jonathan Hyde, Antony Carrick, Mitzi Rogers, James Leith

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Episode 5

Heroes

Jan 27, 19788.0 / 10

When a newspaper takes it upon themselves to irresponsibly publish a list of the names of witnesses to an assassination, it is left to CI5 to not only protect these people, but at the same time apprehend the killers before they strike again.

Episode credits

Directed by William BrayneWritten by Peter J. HammondGuest stars John Castle, Rufus Collins, Ralph Michael, Dorothy White, Thomas Baptiste, Damien Thomas, Chris Dillinger, Neil Kennedy

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Episode 6

Where the Jungle Ends

Feb 3, 19788.0 / 10

A group of former comrades from Bodie's mercenary days reappear in England and in order to impress a top London gangster, carry out a violent raid on a local bank. It's left to CI5 to catch and stop the ringleader Krivas and his gang, reuniting Bodie with some of his old adversaries in the process.

Episode credits

Directed by Raymond MenmuirWritten by Brian ClemensGuest stars David Suchet, Del Henney, Geoffrey Palmer, Christopher Reich, Paul Humpoletz, Leon Lissek, Jeremy Bulloch, Robert James

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Episode 7

Close Quarters

Feb 10, 19789.0 / 10

On leave from CI5 with a hand injury, Bodie takes a day trip with his girlfriend and finds himself face-to-face with the leader of a terrorist group. He captures him but then the rest of the gang arrive and trap Bodie and his girlfriend in a nearby vicarage, leaving him unable to alert his colleagues back at CI5 HQ. With barely any clues as to his whereabouts, Doyle and Cowley go on a chase through the countryside to try and locate Bodie.

Episode credits

Directed by William BrayneWritten by Brian ClemensGuest stars Hildegard Neil, Gabrielle Drake, Clive Arrindell, Madlena Nedeva, Allan Surtees, David Bradley, Barney James, Rowland Davies

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Episode 8

Everest Was Also Conquered

Feb 17, 19789.0 / 10

A dying man's confession triggers the re-opening of a twenty-year-old case of police corruption, an investigation in which the main prosecution witness was murdered by the police officers who were supposedly trying to protect her. Somebody then decides to silence these officers, and sets about doing so.

Episode credits

Directed by Francis MegahyWritten by Brian ClemensGuest stars Michael Denison, Richard Greene, Ann Lynn, Kathleen Byron, Charles Keating, Gary Waldhorn, Helen Cotterill, Roy Boyd

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Episode 9

When the Heat Cools Off

Feb 24, 19789.0 / 10

The daughter of a man inprisoned by Doyle six years ago when he was a Docklands policeman turns up, claiming to have new evidence which will exonerate her father. Doyle reluctantly agrees to reopen the case, but will his budding relationship with the girl cloud his judgement, and make even himself doubt whether he jailed the right man?

Episode credits

Directed by Ray AustinWritten by Brian ClemensGuest stars Peter Hughes, Lalla Ward, Bernard Kay, Graham Weston, Shelagh Fraser, Arthur White, Michael Sheard, Robert Mill

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Episode 10

Stake Out

Mar 3, 19788.0 / 10

A CI5 agent is murdered, leading to the discovery of a man who is dying as a result of plutonium poisoning. This links CI5 to a further plot involving the imminent explosion of an A-bomb at the same bowling alley. It's left to Bodie and Doyle to try and de-activate the fuse before it takes them and the whole of London with it.

Episode credits

Directed by Benjamin WickersWritten by Dennis SpoonerGuest stars David Collings, Barry Jackson, Pamela Stephenson, Jack Lynn, Peter Armitage, Tony Osoba, Ronald Leigh-Hunt, Gerald James

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Episode 11

Long Shot

Mar 10, 19788.0 / 10

CI5 are assigned to protect a visiting American Ambassador from a renowned hitman called Ramos, who is hot on his trail. But after only one apparent assasination attempt at his life, Ramos appears to give up - only for him to turn up again at CI5 HQ itself.

Episode credits

Directed by Ernest DayWritten by Anthony ReadGuest stars Roger Lloyd Pack, Martin Benson, Robert Gillespie, Peter Cellier, Nadim Sawalha, Ed Bishop, John Horsley, Judy Matheson

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Episode 12

Look After Annie

Mar 17, 19787.0 / 10

Annie Irving, an extreme left-wing preacher - and former flame of Cowley's - becomes the target of a hitman when one of her meetings comes to London. Cowley assigns Bodie and Doyle to protect her, unaware that the would-be hitman is right under his nose.

Episode credits

Directed by Charles CrichtonWritten by Brian ClemensGuest stars Diana Fairfax, Clifton Jones, Patricia Quinn, Derek Francis, Keith Buckley, Nick Brimble, Frank Jarvis, Michael Walker

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Episode 13

Klansmen

Mar 24, 19788.0 / 10finale

Members of a 'Keep Britain White' group go on the rampage in London, attacking the local black residents in an attempt at forcing them to leave the area...but two of the group members have an ulterior motive. Bodie is left seriously injured whilst Doyle joins the group undercover.

Episode credits

Directed by Pat JacksonWritten by Brian Clemens, Simon MastersGuest stars Edward Judd, Trevor Thomas, Sheila Ruskin, Anthony Booth, Lawrie Mark, Joseph Charles, Oscar James, George Harris

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Episode information updated Sep 3, 2026

More about The Professionals

Watch trailerThe Professionals trailer mash up

Cast

Lewis CollinsBodie

Martin ShawDoyle

Gordon JacksonGeorge Cowley

Howard BellCID Sergeant

Christopher EllisonPaul Coogan

Bridget BriceBetty

Robert JamesDavid Merlin

John CastleTommy, CI5 Agent

Credits

Created by: Brian Clemens
Written by: Brian Clemens

Production details

Status: Ended
Series type: Scripted
Episodes: 57
Original language: English

Networks & production

ITV1United Kingdom
LWTUnited Kingdom

Themes

ci5great britainpartnershipproceduralspecial air service (sas)

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