Hunter’s Walk was about crime on a smaller – but no less dramatic – scale, and featured a police force in the fictional Midlands town of Broadstone (the series was actually filmed in Rushden, Northamptonshire).
Devised by Dixon of Dock Green creator Ted Willis, Hunter’s Walk shared several similarities with the classic 1950s police drama – in particular a small-town setting, and storylines encompassing the more human aspects of police work.
Hunter’s Walk offered a contrasting alternative to the 1970s more hard-hitting, action-led urban crime dramas. The small, idiosyncratic team of officers faced a typically broad spectrum of cases, from neighbours’ disputes and hooliganism to suspected murder.
Stories revolved around po-faced DS ‘Smithy’ Smith (Ewan Hooper), his junior detective colleague ‘Mickey’ Finn (David Simeon), police constables Pooley and Coombes (Duncan Preston and Charles Rea), and station sergeant Ken Ridgeway (Davyd Harries).
Smith’s wife was played by future Hi-De-Hi star Ruth Madoc.
Offering an authentic portrayal of provincial police work – a premise later gaining in popularity with series like Juliet Bravo – the ATV series featured excellent scripts by Roger Marshall (Public Eye) and Peter J. Hammond (Sapphire and Steel) among other noted writers.
Detective Sgt. Smith
Ewan Hooper Sgt Ken Ridgeway
Davyd Harries PC Fred Pooley
Duncan Preston DC ‘Mickey’ Finn
David Simeon PC Harry Coombes
Charles Rea Betty Smith
Ruth Madoc
Devised by Dixon of Dock Green creator Ted Willis, Hunter’s Walk shared several similarities with the classic 1950s police drama – in particular a small-town setting, and storylines encompassing the more human aspects of police work.
