The series was the brainchild of Jeffrey Caine, known as the creator of The Chief and script editor of the James Bond movie GoldenEye.

It was a remark that might have been designed to extract a moan of sympathy from television reviewers, coming, as it did, halfway through this dim and derivative thriller, one of those professionals-with-guns series that give a distinguished theatrical actor the opportunity to look steely and say "shit".

In this case, the man in question is John Shrapnel, taking the role of the sternly parental head of a police protection unit.

His charges are played by Louise Lombard and Sean Pertwee, as well as disposable cannon-fodder who can be dispatched relatively early in the story to demonstrate that theirs is not just a nine-to-five job.

In last night's episode, they were assigned to protect a businessman, back in England to give evidence before a select committee about a dodgy arms deal.