The ever reliable John Thaw slows down the pace somewhat since his action-packed days in The Sweeney for the title role in this watchable London Weekend Television series about a likeable Fleet Street crime reporter and the different stories he covers.
As a bloke Mitch is tough, honourable and intelligent...full of principles, and respected by his colleagues. For a Fleet Street reporter he's well-intentioned and liked by most, especially the down-to-earth everyday-folk.
The character was devised by former Daily Mirror journalist Donald Zec and writer Roger Marshall. I believe this series was filmed in early 1982, but was inexplicably left over until late '84. It's laidback style is in stark contrast to John Thaws earlier successful ITV drama 'The Sweeney', Mitch probably has more in common with BBC's equally successful 'Shoestring'.
As usual John Thaw really is excellent in every aspect, and naturally it is him who leads the series in the right direction, & he's involved in most scenes, supporting cast members like David Calder are excellent too. With talented writers like Roger Marshall & Tony Hoare involved you know you're in good hands (especially if you enjoyed The Sweeney, Minder etc & early episodes of The Bill).
This series ran for 10 episodes, and as is often the case some episodes are stronger than others and some have aged better over the years. Watching it now seems more appealing when viewing on dark-nights after 10pm, it somehow adds to the atmosphere & vibe of each showing of Mitch (I think episodes originally aired after News At Ten at that time of the year in the UK when the night's start drawing-in).
As an actor with such a deservedly fine reputation John Thaw showcases his versatility & depth in Mitch, he famously went on in the 1980s to explore other different roles in Home to Roost, Cry Freedom and arguably his joint signature role of Inspector Morse. Whatever telly programmes he appeared in (Mitch included) it was always top-notch stuff not just down to his inimitable acting talents but he did have a knack of picking winners and being an integral part of classic British TV Shows that were excellent successful and have stood the test of time. I must confess I'm a massive fan of TV from the 1970s & 1980s, as it was definitely an era when the British produced superb & compelling TV Programmes. Most of which still stands-up today. I personally feel the 70s & 80s were much grittier with more character & consequently were more interesting times compared to nowadays and TV obviously reflects this. If you're a fan too of 70s/80s TV especially The Sweeney or anything similar I'd definitely recommend Mitch, there's certainly something charming & intriguing about its appeal...stick with it though as it is laidback and can be a slow-burner but still-waters run deep.
