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The Vice

TV·1999–2003·5 seasons, 28 episodes·ITV1·Crime, Drama·1h 30m·Created by Rob Pursey, Barry Simner

Streaming on (US) Amazon Prime VideoBritbox Apple TV Channel Shout! Factory Amazon ChannelSee all

The Vice is an ITV police drama about the Metropolitan Police Vice Unit. Spanning five short series from 1999 and 2003, it follows the London Metropolitan police force's vice squad, where prostitution, underage sex, and such organised crime are regular occurrences. Most episodes end where the main villain is caught but often not in a 'naturally' concluded way expected from other TV dramas, and often ending with more unanswered questions than answered. Leader DI Pat Chappel struggles to manage the balance between his private and professional lives — as do the rest of the team. Working in the seedy underworld leads to a continual dilemma — the tension between the Vice Squad and vice-related crimes runs throughout the series and gives the show a rich viewing experience. The line of the team staying on the right side of the law is often blurred, as almost every member at different points submits briefly or permanently to the dubious temptations, sometimes with drastic consequences.

Cast

Episodes by season

Season016Episodes1999AiredSeason avg
  1. S01E01Daughters (1)January 4, 1999DI Pat Chappel finds himself involved in a turf war between two rival pimps when he investigates the murder of a prostitute. Whilst gatherin
  2. S01E02Daughters (2)January 11, 1999Chappel resolves to help Nikki after she refuses to give a statement to the police, and gets personally involved trying to protect her from
  3. S01E03Sons (1)January 18, 1999WPC Cheryl Hutchins takes on more than she can handle while undercover, when she discovers that a nightclub boss has a side hustle in S&M fi
  4. S01E04Sons (2)January 25, 1999Hutchins is making slow progress in her bid to find the young boy involved in a porn film, but believes his parents are hiding important inf
  5. S01E05Dabbling (1)February 1, 1999Tasked with investigating an escort agency who are providing a sideline in drugs trafficking and prostitution to their more than satisfied c
  6. S01E06Dabbling (2)February 8, 1999When Raymond falls hopelessly in love, he attempts to woo the one particular girl into a real relationship, instead of a business arrangemen

Season 1 ranked & reviewed

Season028Episodes2000AiredSeason avg
  1. S02E01Home Is the Place (1)January 10, 2000When Chappel finds a young girl prostituting in Soho, he attempts to uncover her identity, learning that she absconded from a children's hom
  2. S02E02Home Is the Place (2)January 17, 2000A huge web of lies and deceit covering up a dangerous child abuse ring is discovered to be limited not only to those now living in the child
  3. S02E03Walking on Water (1)January 24, 2000Tasked with investigating an illegal gambling and prostitution ring operating out of a pub, Chappel and Hutchins posing as thrillseekers. Ho
  4. S02E04Walking on Water (2)January 31, 2000Chappel begins to use Raymond's connections as a means of gathering evidence, but when Dougie's level of enthusiasm – and hope that his effo
  5. S02E05Betrayed (1)February 7, 2000When the team raid a brothel operating as a massage parlour, they discover that the young female employees have been smuggled into the count
  6. S02E06Betrayed (2)February 14, 2000Chappel assigns Joe Robinson to the case, unaware that the girl is actually harbouring feelings for Robinson. When his wife Shirley becomes
  7. S02E07Lovesick (1)February 21, 2000Robinson and Hutchins are on a stakeout, watching a violent pimp suspected of attacking one of his girls. When the pimp confronts him, Robin
  8. S02E08Lovesick (2)February 28, 2000With Robinson's increasing aggression and temperament, it seems to paint him the prime suspect. However, Chappel believes otherwise and sets

Season 2 ranked & reviewed

Season034Episodes2001AiredSeason avg
  1. S03E01Out of MindJanuary 17, 2001Chappel's former boss Frank Vickers is found lurking in the basement during a raid on a Soho brothel, and the team learn that Chappel has a
  2. S03E02Into the NightJanuary 24, 2001Attending the trial of a prostitute accused of murdering her pimp, Chappel tries a little gentle persuasion in an attempt to get the prosecu
  3. S03E03Force of NatureJanuary 31, 2001Chappel goes undercover in a prison for sex offenders in order to flush out the ringleaders of a prostitution racket, which involves both th
  4. S03E04FallingFebruary 7, 2001Chappel hopes to resume his relationship with Jane despite her descent into prostitution, but his plans are threatened when Vickers begins s

Season 3 ranked & reviewed

Season043Episodes2002AiredSeason avg
  1. S04E01TradeFebruary 18, 2002When prostitutes are murdered in the financial heart of London, Chappel reaches out to working girl Sandra, warning her to stay away from th
  2. S04E02No Man's LandFebruary 25, 2002Chappel is delighted when retired prostitute Clara comes forward and offers to give evidence against Keith Beaumont, a former porn baron who
  3. S04E03One More TimeMarch 11, 2002Chappel goes undercover as an insurance-broking lodger to investigate a suspected porn merchant, who makes a sideline in dirty movies whilst

Season 4 ranked & reviewed

Season057Episodes2003AiredSeason avg
  1. S05E01HookedMay 26, 2003Disgraced Chappel has been transferred to a desk job following the events of the operation into the paedophile ring, and Vickers has been dr
  2. S05E02ControlMay 27, 2003Following Vickers' promotion to Chief Inspector, Robinson makes a welcome return to Vice, and on his first day back, he becomes determined t
  3. S05E03GameboysJune 3, 2003The team investigate an amusement arcade manager suspected of recruiting young runaways as rent boys, and PC Adam Parkes is sent undercover
  4. S05E04UntouchableJune 10, 2003The licence of a pole-dancing club is up for renewal, and Robinson is determined to bring down the manageress, who is thought to be running
  5. S05E05OutcastJune 17, 2003Robinson and Morgan are called to the scene of a prostitute found dead in a skip, only to discover that the Serious Crime Group have taken o
  6. S05E06BirdhouseJune 24, 2003While Vickers and Morgan are away from the office on an official home office jaunt, Parkes and Cole go undercover in a club in an attempt to
  7. S05E07LustJuly 1, 2003Robinson and Cole are trailing a suspect whom they discover has involvement with a major drugs and prostitution racket, but are shocked when

Season 5 ranked & reviewed

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