LIFE ON MARS/ASHES TO ASHES ... anyone who's watched these shows... can you help me... tell me all about Viv, the desk sergeant please.

[AitchTwoZone]

and not that the guy playing him used to be in desmonds.

i'm asking because i'm sure a long time ago, i think in alex drake's time, i saw the actor being a senior met officer, if not the actual chief of police. i remember smiling wryly at the time... does anyone else remember this?

Yes, I remember that too, but only vaguely. She knows that in present day he's the first black commissioner or somesuch?

Have you tried wiki? (Am going out now otherwise I'd look it up, not just being lazy, honest)

here you go! here

imdb solves all sorts of problems in our house

I seem to remember a storyline from Sam Tyler's time about a chief of police who he witnesses joining the Met in 1973. Are you mixing that up with Ashes To Ashes?

Here we are- this is what I'm thinking of, but it's not Viv:

Glen Fletcher
Glen Fletcher (Ray Emmet Brown) appears in episode two of the second series as a Detective Constable, as the first black officer in the division he is displayed to suffer racist jokes and bullying from Ray Carling, to which Fletcher responds by agreeing with and making light of the racism. In 2006, Sam Tyler has known Fletcher as his commanding officer and mentor, and encourages Fletcher as a young officer to assert himself and fight racism. He later becomes one of the first black chief police officers and is also the one who promoted Sam to DCI in 2006.

aaaaaaaaaaaaah, yes, i think that's maybe what i'm thinking of... except maybe not. but yes, you've really, really helped, can't thank you enough. i was going to blether about a mistake made by A2A (you'll see soon enough) if i could prove myself right, but now i won't. cheers, thanks.

I remember now - it was Sam, and I have a sieve-brain.

Have also lost all respect for the actor playing Viv now I've discovered that he spells his name Geff.