The Thin Blue Line S1E1 "The Queen's Birthday Present"

The Thin Blue Line is set in the police station of the fictional English town of Gasforth.

One of the main themes shows the uniformed squad led by Inspector Fowler and the CID led by Detective Inspector Grim locking horns over similar, or even the same, issues while having conflicting views or methods of operation. Generally the uniformed section triumphs over the detectives, although not without their own foibles.


Although other PCs and staff than the main characters are visible in the background and at meetings they generally have no speaking parts.

The writer, Ben Elton, is a fan of Dad’s Army,[1] and as such many of the characters were influenced by the show. Fowler’s relationship with Grim is very similar to that of Captain Mainwaring to Warden Hodges, in that they are both on the same side yet enemies. Also, Constable Goody is rather like Private Pike in being a ‘stupid boy’ who irritates Fowler. Constable Gladstone’s habit of interrupting a briefing with a story about life in Trinidad is similar to Lance Corporal Jones’s penchant for reminiscing about Sudan during Captain Mainwaring’s speeches. Other references include in the episode Rag Week, when Fowler is briefly seen walking out of a shop called "Mainwaring’s".[2] Elton has appeared in the programme himself, in the Christmas special episode "Yuletide Spirit". In the first series the "WANTED" poster behind Fowler’s desk in the briefing room is an E-FIT of Elton.