Hazell

Hazell is a name of British origin, and may refer to:

People

Surname

First name

Fiction

See also

Hazell (TV series)

Hazell is a British television series that ran from 1978–1979, about a fictional private detective named James Hazell.

Overview

James Hazell was a cockney private detective character created by journalist and novelist Gordon Williams and footballer-turned-manager Terry Venables, who wrote under the joint pseudonym of P.B.Yuill. The first book, The Bornless Keeper, appeared in 1974, quickly followed by Hazell plays Solomon the same year.

"Hazell plays Solomon" was the first episode of the TV series. The wise-cracking private detective was played by Nicholas Ball. Hazell was a smart parody of earlier film-noir detectives such as Philip Marlowe or Sam Spade, the casting of Ball in the title role made for a younger TV Hazell than the printed Hazell.

A Thames Television Network Production, Hazell ran for 22 one-hour-long episodes (50 minutes without adverts). Its theme music was composed by Andy Mackay; the end credits incorporated the theme music with added lyrics, written by Judy Forrest and sung by Maggie Bell. An academic work, Hazell: The Making of a TV Series by Manuel Alvarado and Edward Buscombe (BFI Publishing) appeared in March 1978.