The Sweeney: Series Three Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

The Sweeney: Series Three Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov December 21, 2025

"The Sweeney: Series Three" (1976) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Old Gold Media. The supplemental features on the release include multiple archival video introductions; multiple archival audio commentaries; vintage trailer; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

I give as good as I get!

In Season Three, even though the intensity of the drama is unchanged, there are several new developments. The most significant of these developments is the expansion of its material, typically with richer, more unpredictable characters and more complex crimes, which require greater improvisational efforts from Regan (John Thaw) and Carter (Dennis Waterman). Also, more time is spent on the mechanics of the crimes being committed, some of which stretch across the Atlantic, and some of which attract non-conventional players. Regan and Carter face failure more frequently than before as well.

The most intense material comes from an episode about a missing small-time crook and another episode about a deranged gangster known as The Leopard vowing to get rid of Regan. In the former, the crook’s partner, a croupier, is used as bait to expose the shady dealings of her employer, a smart but also too cocky shady businessman, and a lot that could go wrong goes terribly wrong. In the latter, The Leopard is forced to run for his life after Regan and Carter mobilize the entire Flying Squad to hunt him down. This episode has the most impressively shot action footage in Season Three.

Regan and Carter’s most intelligent rivals are two old-timers, both former cellmates, who put together a brilliant bank robbery. While attempting to deconstruct the different phases of the robbery on time and get the old-timers, Regan and Carter then realize that their old-fashioned working methods are not as effective as they used to be. In a different case about a global gold smuggling network, Regan is joined by a veteran Turkish detective, an old friend, who helps him get on the right track.

Several episodes feature material in which Regan and Carter, and even their boss, Chief Inspector Frank Haskins (Garfield Morgan), mix up with the pub crowds that tend to produce their targets. At a more upscale stag party, Regan is even challenged by an old target, a former bank robber-turned-wealthy businessman, who has easily outsmarted him. This type of material, which is not limited to Season Three but is more prevalent in it, together with the street action, gives The Sweeney a ‘kitchen sink’ quality that is one of its most unique strengths.

The supporting cast includes a young John Hurt, an even younger Ray Winstone, Norman Eshley, John Lyons, Sue Lloyd, Geraldine James, George Sweeney, Morris Perry, Peter Bayliss, Jack Allen, Norman Roadway, and Nadim Sawalha.

The thirteen episodes of Season Three were lensed by Norman Langley and Dusty Miller. Langley also lensed several episodes of The Professionals, which was the biggest competitor of The Sweeney. Miller went on to lense the two feature film spin-offs, Sweeney! and Sweeney 2.

*This four-disc box set brings exclusive new restorations of all thirteen episodes "from the original 16mm A/B negatives, with shot-by-shot grading work, digital processes such as image stabilization, de-flicker, scratch concealment and a combination of automatic and manual clean-up of visual defects." All episodes are presented in 1080/50i on Region-Free discs.

The Sweeney: Series Three Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.33:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080/50i transfer, The Sweeney: Series Three arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Old Gold Media.

This four-disc set brings more of the same -- excellent restorations and presentations of all thirteen episodes of Season Three. I viewed these episodes over the course of three days and thought that they looked as impressive as the ones from Season Two. Some of the outdoor footage is slightly more diverse now, so there are some unique fluctuations, typically when there is plenty of natural light. However, delineation, clarity, and depth are impossible to describe as anything but excellent. Additionally, the density levels of the visuals remain very strong, so on a large screen, there is a lot to see and like. Color reproduction and balance are outstanding. I expected this to be the case because the previous two seasons of The Sweeney are wonderfully graded as well. There are no traces of any problematic digital corrections. The encoding is fine, but I felt that in a few places, most notably in episodes In From the Cold, Bad Apple, and Pay Off, some additional optimizations could have been introduced. All episodes look very clean. My score is 4.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. However, to view its content in North America, where 1080/50i is not supported, you will need a Blu-ray or 4K Blu-ray player that converts 1080/50i to 1080/60i or 1080/60p. Check your manual to see if your player does this conversion).

The Sweeney: Series Three Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this release: English LPCM Mono 2.0 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Each episode features an LPCM 2.0 isolated track as well. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided.

I have viewed all episodes of all three seasons of The Sweeney with the LPCM 2.0 tracks. I have also tested the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 tracks. As in the previous two seasons, the LPCM 2.0 tracks are very healthy and reproduce the native qualities of the original soundtracks wonderfully well. The 5.1 tracks create a bit more excitement during action footage, which should not be surprising. However, I do not think that viewing the episodes with them becomes a different experience. Why? There is a lot of dialogue and plenty of material that was shot out in the open, so the opportunities to do more are, in my opinion, rather limited. I did not encounter any encoding anomalies to report in our review.

The Sweeney: Series Three Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

BLU-RAY DISC ONE

• Introduction - this video introduction to "Visiting Fireman" was filmed by Nadim Sawalha. In English, not subtitled. (5 min).

• In From the Cold - presented here is a newly restored widescreen version of the episode "In From the Cold". Lossless 2.0 and 5.1 tracks, as well as optional English SDH subtitles, are included. (51 min).

• The Evening News British Film Awards 1977 - presented here is archival footage from the event with John Thaw and Dennis Waterman. In English, not subtitled. (7 min).

• Isolated Music Score - presented as LPCM 2.0.

BLU-RAY DISC TWO

• Introduction - this video introduction to "Taste of Fear" was filmed by George Sweeney. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

• Commentary - this audio commentary for "Taste of Fear" was recorded by Robert Fairclough and Mike Kenwood.

• Introduction - this video introduction to "Bad Apple" was filmed by John Lyons. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Isolated Music Score - presented as LPCM 2.0.

BLU-RAY DISC THREE

• Introduction - this video introduction to "Down to You, Brother" was filmed by Tina Heath. In English, not subtitled. (6 min).

• ITV This is Your Life - Featuring The Sweeney - an ITV archival program unitiing seveal stars of The Sweeney. In English, not subtitled. (8 min).

• Isolated Music Score - presented as LPCM 2.0.

BLU-RAY DISC FOUR

• Introduction - this video introduction to "Payoff" was filmed by Geraldine James. In English, not subtitled. (6 min).

• Commentary - this archival audio commentary was recorded by Dennis Waterman and Garfield Morgan.

• Introduction - this video introduction to "Loving Arms" was filmed by Steven Pacey. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

• Introduction - this video introduction to "On the Run" was filmed by George Sweeney. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

• Isolated Music Score - presented as LPCM 2.0.

ADDITIONAL CONTENT

• Booklet - 12-page illustrated booklet with writings on The Sweeney and technical information about the new 2025 restoration of the show.

The Sweeney: Series Three Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Old Gold Media's Blu-ray releases of the first three seasons of The Sweeney are some of the absolute best to be produced on the other side of the Atlantic this year. The restoration work done to bring these seasons to Blu-ray is truly fantastic, so it is a real treat to go back to the 1970s with Regan and Carter and watch them take down all sorts of different bad guys. I cannot wait to get Season Four in February for my library. If you decide to pick up the first three seasons of The Sweeney, also take a look at the two feature films, here and here, which offer even more fireworks from some of the roughest areas of London. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.