Blast from the Past: "A Mind to Kill" - originally on S4C, and then Channel 5 - on DVD for a while

Welsh General / Questions
#1

(Edit: That title should have read “it’s been on DVD for a while”, but I’d reached the character limit. :slight_smile: )

Some of us have been discussing “A Mind to Kill” / “Y Heliwr” in other threads.

I wondered if others might like to join in a general discussion.

I’d be particularly interested to hear from anyone who managed to see it in Welsh, when it was originally transmitted on S4C.

Until recently, I had only seen a few episodes of the English version on Channel 5 (and they might have been repeats).

The English version has been available on DVD for some time, and I was lucky enough to get a boxed set of the complete 21 episodes plus the pilot for Christmas.

There is a slight disconnect with what Wikipedia says about the number of series there were, and what my boxed set says, but the number of episodes is correct, and the names of the episodes tally (i.e. the boxed set is indeed complete).

The first series went out in 1994. The pilot seems to have been made in 1991.
According to Wikipedia there were 4 series, the last one ending in 2002. It also mentions a Christmas Special in 1998, with the episode called “Shadow Falls”.

According to Wikipedia, the pilot had a “British Air Date” of 14 December 1994, but that seems slightly odd as the 1st episode has a “British Air Date” of 13 November 1994. And it’s not 100% clear if those dates in Wikipedia refer to the S4C transmission or the Channel 5 one.

It stars the wonderful Philip Madoc as Detective Chief Inspector Noel Bain. Other than him, I didn’t recognise any of the other regulars, although Meic Povey plays Bain’s boss, Superintendent Jack Bevan. (Oh, and the pilot features the also wonderful Hywel Bennett).

As I gradually work my way through the episodes (just finished episode 6 of series 1) I recognise a few of the actors who pop up, e.g. a young looking Richard Elfyn (Byw Celwydd and Un Bore Mercher) and a young looking John Glyn Owen (“Terry” in "Rownd a “Rownd”) and some others.

I’ve been impressed by (although not surprised by) the standard of acting, and the strong storylines, which have been surprisingly dark so far.

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#2

Another “spot”: Llŷr Ifans, who used to play Alwyn, the mechanic in “Rownd a Rownd” appears as Lewis Pemberton, in the series 2 episode “Bloodline”.
(and from IMDB I see he was also in a later (2002) episode, as another character).

#3

I have been trying to find these on youtube to watch - I remember seeing some of the english version on some repeat channel when we used to have Sky.
I think I’d better hunt them out again!

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#4

Two more spots:

Eiry Thomas, in a series 2 episode “Death Watch” playing a very different character from DI Susan Williams in “Un Bore Mercher” or Catrin in “Byw Celwydd”.

(And apparently she was in one episode of “Y Gwyll”/“Hinterland”, although I didn’t remember her in that).

The other spot, playing a tearaway (Dale Kowolski) in the same episode is who is/was(?) Dani’s husband or partner in “Pobl y Cwm” (but I haven’t seen that for ages). He also played a special investigating officer in “Y Gwyll” (who I think was also Mared’s ex)…imdb to the rescue:

It’s Richard Lynch who plays Garry in PyC, and played Supt. John Powell in Y Gwyll.

#5

In the series 2 “Game Plan” (not “Gameboy”! - sorry) episode, Huw Garmon (John from Rownd a Rownd) is the arcade manager, speaking (English) in what sounds to me like a south Wales accent (although Huw is definitely a northerner…but he’s a top notch actor, so can obviously “do” accents).

Also Prosser’s retired ex-boss from “Y Gwyll” is the pub landlord. I’ll look up his name later. :slight_smile:
Edit: His name was Robert Owen, played by William Thomas. Apparently William Thomas was in Torchwood, among many other things.

#6

Rugby legend Ray Gravell has a major part as a farmer in the first story in series 3, and is very convincing.

AS I said in Mike Ellwood’s memorial page to Meic Povey, I’d be curious to know how English actors like David Warner and Carol Drinkwater sound in the Welsh-language version. Which leads me on to ask: Are the Welsh-language versions available anywhere

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