Detectives on the Edge of a Nervous Breakdown

The film opens on the crass studio set of a fictional 1990s TV show, The Gourmet Detective. The lead character is murdered on set, launching the investigation and establishing the satirical tone of the film.

The police commander expresses exasperation at Detective Dave Spanker's unproductive nostalgia and lack of real leads. He decides to bring in detectives from the 1970s to reframe the case and search for a more theatrical culprit.

Cheesecloth and the footprint of a 1970s platform shoe are found at the crime scene, hinting at clues from a bygone era. This discovery nudges the investigation toward era-specific tropes and the return of older detectives.

Bonehead, Foyle, and George are introduced as the 1970s-style detectives brought in to help. The commander insists that Bentley’s methods—no guns, no fast cars, no shouting—be used for the remainder of the inquiry.

Jason Bentley is added to the team and immediately imposes his restrained approach. The detectives are driven to a random country house, where they drink claret, smoke cigarettes, and fail to make progress.

The commander delivers a dressing-down, noting that with the TV-cop-killer still at large, the production of various 1990s detective shows is under threat. He underscores the writers' anti-mainstream message and the risk to the industry.

With a 48-hour deadline approved, Bonehead, Foyle, and George press on with their own style and head to an East End drinking den. Bentley asks to review the original lab reports as the team begins its charge.

In the pub, George seeks his informant while Bonehead and Foyle celebrate with Babychams and cause a ruckus in the rest room. Bentley delivers the breakthrough by showing that the forensic results tie the shoes to Newcastle upon Tyne.

The forensic report confirms the shoes were bought in Newcastle upon Tyne and Spanker confesses that pressure to boost ratings pushed him to murder. He makes his escape just as the truth comes to light.

A 1970s-style high-speed car chase erupts, mostly around a large yard where cars circle in frantic loops. The pursuit then shifts to foot through the streets toward London Docklands.

Bonehead and Foyle, in a nod to their era, remove their trousers during the final confrontation and lament the Docklands redevelopment. They navigate the area in a taut, theatrical chase after Spanker.

George tries to coax Spanker into surrender, while Spanker complains about the realism of modern TV and misses the thrill of 1970s chases. At the last moment, Bentley appears to capture Spanker effortlessly.

George sentences Spanker to a TV-themed punishment: his hair is cut and he becomes a faceless officer who will appear as a regular on The Bill. The decision reframes his fate as a fitting nod to television lore.

The remaining team toasts to the Seventies, celebrating the unlikely alliance that solved the case. The film closes on an upbeat note with drinks and a nod to nostalgic television.