The Professionals (TV series) playing a one-dimensional character in a one-dimensional show. Several years after the series ended London Weekend Television was contractually obliged to re-negotiate repeat fees with the lead actors. Unwilling to accede to Martin Shaw's demands, plans for further repeat screenings on the UK's ITV network had to be withdrawn, leading to Lewis Collins expressing his anger towards Shaw in an interview for the British press. However, Shaw eventually agreed to UK satellite screenings, although according to a "Radio Times" interview only after being discreetly made aware that Gordon Jackson's widow, actress Rona Anderson (who guested in "Cry Wolf"), was suffering
John Cowley (actor) Laurence Olivier seeking a position at the Old Vic; however, Olivier politely declined. In 1964, Cowley was chosen to play the part of Tom Riordan in RTÉ's new series, "The Riordans". His performance won him a Jacob's Award in 1967 and he continued in the cast until the series ended in 1979. Tom Hickey, who played Tom Riordan's son, Benjy, described Cowley as the "central rock of "The Riordans"" and "the father of the whole enterprise". Following "The Riordans", Cowley returned to the stage and continued acting up to the end of his life. At the time of his death,