Set in the fictional town of Newtown, which was Kirkby, Liverpool, and produced in the "kitchen sink" style, this police drama was amazingly recorded live. Black Morias now defunct, the programme featured the new force's weapon in the form of two white Ford Zephyrs known as Z Victor 1 and 2 and the heroic antics of their crews. A far cry from the cosy Dixon of Dock Green where justice was always seen to be done by 6.30 on a Saturday evening, Z Cars addressed social and political issues, especially those of poverty and unemployment. The distinctive theme tune reached to no 8 in the charts. It was screened on a Wednesday night at 8.00 and I was allowed to stay up for it. When I was dispatched to bed at 9.00 I would take my toy telephone under the blankets and spend a happy hour reciting "Z Victor1 to BD", and I have never to this day found out what the BD stood for! BD was the Home Office Radio Code for Lancashire, so other forces tuning in would know where the cars were from. CH was Liverpool, CK was Manchester or Greater Manchester, Cheshire was BA etc.
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Do You Remember Z Cars?
Do You Remember Z Cars?