In the pilot episode, Dempsey and Makepeace started out as equals. But as the series has gone on, it's regressed more and more to the traditional 80s (and before) mindset where only the man can do the big action pieces and kill the bad guys, while the woman is there to cover for his maverick actions, console him when he's down, and be the object of his sexist put downs and sexual advances.
I've seen the same thing in other shows of the era that I've been recently watching. I have a suspicion that some of them initially attempted to be more progressive in the area of sexual equality but were forced to abandon the idea because the audiences simply wouldn't accept it. They were too addicted to their Clark Gable & Co memories of the mighty man saving the helpless woman who would then swoon into his bed - no feminists need apply.
Obviously, as we all know, that was the norm back then. But it's a real shame to see another show that initially seemed to try to buck the trend so quickly jump over into the chauvinistic mainstream. And please don't bother with "But Michael and Glynis got married in real life!" People with no better defence invariably come out with that 'bombshell' revelation anytime someone dares to mention the sexism in this series, as if the relationship between the actors had anything to do with the scripts they were given to act out before the camera.
Okay. Now that I've got that off my chest, I may surprise you by saying that I am, nonetheless, still mostly enjoying Dempsey and Makepeace. I remember that I watched quite a few - maybe most - of the episodes as a child, but I'd forgotten everything about them apart from that there was a silly amount of gunplay for an England-set series and that Glynis Barber was beautiful. Watching it now is a real nostalgia trip, especially because I've since been to (and sometimes worked at or near to) a fair number of the locations shown.
Apart from the nowadays-sackable-offence sexism, Brandon's very cool as the typical tough New York cop. Barber's even cooler as the unflappable aristocrat (according to British TV, our police force contains an inordinate amount of members of the peerage.) And Ray Smith is fantastic as the no-nonsense boss - a real throwback to Dobey from Starsky & Hutch and Cowley from The Professionals. In this particular episode, Nick Brimble is also exceptionally good, with an amazingly menacing physical presence. Although I couldn't help but think of him as Robert Z'dar's weak-chinned little brother!
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