Riviera Police (1965)

A glossy bikini-packed police action drama set in the South of France featuring four main characters played by Noel Trevarthen, Frank Lieberman, Geoffrey Frederick and Brian Spink (although the four determined police officers were rarely seen together in the same episode). This show had everything - four hunky policemen, blue skies, a beautiful backdrop in the Côte d'Azur, big-time crime, and hundreds of bikini-clad starlets. There was plenty of time for chattez up les femmes sur la plage in between cherchez les villains. The Cannes Film Festival and the murder of a rising star provided the plot for the debut episode, which guest-starred Anthony Valentine. Other episodes were set against glamorous backdrops such as the Monaco Grand Prix and the Nice Flower Festival. Despite topping the ratings in its first week (helped by the fact that it followed immediately after Coronation Street) the series proved that sun, sex and scantily-clad beauties do not necessarily equal staying power. The series ended after 13 weeks.