No Hiding Place

Synopsis

No Hiding Place is a classic British police procedural that first aired in 1959 and ran through the 1960s. The series follows Detective Superintendent Tom Lockhart and his CID team as they investigate a steady stream of crimes — from theft and fraud to more serious, methodical investigations — delivered in self-contained episodes that emphasize police procedure, interrogation and the gradual piecing together of evidence. Rooted in the postwar realism of British television drama, the show became known for its steady, workmanlike tone and attention to procedural detail rather than flashy theatrics. Raymond Francis is best known for playing Lockhart, and the series also features many familiar faces from British television of the era, including early appearances by actors such as Johnny Briggs in guest roles. No Hiding Place helped establish patterns and character types that would influence later UK crime dramas, and its long run made it a staple of ITV schedules in its day. The series is dated in production values and pacing by modern standards, but remains of interest to fans of vintage British television and the early development of the TV police procedural.

Cast

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  Johnny Briggs

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  Sean Caffrey

Reviews

Critical reception for No Hiding Place has generally been framed by its historical importance rather than by extensive modern aggregator scores. IMDb records a user rating of 7.7/10, reflecting steady appreciation from viewers who follow classic British television. Major modern aggregators such as Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic do not list a contemporary Tomatometer or Metascore for the original 1959–1967 series, so contemporary critical consensus must be drawn from archived reviews and retrospective commentary.

Contemporary and retrospective appraisals commonly praise the series for its role in shaping the British police procedural: reviewers note the program’s focus on methodical investigation, strong central performance from Raymond Francis as Lockhart, and the show’s longevity on ITV. Positive notices highlight the show’s disciplined approach to storytelling and the way it foregrounded investigative technique over melodrama. Critics also point to the show's stable supporting cast and frequent guest turns from actors who later became well known.

Criticisms are frequent in modern reappraisals: many reviewers find the series’ pacing slow and its production values clearly of its era, making some episodes feel dated to contemporary audiences. The episodic, case-of-the-week format can sometimes produce formulaic plots, and viewers used to modern crime dramas may miss deeper serialized character arcs.

Summing up: as one archival description puts it, “No Hiding Place is a British television series…that ran from 1959 to 1967,” a succinct reminder of the show’s era and significance. For viewers interested in television history and the evolution of UK policing drama, the series is well regarded; for those seeking modern pacing and production, it can feel old-fashioned. IMDb: 7.7/10 is a useful current indicator of steady audience regard, while lack of Rotten Tomatoes or Metacritic scores underlines that most evaluation today is retrospective.

See also

The Real Housewives of Orange County

Cooking Crush

The Ex-Morning

Because of Love