Rockliffe's Babies(1987)

Rockliffe's Babies is a British police procedural following maverick Detective Sergeant Alan Rockliffe as he trains seven raw CID recruits fresh out of uniform. Under his gruff, unpredictable guidance, the young officers navigate their first cases—though Rockliffe's own flawed judgment often undermines the lessons he's meant to teach. The series balances crime investigation with character-driven comedy, as the seasoned detective and his inexperienced charges learn from each other's mistakes. Ian Hogg anchors the ensemble cast, whose chemistry became central to the show's appeal. A follow-up series, Rockliffe's Folly, relocated the detective to rural Wessex, but the shift in formula contributed to declining ratings. The third series, shortened to seven episodes, proved to be the last, with audiences crediting the original's success more to the ensemble dynamic than to Rockliffe himself.