Nicholas Ball stars in his best-known role as a charismatic private detective in this hit Thames series, which first aired in the late 1970s. Hazell paid homage to classic film noir while boasting rounded characterisations, sparkling Cockney dialogue and highly credible action scenes, all set in the kind of seedy London locations that would be revisited in Minder - the series created by screenwriter Leon Griffiths following his work on Hazell; other high-profile writers here include Trevor Preston (The Sweeney) and author Richard Harris.