Juliet Bravo
Juliet Bravo is a British police drama that aired on BBC1 from 1980 to 1985. Over six series it ran for 88 episodes and followed a female police inspector who takes control of a busy station in the fictional Lancashire town of Hartley.
In the early series the lead was Inspector Jean Darblay, played by Stephanie Turner (series 1–3). From series 4 to 6, Anna Carteret starred as Inspector Kate Longton. The show was created by Ian Kennedy Martin, who also created The Sweeney. Juliet Bravo was one of the first British police dramas to feature a woman as the lead, tackling crime and workplace prejudice at the same time. The character of Jean Darblay was inspired by a real inspector, Wynne Darwin.
The series has been shown in repeats on UKTV Drama in 2018 and 2019, and it was previously shown on UK Gold from 1992 to 2001. For the first two series, studio work was done at BBC Television Centre in London; from the third series onward, filming moved to Pebble Mill Studios in Birmingham. Exterior scenes were shot in towns across Lancashire and nearby areas, including Colne, Bacup, Accrington, Nelson, Burnley, Blackburn, Todmorden and the Black Country. The exterior of Hartley Police Station was actually the real Bacup police station on Bank Street.
All six series were released on DVD by 2|Entertain/Cinema Club. Series 1 went out in 2005, with subsequent volumes released through 2008 (Series 6 followed after fan demand). Series 1 and 2 have also been released on Region 4 DVD in Australia.
The show inspired tie-in media, including three Mollie Hardwick novels: Juliet Bravo 1 and Juliet Bravo 2, plus Calling Juliet Bravo: New Arrivals, as well as a TV script book published in 1983. The theme tune was also released as a single in 1980.
Over the years Juliet Bravo attracted many notable guest stars, including David Ryall, Kevin Whately, Brenda Fricker, Peter Jeffrey, Kenneth Cope and others.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 14:40 (CET).