The Professionals
AdrenalineAction and thrills as the primary reward.This show: 8/10British TVThe British television sensibility: tone, restraint and format traditions.This show: 8/10EpisodicSelf-contained episodes you can watch in almost any order.This show: 8/10Central duoOne pair's chemistry carries everything.This show: 7/10Fast-pacedRelentless forward momentum that rarely stops to idle.This show: 7/10
Rate this series
Starring
Gordon JacksonMartin ShawLewis CollinsBridget BriceSteve AlderPat Gorman
Written by
Brian Clemens
Starring
Gordon JacksonMartin ShawLewis CollinsBridget BriceSteve AlderPat Gorman
Written by
Brian Clemens
Ratings per Episode
Votes per Episode
The Professionals Episode Ratings Heatmap
| Avg | E1 | E2 | E3 | E4 | E5 | E6 | E7 | E8 | E9 | E10 | E11 | E12 | E13 | E14 | E15 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | 7.6 | 7.5 | 7.6 | 7.4 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 7.6 | 8.0 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 7.6 | 7.3 | 6.9 | 7.6 | |||
| S2 | 7.7 | 7.9 | 7.3 | 7.5 | 7.9 | 7.7 | 7.6 | 7.4 | 7.8 | 7.9 | 7.8 | ||||||
| S3 | 7.6 | 8.2 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.6 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 7.4 | ||||||||
| S4 | 7.3 | 7.6 | 6.9 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 7.7 | 7.2 | 7.5 | 7.1 | 7.3 | 6.5 | 7.2 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 7.4 | 7.2 | |
| S5 | 7.6 | 8.2 | 7.6 | 6.9 | 7.6 | 7.6 | 7.9 | 7.8 | 7.4 | 7.5 | 7.7 | 7.6 |
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About
"Scrappy British buddy-cop pulp with real chemistry"
A British action series following two operatives, Bodie and Doyle, working for a fictional intelligence outfit called CI5, tasked with tackling terrorism, organized crime and assorted threats to national security. Each episode is fairly self-contained, built around car chases, fistfights and shootouts, with a breezy buddy-cop chemistry between the two leads doing most of the heavy lifting. It's brisk, unpretentious, distinctly of-its-era British telly, favoring punchy action and macho banter over deep plotting. Watching it feels like comfort viewing: fast, pulpy, occasionally cheesy, but carried by likeable stars and a confident sense of its own genre.
Watch it for
the easy chemistry between Bodie and Doyle carrying even the thinnest episodes.
Maybe skip if
you want modern pacing, depth, or anything beyond straightforward episodic action plots.
Written by our AI editor to help you decide, spoiler-free by design.
All Seasons
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Series 11977
7.63K1310h 50m
The first series set the standard for five successful years, milking the dramatic potential of a rich gamut of scenarios, from international espionage to racism and religious evangelism; Bodie and Doyle usually being called upon to protect a controversial figure from the assassin's bullet. Shaw would later dismiss The Professionals for its stereotypical violence and for a long time refused to allow reruns. In fact, as cult television goes, it has weathered well. Many of its themes are as relevant today as they were then. The constantly elliptical script ("I want you to see that he's… well taken care of") is tremendous fun. And despite the macho drive, the whole thing has a camp archness which betrays its Avengers pedigree. Great for a nostalgic wallow.
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Season 21978
7.72K108h 19m
In series two, Doyle is assigned to test a new laser-beam rifle, Bodie's girlfriend is critically injured in a terrorist bombing, and the team go up against a rogue agent.
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Season 31979
7.61K86h 40m
In series three, CI5 is targeted by a series of bombings and assassination attempts, the team investigates the murder of a defector, and Bodie and Doyle begin to suspect that their boss is selling weapons to the East Germans.
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Season 41980
7.32K1512h 28m
In series four, the CI5 protect the daughter of a visiting South American president after his son is assassinated, and the team uncover a silver bullion smuggling operation being controlled from behind the Iron Curtain.
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Season 51982
7.61K119h 11m
More running around action from the popular 1970s action series. In 'Hunter/Hunted', a hi-tech rifle is stolen from CI5, and the boys have to track it down before its deadly force can be unleashed. In 'Stakeout', a CI5 agent is murdered before he can pass on details of a major crime. Bodie and Doyle soon discover a case of Plutonium poisoning.
Full Cast & Crew
Cast
Gordon Jackson George Cowley
Martin Shaw Doyle
Lewis Collins Bodie
Bridget Brice Betty, Cowley's Secretary, Betty
Steve Alder Murphy
Pat Gorman CI5 Agent, Golfer, Police Superintendant at inquest
Pamela Stephenson Attractive Blonde, Maggie Briggs, Nurse Emma Bolding
Allan Surtees Minister, Vicar
Nadim Sawalha Arab Diplomat, Doad, Sheikh Achmeia
Sally Harrison Chauffeuse, Jo, Susan
Crew
Brian Clemens
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