Copping Out

The realities of being on the beat uncovered with Granada's documentary series Police!

Jon-Paul Waddington

As different from the current crop of 'reality' shows as can be, Police! Follows four police forces dealing with a variety of incidents, from football matches, via an Eminem gig to domestic disputes and random violence. All the while the cameras provide unwavering, sometimes unsettling witness.

David Nolan, the series producer, is also known for music documentaries (such as 'I Swear I was There' on the seminal Manchester Sex Pistols gig) alongside his police-based work. “Yeah, I suppose I'm a two-trick pony. Having said that I do tend to produce both types of programme in a similar pared-down style, like the White Stripes of TV!”

Which is a fair point as, like the Detroit duo, his work is stripped down to its base elements. Stark and largely voiceless, the series gives the viewer the minimum of guidance. Names, locations and times are all that's presented. The rest is down to the individual to piece together. For David it's a refreshing antidote to standard, formulaic reality fare. “I think the modern viewer is clever enough to follow a programme without having John Nettles doing a voice-over explaining the obvious. You want, “Who? When? Where? What time?” and a conclusion. Everything else is superfluous.”

The success of Police! is also in part down to the bravery of the film crews. On screen, it's easy to forget that there are people behind the camera, and filming in Oldham at the height of its recent tensions or at throwing out time in Carlisle, is a daunting assignment. “It's the one thing I'm most proud of. I've been in that sort of situation, out in the field, so yeah I'm really proud of them. Just editing together CCTV footage for Police, Camera, Action is a cop-out.”

Whilst the police, sometimes justifiably, get a rough ride from the public, it's sobering to see in detail what many of them have to deal with. We moan at their every perceived deficiency, yet are indebted to them when threatened. “It's easy sitting on your arse in Didsbury on an Ikea couch, sipping Chilean red, bitching about the police," snaps David. “They do a thankless job which neither you nor I could do even if we wanted to. They're just regular guys and girls.” And his new series in the pipeline about the trials and tribulations of council workers in Blackburn means that this lack of appreciation will, unfortunately, be a recurring theme.

© City Life 2003