Road Wars (TV series)

Infobox British television
show_name = Road Wars


caption =
format = Reality
picture_format = PAL (576i), HD (1080i)

audio_format = Stereo, Dolby Digital
runtime = 45 mins approx.
creator = Bill Rudgard, Steve Warr
country = UK
language = English
narrated = Lee Boardman
channel = Sky1, Sky1 HD
first_aired = 2003
last_aired = present
num_series = 6
num_episodes = 68
producer = Raw Cut TV
related = Street Wars, Street Law
website = http://www.skyone.co.uk/roadwars
imdb_id = 0411021

Road Wars is a reality television programme produced by [http://www.rawcut.tv Raw Cut TV] for British Sky Broadcasting and broadcast on Sky1, Sky2 and Sky3 as well as being distributed worldwide.

About the show

Beginning in 2003 the programme has followed the fourteen members of the Thames Valley Police's roads policing proactive unit (road crime unit - known within the force as "Tango Vultures" - taken from their TV callsign prefix and the joke that they swoop to steal arrests from other officers) while they carried out their duties. Road Wars is unlike other previous police programmes on Sky in that it followed the work of officers rather than simply playing police video clips.

The Thames Valley Police unit operates high-specification, unmarked 3.0L V6 Vauxhall Omegas (now being replaced by unmarked 2.8L Turbo V6 Police Special Vauxhall Vectras) and is tasked with taking a proactive role in fighting crime especially targeted towards street robbers and burglars, but also undertaking general traffic policing (the officers are drawn from standard Roads Policing teams). The footage from this team is combined with video footage from police forces around the world (though largely UK and United States forces).

The programme has documented the changing tactics of criminals, perhaps most importantly their increasing violence and recklessness, and the response of the UK police forces. The programme has the approval of the Association of Chief Police Officers. [http://www.securitypark.co.uk/article.asp?articleid=23698&CategoryID=1]

eries facts

There have been six series of Road Wars. Series six began on Sky1 on Monday 3rd March 2008. Four special episodes have been shown including two American episodes, broadcast in 2005, where British police from the series travel to the U.S. to see the difference in police and criminal behaviour and two Christmas specials shown in 2003 and 2004.

* Series 1 - 6 episodes
* Series 2 - 6 episodes
* Series 3 - 8 episodes
* Series 4 - 8 episodes
* Series 5 - 20 episodes
* Series 6 - 20 episodes
* Series 7 - 20 episodes (due to air 2009)

Other Countries

The Road Wars series has also been sold to these television networks and Television stations:
* RTL Holland
* TV3 in New Zealand
* Seven Network in Australia
* TV Network in Russia
* Fox Reality in America
* TV4 Fakta in Sweden
* MTV3 Fakta in Finland

ee also

* Street Law (also known as Street Wars)
* Police Stop! A police clip show previously shown on Sky One and re-screened on Men and Motors. Widely recognised as the fore-runner to Road Wars.
* Traffic Cops (also known as Car Wars) a police video programme shown on BBC One.
* Police, Camera, Action! a similar programme on ITV.
* Street Crime UK a similar programme shown on Bravo

External links

* [http://www.skyone.co.uk/roadwars Road Wars] at skyone.co.uk (official website)
* [http://www.skyone.co.uk/SKYONEFORUM/ShowForum.aspx?ForumID=91 Road Wars forum] at skyone.co.uk (official website)
* [http://www.rawcut.tv Raw Cut TV website]
* [http://www.road-wars.co.uk Unofficial Fan Site]
* [http://roadwarsforum.proboards62.com/index.cgi Thames Valley Cantina - The Unofficial Forum]