In the spring of the millenium-year 2000, Sue came up with the following question to the egroups-list "prosfanfic":

It is fairly obvious how those of us of a 'certain age' came to be fans, (although it is interesting how many of us are still fans now as so many programmes one liked in one's youth can seem rubbish when re-viewed.) but I am curious about what attracts people to the show that when seen today could be considered dated. When posing this question, I am of course, ignoring the two obvious reasons for watching it. Given the styles of the time even two good looking guys (okay, one mouth watering, drop dead gorgeous, wickedly sexy guy - no prize for guessing my bias) will not necessarily have twenty-somethings addicted. Actually, not only, what attracts you to the programme but how did you come across it in the first place? Sue, 26. April 2000

This set off the whole idea for these Fan-pages, and I want to thank Sue for bringing it up. The series, we are fans of, is a fictious thing in a continuum of fantasy. But a fan is a person in reality, who appreciates aspects, which are quite real, I think - to him and also others? Why are fans fans?

Fair-minded, as Sue is, she also answered her question herself:

I've been in lust with Martin Shaw since The Professionals first aired. I clearly remember coming into work the next day and discussing the previous nights episode with my friend. She was and still is, a Bodie fan. Long before I first heard the term 'hurt/comfort' to describe a story, I always liked the episodes in which Doyle got beaten up or hurt emotionally and my friend could not understand this. She however, had more sense than me in one way. She bought some of the videos when they were first released by Video Gems and also got a friend to record the Granada Plus versions, whereas apart from watching a few videos when staying with her one time, I hadn't seen them again until last year when the first series of Always and Everyone finished. (I had in the meantime seen Rhodes and The Chief because there was no way I wasn't going to watch anything with Martin in.) I was due to go and spend a weekend with my friend and I rang her up and said 'I've got Martin Shaw withdrawal symptoms, so we have to watch some Professionals videos whilst I'm there.' Well, we watched a couple of episodes and then I went on a shopping spree. As I had also just gone on-line at home and was free to surf the net I also discovered fan fiction, 'zines to buy, the best price for the videos and this list <the egroups-list prosfanfic, rg> so my addiction grows in direct relation to the ability to feed it. I've seen the New Pros, thanks to Joules taping them for me, but apart from having some very good story lines, they're not a patch on the original. Apart from Edward Woodward, the acting is a bit hit and miss and there is absolutely no chemistry between Curtis and Keel. They are badly served by the scriptwriters as well. They don't have any of the banter of the original, although I have to say that Martin and Lewis could make the most banal lines sound witty. Ok, so now I'm probably going to get lynched by those of you who like the New guys... Sue, 29. April 2000

<g> not necessarily, Sue, since the NewProfs Fans are a decent lot and will respect your opinion - it may of course be possible, that they try to change your mind.

But back to Bodie, and especially Doyle: As far as I know, you are British? Can you remember, when the series was first transmitted in England?

Yes, certainly. I distinctly remember watching Private Madness Public Danger followed by The Female Factor and then Old Dogs With New Tricks. Since we didn't have a video recorder back then I did miss some episodes, some of which I didn't see until I bought the videos just recently. That was wonderful, a 'new' Pros episode to watch. Some storylines I remembered better than others depending on whether or not I had the novelisations and/or if they had been repeated. For instance, I had always remembered Doyle being badly beaten up in an episode but couldn't remember anything else about the story line or the title. When I bought the videos I discovered it was Man Without A Past. Likewise a friend of mine had strong memories of an episode I had never seen. Again, thanks to the videos, we discovered it was Weekend in the Country. Sue, 21. Januar 2001

Did your view regarding "The Professionals" change over the years? Do you see - or appreciate - now different aspects of the show then when you saw it at the first time?

Mmmm, harder to remember back on this one but I think when I watched it first time around, I just enjoyed the series as an action series with good looking guys and fast moving stories. I also remember the banter. I obviously liked it enough to buy all the novelisations but as time wore on, the series finished and even stopped being repeated, I just let it drift away. There were other shows to watch, other heroes to admire and fantasize about. Rewatching the series now I am stunned by how much I still like it. So many shows do date and don't live up to the memories you have of them. Mature reflection tells me that the acting from the three leads was first class and that I think is what lifts it above an ordinary series of that period. The characters are believable and the acting so natural that sometimes you could imagine you are watching a fly-on-the-wall documentary rather than a piece of fiction. Sue, 21. Januar 2001

What did change through your becoming a fan in your real, everyday life? For example: Did/Do you dress like them? Or do you use special terms of speech, something like that?

I have always prefered casual dress so I can't really say I've been influenced by the series in that way. The word 'sunshine' has crept into my vocabulary though :) The main thing I would say is; my interest gradually died first time around due to lack of any new information about the show. Now, due to fanzines, web sites and the wonderful friends I have made due to the egroups list, I sometimes think I am living in the Pros universe the amount of time I spend thinking about them, possible situations to get them into and out of etc etc. Sue, 21. Januar 2001

And now the last question: Which episode is your all-time favorite - and why? :-)

Oh, save the hardest question for last why don't you? I don't honestly think I can narrow it down to just one. Just off the top of my head I'll go for - The Female Factor, Stakeout, Blind Run, Involvement, Mixed Doubles, It's Only A Beautiful Picture, Discovered In A Graveyard. Heck, I could go on. Reasons being; they all feature Doyle to good advantage, they give us good insight into the characters and the way CI5 operates and they have great lines. Sue, 21. Januar 2001

Vielen Dank, Sue!

rg 2001-01-22