Nice Guy Eddie is a British television detective drama series, created by Elliot Hope and Johanne McAndrew, and principally written by the latter, which was first broadcast on BBC1 on 14 June 2001.
Later commissioned into a six-part series, Nice Guy Eddie follows the exploit of a Liverpool-based bumbling private detective, Eddie McMullen, played by Ricky Tomlinson, whose life is turned upside down by the arrival of Frank Bennett (Tom Ellis), who turns up on his doorstep claiming to be his son. McMullen unwittingly takes the boy under his wing as a sidekick-cum-stooge, as the story of his true parentage plays out across the series.
Notably, the role of McMullen was written specifically for Tomlinson. For the series, a real life private investigator based in Liverpool, Tony Smith, acted as a script consultant, to ensure the stories were as true to life as possible.
Despite attracting moderate ratings, only seven episodes (including the pilot) were produced; subsequently, the BBC decided against recommissioning the show for a second series. Since initial broadcast, the series has not been repeated or released on any form of home media.
The series was shot on location in Liverpool in the autumn of 2001. Tomlinson said of the role; "Eddie's got a big heart, and although as a private detective he's not involved in the glamorous side of the business, he treats every case with respect. He's always getting personally involved in his cases and just wants everyone to be happy. But for all his niceness, he's not against bending the rules if it brings about the right conclusion. There is certainly a mischievous side to him, and he'll bluff his way out of a tight spot."