The 1949 film “The blue lamp” ends with Tom Riley, a small time thug, being arrested at White City Dog Stadium, for the murder of PC George Dixon. “The black and blue lamp” continues the story, taking Riley, handcuffed in the back of a Black Maria, to Paddington Green Police Station. Riley and PC Taffy Hughes are left alone in the interrogation room, awaiting the arrival of Superintendent Cherry and Inspector Drury. Impossibly, the simultaneous occurrence of two events – the closing of the door and the striking of a match – transports them out of the 1949 and into 1988 Police Station. But this is not a real Police Station. For Riley and Taffy have been lifted out of an early British Police melodrama into a modern day Police series. A series where ethics, morality and dramatic license are severely different. Riley’s naive 1940’s perception of the “bogies” are pitted against the unrestrained cynicism of a gritty, docu-drama interrogation. His street credibility is almost forty years out of date. To Riley, the “Old Bill” means nothing more than a 10 shilling note. Taffy blames the changes he witnesses around him upon hallucinations, caused by a severe blow he received to his head. This unleashes a latent violence in him which he channels into a maniacal quest to avenge George Dixon’s death. Meanwhile, Inspector Hammond has more than just a rabid Welshman to deal with. There are two dead bodies lying in the Police cell. One is a fat boy, chosen to be the one who “tried to escape” that month. The other is the elderly Bromley, Tom Riley’s solicitor, who has hung himself with a scarf that was used to secure him to a chair. Hammond is relieved that he has only four more years to his retirement. Taffy has raided the armory cupboard and is stalking the Police Station in search of Riley. In the end, Riley redeems himself by coming forward to face Taffy. Cherry and Drury manage to square it with the Commissioner and clean up the night’s work by returning the gun to Taffy who remove any unwanted witnesses. Only one thing remains, whatever happened to the present day versions of Tom riley and Taffy Hughes...?