Thou Shalt Not Kill!

Episode aired Nov 24, 1975
TV-PG
49m

IMDb RATING

8.0/10

144

YOUR RATING

John Thaw and Dennis Waterman in The Sweeney (1975)

Action Crime Drama

The day before the start of a new term, the university branch of the National Mercian bank is robbed. Regan and his squad arrive and catch or shoot most of the gang but known killer Wands an... Read allThe day before the start of a new term, the university branch of the National Mercian bank is robbed. Regan and his squad arrive and catch or shoot most of the gang but known killer Wands and simple side-kick Monks are still inside with the manager and two women hostages. Haskins... Read allThe day before the start of a new term, the university branch of the National Mercian bank is robbed. Regan and his squad arrive and catch or shoot most of the gang but known killer Wands and simple side-kick Monks are still inside with the manager and two women hostages. Haskins' hesitancy in ordering the police marksmen to fire on the robbers leads to a car chase an... Read all

Director
- Douglas Camfield
Writers
- Ranald Graham
- Ian Kennedy Martin
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

8.0/10

144

YOUR RATING

Director
- Douglas Camfield
Writers
- Ranald Graham
- Ian Kennedy Martin
Stars

5User reviews

See production info at IMDbPro

Photos

Storyline

Edit

Did you know

Edit

Trivia
On the first transmission of Series 2, this episode was replaced at short notice by Trojan Bus (1975) because on the day that Thou Shalt Not Kill was scheduled to be transmitted, a major armed robbery with many similarities to its storyline was committed. Thou Shalt Not Kill was transmitted a few weeks later as the final episode in the series, originally scheduled to be Trojan Bus.

Goofs
Dean Harris's character was credited as Jimmy Wands but referred to throughout the episode as Terry Wands.

Quotes
[Haskins arrives on the scene. Wands is dead and Monks is cradling him in his arms]
Det. Chief Insp. Frank Haskins: How did it happen?
Det. Insp. Jack Regan: It happened the minute you gave in to them. If you'd have ordered us to fire when you had the chance, Dowland would still be alive, that girl's face wouldn't be scarred for life, a policeman wouldn't have been smashed up - and more important, the chances of a villain ever taking hostages again would be a lot less than they're gonna be now.

Soundtracks
Dangerous Connection
Written by Gordon Grant
From the album "Dangerous Connection"
Courtesy of De Wolfe Music

User reviews5

Review

Featured review

8/10

Thou Shalt Not Kill

This is a very taut and muscular episode featuring a pair of nasty sociopathic villains.

Flying Squad has a tip off about a bank robbery. They arrive just as the raid takes place. Some of the robbers get out.

Two stay behind. Wands and Monks and they have two females and the bank manager has hostages.

Surrounded by the police. Haskins has two marksmen on the robbers but he deems it too risky to order them to shoot.

The robbers are ruthless and cold blooded. Wands is calculating and clever. He even takes time to charm a pretty female lecturer who is one of the hostages.

Director Douglas Camfield shoots some good action scenes when the police arrive to take on the robbers.

Writer Ranald Graham catches a sense of the an escalating violence in society. Wands makes it clear to the bank manager that he is not going to get out of this alive.