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Target aired on BBC1 in 1977-78. Southampton was the 13th Regional Crime Squad. The programme was initially titled Hackett by producer Graham Williams, but he was invited to swap places with outgoing Doctor Who producer Philip Hinchcliffe, who renamed the show Target. Det. Supt. Steve Hackett was played by Patrick Mower, Det. Sgt. Frank Bonney by Brendan Price, Det. Sgt. Louise Colbert by Vivien Heilbron, and Det. Chief Supt. Tate by Philip Madoc. Two series have 17 episodes. The BBC's answer to ITV's The Sweeney. Like The Sweeney, the cars were Fords, predominantly Cortinas and Granadas; however, Hackett's personal car is an American Dodge Charger shown in a number of episodes. There is a distinct lack of humour compared to The Sweeney, and at the time the series was regarded as being more brutal than The Sweeney, though now it's impossible to tell. The second series was tamed. Also, Patrick Mower tends to overshadow the supporting cast, which wasn't the case with Sweeney. Simpson composed the theme song. Each episode lasted 50min. A third season was proposed with Robert Banks Stewart as producer. He spent two weeks as producer and aimed to replace the supporting cast, reduce violence, and distance the show from The Sweeney. However, he was told by the head of drama that the series was being abandoned and urged to come up with a substitute criminal series. Shoestring was his creation.