Cop trap

' Série Noire' i a crime fiction series produced by Hamster Productions (Paris) in collaboration with the French Television company TF 1 and Television Suisse Romande (TSR). It was conceived as an attempt to bring new life into French series of this type which, to date, heve been all- too-often anchored in the past. The series is characterised by fat, high-profile action and sick humour. For one of the episodes that it produced. TSR called on the services of a young director who, in accepting the assignment, was to make his television film debut with Cop Trap. The result i a film full of sex and violence that ha found particular favour with teenage viewers. This film poses questions about the 'rules' governing sex and violence in public television programmes. The viewer may well wonder, moreover, what form of censorship the producer could or should impose if- as is the case here- the director apparently refuses to exercie self-restraint . The film also raises questions as to authority that the Head of Programmes might feel obliged to exert if - as is also the case here- the producer demonstrates similar reluctance to comply with any self- censorship ethic.