Wycliffe (TV series)

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Wycliffe
Jack Shepherd as Wycliffe
Format	Drama
Run time	60 minutes
Starring	Jack Shepherd
Channel	ITV
Production company	HTV (ITV Productions)
Air dates	1993 – 1998

Wycliffe was a British TV series based on W.J. Burley's novels about Detective Superintendent Charles Wycliffe. It was produced by HTV and broadcast on the ITV Network between 1993 and 1998.

The series was set in Cornwall, and many of the crimes Wycliffe (Jack Shepherd) had to solve were connected in some way to drug smuggling operations. He was assisted by DI Doug Kersey (Jimmy Yuill) and DC, subsequently DI, Lucy Lane (Helen Masters).

Initially a fairly average procedural police drama, in later series the characters were fleshed out and the show took on a darker tone, including Wycliffe himself being shot, resulting in him wearing a neck brace for much of the final series. In another slow-burning story arc, Lane was twice promoted, leading her to suspect that she was being used to fulfil gender quotas in the force rather than being judged on her ability, a suspicion partly borne out by her obvious inability to cope with the pressures of higher rank. Later episodes saw her threatening to leave the force altogether. Kersey also was forced to reconsider his future career after being accused of a misjudgement which led to the death of a prisoner in custody.

The job took its toll on all of the major characters. Because Wycliffe and his team were responsible for a large geographical area, they often had to spend a long time away from home. This was particularly tough on Wycliffe himself, who would generally have preferred to spend more time with his family, or just practising his piano playing. The travelling also make it difficult for Lane and Kersey to form relationships outside of work. Internal police politics were also a recurring theme in the series, with Wycliffe constantly having to deal with red tape and budget restraints.

During the filming of the final series, Jimmy Yuill fell ill, and though he made a full recovery, the production company refused to allow him to return to the programme for insurance reasons. With Yuill gone, Shepherd and Masters chose not to continue. The final episode, one of the bleakest in the programme's history, saw Wycliffe framed for drug smuggling, his innocence only being proven in the last few seconds of the show.

Filmed in Cornwall, and a production office in the County capital, Truro. Wycliffe always seemed to put the job first, and family commitments second. His anniversary party saw him being called away for another incident for his team to deal with.