The Sweeney (TV Series) Hearts and Minds (1978) User Reviews

"You're nicked, Sunshine!"

[ShadeGrenade · 8/10 · 25 November 2009]

When John Thaw and Dennis Waterman guested on the 1976 Morecambe & Wise Christmas Show, Ernie quipped that he and Eric should both go on 'The Sweeney'. The actors enjoyed working with the duo so much they passed the suggestion back to Euston Films. A script - 'Hearts & Minds' - was written specially by Donald Churchill and Ted Childs to accommodate the comedians. Luckily they had recently defected to Thames following a spectacularly successful decade at the B.B.C.

'The Sweeney' had a reputation as a hard-as-nails police drama, so with Eric and Ernie around it was bound to turn silly, and alas did.

It starts out like any other episode; a burglar is shot dead attempting to steal the formula for a new miracle drug that can cure heart disease. Its creator, Professor Busby ( Edward de Souza, seen most recently in 'Coronation Street' ) and his psychiatrist wife Hildegarde ( Caroline Blakiston ) have an open marriage. He is having an affair with an actress currently appearing in Morecambe and Wise's latest stage show. So far, so good. The lads then appear, and the script gets infected with Morecambe-itis, taking on a lunatic air. Eric and Ernie essentially play a less successful version of themselves, who tour run-down provincial theatres rather than star in top-rated television shows.

The climax has Eric and Ernie fleeing from a gang of industrial spies, a sample of the drug in their possession. Stealing an old fish market lorry, they manage to outstrip a powerful Mercedes. Unlikely? It gets worse. Eric makes his way to the rear of the moving vehicle, and tosses fish crates onto the road. 'Hearts & Minds' plays more like an episode of Season 3 of 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.' than 'The Sweeney'.

As it was one of the last ones made, I don't suppose we can begrudge Euston Films letting its hair down just this once. I just hope no-one bases their opinion of the show on it.

Actually Not Too Bad for Jumping The Shark

[TheFearmakers · 7/10 · 24 June 2021]

The final season SWEENEY episode HEARTS AND MINDS has all the makings of jumping the shark, which means, when a show goes bad by crossing that bridge too far, and in this case it's special guest stars Morecambe and Wise...

A British comedy duo (unknown to Americans) who are very loosely connected to the initial theft of a hot new brand of medicine/pills, stolen from the house of a doctor in a modern marriage with future RETURN OF THE JEDI rebel leader Caroline Blakiston, and, later on, another George Lucas connection turns up in cameo detective Paul Freeman aka Belloq from RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK...

Before our primary detectives John Thaw and Dennis Waterman not only meet the comedians but wind up doing a cringe-worthy act alongside them, there's yet another token uptight head honcho busting in on Regan's rebellious streak, played by the usually uptight and classy Edward Hardwicke...

Who with his own young partner adds up to four baffled cops tailing a group of edgy machine-gun toting criminals, making an otherwise filler episode actually not nearly as bad as it reads on paper.

Bring Me Sunshine Pills Everyday

[Theo Robertson · 6/10 · 27 June 2013]

Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise are the greatest comedy duo that Britain has ever produced and I'm at a slight loss to understand why . Certainly they were infinitely better than comedy double acts with two straight men such as Cannon and Ball and Little and Large who consciously tried to emulate the public affection held for Eric and Ernie by the British public . One perhaps can speculate that the good natured humour of the duo made for safe family entertainment in the 1970s , a decade that with hindsight was very much a cynical and violent era where television was concerned . THE SWEENEY personified this era perfectly where it became an instant classic

TV stars would clamber to get on the Morecambe And Wise Christmas specials and that included John Thaw and Dennis Waterman who appeared in the 1976 Christmas show . Returning the favour and highlighting that Morecambe and Wise had defected from the BBC to Thames TV this episode of THE SWEENEY has the duo appearing as themselves which makes for a very strange episode that doesn't really feel like an episode of the show . It's not meta-fictional send up but the episode starts with a brutal attempted burglary that sees a policeman seriously injured and a robber dead emulating the tough gritty aspect the show was famous for . The episode introduces a rather unconvincing plot involving international commie criminals trying to get their hands on a new super-drug and the episode climaxes on a tongue in cheek chase sequence with Eric and Ernie . Not to be taken seriously Hearts And Minds makes for one of the more memorable of the show while paradoxically isn't really a classic episode

Famous guest stars

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 23 April 2021]

The infamous Morecambe and Wise episode of the show. Essentially it's written as a chance to involve the stars in some humour and some hijinks so how much you enjoy this one depends on your taste for the double act. I liked it well enough.

What's not to like!

[ouzman-1 · 10/10 · 22 September 2020]

Sure this steers very close to becoming a parody. BUT it was designed to give the audience that watched the Sweeney a chance to relax and enjoy their show.

Eric and Ern never were actors - their own films were pretty dire, weren't they? But here is a chance to shine in a one off (despite the clamour for violence) TV episode.

Not tongue-in-cheek but hardly believable in the macho world of Regan and Carter.

The script IS tight as per most Sweeneys. The acting is top-notch (excluding Eric and Little Ern!)

It isn't full of gags and I reckon (having been a cop myself) this actually portrays celebrities egging and over acting within their own celebrity egos when they meet real coppers.

So it's actually NOT that bad. I am glad it was made. Fun over gravitas? You decide.

Regan, Carter, Haskins and a cameo from the delightful actor Edward Hardwicke that get to meet Morecombe and Wise, so honestly what is NOT to like?

Poor

[dinkyyy · 4/10 · 10 July 2019]

Nice to see some familiar faces, but this is a dissapointing episode, probably the weekest of all

Not great

[seandickens-78903 · 4/10 · 29 January 2024]

I love 'The Sweeney' and I love Eric & Ernie but this is pretty dire stuff I'm sad to say, I think it is fair to suggest that by series 4 the show was running out of steam and on a couple of occasions the decision to shoehorn comedy into the plots (see Diana Dors and 'Jack Regal' also!) didn't really work...the chase at the end of this episode is particularly painful to watch when you compare to some of the genuinely gritty stuff that preceded it

The series also suffered from missing Garfield Morgan as Haskins far too often...

The Sweeney was outstanding more often than not but this is an episode that really wouldn't have seen the light of day 2-3 years earlier...

Hearts and Minds

[Prismark10 · 4/10 · 19 October 2022]

The one with Morecambe and Wise and it all ends a little bit fishy.

If the final series of The Sweeney had a bit more emphasis on comedy. This wanted to bring sunshine.

Professor Frederick Busby has created an innovative heart drug and the British government does not seem to be too interested in funding his research.

A burglar has broken into his home and has died. Busby has disappeared and apparently the Americans were wooing him for his research.

Regan and Carter are on the case with the British Secret Service not so far behind. Regan is surprised to find that the Busby's had an open marriage.

Mrs Busby lives with her black lover. Regan discovers that Professor Busby is having an affair with an assistant to Morecambe and Wise.

I did wonder why Professor Busby needed to have a cryptic photo of the showgirl if they had an open marriage.

The main plot with Busby, his pills and some Arabs was humdrum and incongruous. Mainly as it took a back seat to Morecambe and Wise.

In those days it would be easy to believe that the comedy legends were just like their screen persona behind the scenes. Anyone who met comedian Frank Carson would attest to that.

The end scenes were farcical. With Morecambe and Wise involved in a car chase. It seems like an end of term party episode where everyone wanted to let their hair down.

Even Haskins turns up for a few minutes. The boys a fool!

The one with Morecambe and Wise.

[granty-95171 · 5/10 · 30 January 2024]

When The Sweeney was at its brilliant best the humour was a natural by-product of great writing and acting, but a few episodes like this one were played mainly for laughs and the results were often dire. 'Hearts And Minds' is really just a rather flimsy vehicle for Morecambe & Wise who were past their best by 1978, and whoever wrote their lines for this one was certainly no Eddie Braben.

Most Sweeney fans agree that series 4 was the weakest, with too much emphasis on comedy, and the long absence of Haskins; they even ruined the classic opening & closing credit sequences. Fortunately, John Thaw and Dennis Waterman could see the writing on the wall by now, and at least ended the show on a high with 'Jack Or Knave'.

Awful

[derek-e-coster · 4/10 · 4 May 2024]

The forth and final series of the sweeney was made at least 18 months after the previous one and while not too bad doesn't stand comparison to them. There are good guest stars, the plots are not bad and john thaw and Denis waterman are still the same but something was missing. Whether everyone new it was coming to an end I don't know but it all seems a bit predictable and tired.

And this episode is the worst of a poor lot. I loved Morecombe and wise and it must have seemed a good idea to invite them because of thaw and waterman's turn on their Xmas show but it just doesn't work. They are not actors and it is terrible to watch. I've just tried to watch it again and given up. Watch the earlier series to see just how great the sweeney was.