My Critique of The Gentle Touch
The Gentle Touch remains a landmark for British television’s feminist procedural. Its defining strength is Jill Gascoine’s composed portrayal of Maggie Forbes, whose authority is constantly undermined by institutional sexism; this persistent discrimination forms the series’ sharper, less comfortable edge.
Key episodes illustrate this duality, from the investigative rigor of ‘Knife Edge’ to the institutional scrutiny within ‘Doubt’. Compared to the more formulaic Juliet Bravo, this series integrates domestic strain and social realism with a starker tone.
The show’s willingness to explore uncomfortable realities, such as stalking in ‘Gifts’ and ageism in ‘Tough Mrs Rudge’, prevents it from becoming mere cosy nostalgia. For modern viewers, it serves as a vital historical document of policing and gender politics, though the pacing and procedural tropes of the era can feel dated today.
It matters not merely for the barrier it broke, but for the unglamorous authenticity with which it depicted a woman’s struggle to lead in a man’s world.
Principal Characters & Performances
Detective Inspector Maggie Forbes
At the heart of The Gentle Touch is Jill Gascoine‘s Detective Inspector Maggie Forbes. She is not a superwoman, but a professional navigating profound personal and institutional challenges.
The series begins with her husband, a police constable, being killed on duty, instantly making her a widowed single mother.
This tragedy informs her every move, adding a layer of resilience and vulnerability that Gascoine portrays with quiet authority. Maggie’s fight is twofold: to solve crimes and to earn respect in the male-dominated Metropolitan Police.
Gascoine’s performance avoids grandstanding. Her Maggie is measured, intelligent, and often weary, using deduction and empathy rather than force.
The character’s home life with her son Steve and father George provides crucial balance, showing the cost of her dedication.
This grounded portrayal made Maggie Forbes a relatable pioneer, a working woman audiences could believe in, setting the standard for every female detective lead that followed on British television.
Detective Chief Inspector Bill Russell
As Maggie’s immediate superior, William Marlowe’s DCI Bill Russell represents the institutional framework she must operate within. He is not a straightforward antagonist, but a complex figure embodying the era’s prevailing attitudes.
Russell is often sceptical, sometimes patronising, and frequently questions Maggie’s methods due to her gender. Yet Marlowe imbues him with a grudging professionalism and, eventually, a hard-won respect.
Their dynamic is central to the series’ tension. Russell’s doubts reflect the wider workplace culture, providing the obstacle Maggie must consistently overcome through results.
He is the voice of traditional policing, against which her more intuitive, compassionate approach is defined.
This relationship avoids simple hero-versus-boss clichés, adding a layer of realistic workplace friction that was groundbreaking for its time.
Notable Support and Guest Stars
The ensemble around Maggie Forbes gave the series its authentic station-house feel. Brian Gwaspari’s DI Bob Croft and Derek Thompson’s DS Jimmy Fenton were key colleagues in the early series, with Thompson’s Fenton sharing a particularly strong partnership with Maggie.
Paul Moriarty brought a rugged presence as DS Jake Barrett. Later series introduced Kevin O’Shea as DS Peter Phillips and Bernard Holley as DI Mike Turnbull, ensuring the team dynamic evolved.
At home, Nigel Rathbone portrayed Maggie’s teenage son Steve, while James Ottaway played her father, George Taylor, grounding the drama in family reality.
The series also featured remarkable guest talent. Actors like Phil Davis, Brenda Blethyn, Michael Kitchen, and George Baker appeared in standalone episodes, often delivering powerful performances that elevated the social-issue plots.
These guest turns added prestige and depth, making each case feel distinct and socially resonant.
Key Episodes & Defining Stories
Killers
The very first episode, ‘Killers’, is essential viewing as it establishes the entire emotional and professional foundation for the series. It begins with Maggie Forbes suffering the ultimate personal tragedy: her police officer husband is murdered during a robbery.
On the same day, she must face down blatant sexism from colleagues who doubt her ability to lead while grieving. Guest actors Brian Croucher and Sue Nicholls feature in a plot that sketches a credible picture of urban crime.
This episode matters because it refuses to give its heroine an easy start. It intertwines personal loss with professional prejudice, creating the resilient, complex character Maggie would become.
Fans remember it for its raw, uncompromising setup and for Gascoine’s immediate, commanding presence in the lead role.
It announced the show’s intention to blend police procedure with deep character drama from the very first scene.
Knife Edge
‘Knife Edge’ is a standout episode that demonstrated the series could handle high-stakes tension without sacrificing its realistic tone. The plot centres on a volatile hostage situation in a tower block, with Maggie negotiating between an armed suspect and terrified residents.
Phil Davis delivers a disturbingly authentic performance as the unstable offender, while Brenda Blethyn appears in an early role as a frightened neighbour. The direction is claustrophobic and tense.
This episode is crucial because it pits Maggie’s methodical, psychological approach against male colleagues advocating a forceful armed response. It showcases her authority under extreme pressure.
Fans recall it for its gripping, nerve-wracking plot and as proof that a drama led by a woman could master the action-thriller format while maintaining psychological nuance.
Doubt
The episode ‘Doubt’ is a masterclass in internal police drama. It opens with Maggie and her sergeant, Jimmy Fenton, being brutally beaten during a robbery.
The subsequent investigation spirals into an inquiry about the police themselves.
Inconsistencies in statements and evidence handling raise questions of competence and possible cover-up within the team. Guest actor George Baker appears as a senior officer from another division, whose cold scrutiny heightens the institutional unease.
This episode matters for its bravery in questioning police infallibility, a theme still rare in early 80s TV. It places Maggie in a vulnerable position, both physically and professionally, testing her ethics against loyalty to the job.
Fans remember it for its moral complexity and for refusing a neat, heroic resolution, cementing the show’s reputation for serious, adult storytelling.
The World of The Gentle Touch
The series is firmly rooted in a recognisable, early 1980s London. The primary setting is the fictional Seven Dials police station, a hub of paperwork, briefings, and strained banter.
This isn’t a glamorous world; it’s one of grimy offices, institutional green paint, and the constant hum of telephones.
Crime scenes are typically inner-city streets, modest flats, and workplaces, reflecting the economic realities of the time. This authentic backdrop extends to Maggie Forbes’s home life, a domestic space she shares with her father and son, which feels lived-in and often strained by her demanding career.
The show captures the rhythm of a detective’s life, from the station house to the courts, with a strong sense of place. The London depicted is not a tourist postcard but a working city, providing a grounded, sometimes bleak stage for the stories of crime and social tension that play out.
Origin Story
The Gentle Touch was created by screenwriter Terence Feely for London Weekend Television, specifically for prime-time broadcast on ITV. It first aired on 11 April 1980.
The production was conceived as an hour-long police procedural, but with a defining twist: its lead would be a female detective inspector.
This was a deliberate and significant move for British television. The series was produced across five series until 1984, concluding its original run after 56 episodes.
Its success was such that it directly led to the creation of the spin-off series C.A.T.S. Eyes.
The iconic theme music was composed by Roger Webb.
Narrative Style & Tone
The Gentle Touch is a dialogue-driven police procedural that prioritises realism over action. Its tone is low-key and grounded, focusing on the routine of investigation: interviews, paperwork, and team discussions.
The drama emerges from character interaction and the social issues woven into each case.
It consciously avoided the car chases and glamour of some earlier crime shows, opting instead for a more thoughtful, sometimes gritty exploration of crime’s impact. The narrative balances Maggie’s professional cases with her personal life, but never sentimentally.
The style is straightforward, letting the strength of the characters and the relevance of the stories command attention, establishing a template for the modern, character-based police drama.
How is The Gentle Touch remembered?
The Gentle Touch is historically remembered as the first British television series to feature a female police detective as its lead character. This groundbreaking role for Jill Gascoine paved the way for every female-led procedural that followed, from Prime Suspect onwards.
While often compared to its BBC contemporary Juliet Bravo, The Gentle Touch is distinguished by its detective-focused, metropolitan setting and its sharper engagement with social issues like racism, sexism, and mental health.
Retrospectively, it is praised not just for its pioneering lead, but for its serious, adult storytelling within a popular ITV slot. The series remains in circulation through repeats and streaming, finding new audiences who appreciate its authentic 80s atmosphere and strong character work.
In tributes and television histories, it is consistently cited as a crucial step in the evolution of the British police drama and a defining role for Jill Gascoine.
In Closing
More than a period piece, The Gentle Touch stands as a foundational text of British television crime drama, remarkable for its quiet confidence, its pioneering heroine, and its enduring, grounded appeal.