Episode guide

Published: Monday, 18 June 2007, 1:01PM

Here are 10 of the best Cracker episodes:

Cracker Special, 2006

Fitz and his wife are back in Britain after 10 years in Australia. But their brief visit for their daughter’s wedding sees Fitz rediscovering old passions and keen to prove that he’s still got what it takes. The lure of a murder investigation proves irresistible, and he joins forces with a new police boss to try to crack the killing of an American comedian. Fitz is soon on the trail of a troubled ex-soldier, who, like him, is trapped in the past.

 Lucky White Ghost, 1996

Hong Kong is the setting for this explosive two-hour Cracker special, which finds Fitz investigating the colony's first serial murders. The local police are looking into the apparently motiveless murder of a businessman. Getting nowhere and requiring a quick result, they call in Fitz to help. While working in a foreign location, in a different culture, with detectives not used to serial murder, Fitz is confronted with yet another murder. With time running out, Fitz is convinced that a western ex-patriot is behind the slayings, but can he make the connection in time?

True Romance, 1995

Fitz takes some teaching work at a university where he begins receiving love letters. Janice, a lab technician, is the writer of the letters and in her depression over her lack of attention from her family, begins murdering male students she has lured to her room. The police want to take Fitz off the case as they understand that the murderer is writing to, and killing, for him.

The police call in Fitz to investigate the murder of a prostitute. An arrest is made and the main suspect, David Harvey, is brought in for interrogation. However, when an identical murder takes place, the team has to consider whether they have the wrong man or a copycat killing.

The Big Crunch, 1994

Schoolgirl Joanna Barnes, a member of a religious cult, is having an affair with the married leader of the group, Kenneth Trant. When confronted about it, he and the other leaders abduct her, and the police reluctantly call in Fitz to help find her. Trant's wife and sister murder the girl when they find out that she is pregnant by him.

Floyd is a serial rapist who revels in his crimes. While investigating the cases, DS Penhaligon is raped, which inevitably changes her relationship with Fitz. And when his wife returns, his life is thrown into more chaos. The police finally catch Floyd and Fitz almost makes a breakthrough, but the suspect is released due to lack of evidence. Floyd's audacity grows as he phones Fitz on his radio show asking how the rapist should cover his tracks. Fitz's response has fatal consequences for the next victim.

This three-part special stars Robert Carlyle as Albie Kinsella who is disturbed by the death of his father. He kills an Asian newsagent and, with all the hallmarks of a racist attack, the police fail to make any headway. Are they looking for the wrong type of killer? Meanwhile, Fitz is trying to put some order into his personal life, but after sorting out his differences with DCI Bilborough (Chris Eccleston), is it still too late to save another life? Albie is intent on killing the same number of victims as died in the Hillsborough disaster, and he targets a freelance female reporter. DS Beck stumbles upon him, but with tragic misjudgment, Albie escapes only to stab DCI Bilborough to death. See this famous episode in our picture gallery.

Problems between Fitz and his wife Judith continue. Fitz is arrested for breach of the peace outside his in-laws' house and is taken to the station, where he meets Sean and his partner Tina. After stealing a car, the pair embark on a spree of violence and murder DS Briggs. After a visit with his wife to see her counsellor, Graham, Fitz turns down DS Penhaligon's offer of a bed for the night and soon finds himself approached by Tina who asks him to accompany her to her flat. But only time will tell if Fitz is in control of the situation.

A 14-year-old boy, Tim, is found hanging from a tree - murder or suicide? Fitz finds out from the boy's brother that Tim was gay and with the main suspect being Tim's teacher, Cassidy, DS Beck and Fitz embark on extracting a confession. But is it real or are they just responding to the demands of DCI Bilborough and the public?

The debut Cracker episode began after the break-up of his home life. Fitz discovers that a young woman he knew has been murdered. A blood-splattered man is found beside the railway tracks and becomes the prime suspect. On recovering consciousness, he claims complete memory loss. After several attempts by the police to break his story, Fitz is finally brought in to assist - and begins to unscramble the horrifying roots of the man's amnesia.