Wet Job

"Callan: Wet Job," was supposed to have led to another T.V series. Luckily, this didn't happen due to the poor ratings this episode received. The plot is dull, confusing and uneventful. The only scenes worth seeing, are those with Callan and Lonely. It is worth it to see these legendary characters together one last time after all the years that had elapsed. The chemistry of Edward Woodward and Russell Hunter is still in evidence as Lonely secures Callan another gun. When asked if he needs any further help, Callan pauses for a couple of seconds and answers in the negative. He urges Lonely to leave his shop immediately and that is it. Lonely walks off into the distance and we see the final curtain come down on one of British television's leading partnerships. There isn't any action or incident to speak of, just a meandering story.

For fans of the original series of "Callan" this is disappointing. It is of course, fantastic to see Edward Woodward and Russell Hunter working together again but the very poor plot, stiff acting in parts and absolutely terrible incidental music makes this a poor effort overall I think.

Hugh Walters is very good as the new Hunter and George Sewell is also a great addition to this one off. Felicity Harrison plays the new Liz, albeit only for a few minutes. There are very few action scenes in this and is focused mostly on the life of Callan since leaving his old job and the sub-plot surrounding Callan's landlady is actually pretty dire.

Overall, it is worth seeing if you are a Callan and/or Edward Woodward fan, simply to find out what happened to the hero, but don't be surprised if you are disappointed by this episode - a great shame, but it is understandable why this is unlikely to shown again.

This one off does not have the grit of the TV series but Russell Hunter and Edward Woodward are on their usual fantastic form. Unlike some some reviewers I think it is well written and filmed. However, the music is truly awful. Maybe it is just an early 1980s thing but it is more like the music to a trashy sit com - and it grates. I also really dislike the posh accents of many of the actors and the affectations. Worst Hunter ever is an understatement. The quiet authority of the previous Hunters is missing and replaced by a preening, spiteful jerk who even in the class ridden system of the 1980s would never be appointed to such a position. The sets are a little sparse and like a lot of 1980s sets, wobble a bit. I remember really looking forward to this when it was announced but never saw it when first broadcast. In 2025 I wonder what this would look like with modern production values.

Kind of a bummer this was the last time we get to see Callan! The whole episode seemed to have been pretty thrown together. You'd think the producers would have gone all out with the writing and bringing back more core characters for this comeback episode. It's not all bad at least. Getting a little bit of Lonely was a treat for sure. The main gripe was the terrible music that hits you over the head at the wrong times in volume and tone of the melody, except for the end part when David is going into the country house. The video production is no better or worse than the colour episodes of the old show. Overall not super, but definitely worth watching if you're a fan of the REALLY great TV show. The 1974 film is a better send off of the character than Wet Job.

Lacklustre drab and miserable. Amateur acting, dreadful , or was it just badly written screenplay , or was it just badly directed ? Which of those possibilities, or all of them ? Commplicated to the point of switch off and read a good book ! Admittedly I did not avidly follow Callan exploits back in the day so maybe , just MAybe this would have clicked as interesting ? After 30 minutes I opted out !