Car Chases from Australian TV Series: Classic Restos - Series 53

In this week's episode, Fletch pays tribute to Crawfords - an iconic Australian radio and TV production company at the forefront of Australian TV and radio production since 1945. Fletch was granted exclusive access to the car chase footage from some of the most popular TV series produced by Crawfords.

Cop Shop, Division 4, Homicide, Matlock Police, and Ryan. These shows have left an indelible mark on the viewers' minds, thanks to the actors who became household names and the cars that stole the show.

Cop Shop, with over seven series between 1977-1984, featured actors like Gil Ticker (Aka: Constable Roy Baker). Homicide, with 510 episodes between 1964 and 1977, starred Leonard Teale, George Mallaby, and Alywn Kurt. And Matlock Police, between 1971 and 1976, starred Michael Paton and Paul Cronin. The 39 1-hour episodes of Ryan, starring Rod Mullinar, were also a hit among the viewers.

However, it wasn't just the actors that made these shows so popular - the cars were the real stars. Australian manufacturers provided real action in numerous car chases over the years, with Ford, Valiant and Holden featuring prominently. Manufacturers took the opportunity to showcase their vehicles in front of an audience watching their favourite TV programs.

If you're a fan of classic cars and TV shows, this episode is a fascinating watch, especially to see the handling capabilities of the vehicles in the 60s and 70s.