 Hazell was a smart parody of earlier film-noir detectives such as Philip Marlowe or Sam Spade, the casting of Ball in the title role made for a younger TV Hazell than the printed Hazell.A Thames Television Network Production, "Hazell" ran for 22 one-hour-long episodes (50 minutes without adverts).Its theme music was composed by Andy Mackay; the end credits incorporated the theme music with added lyrics, written by Judy Forrest and sung by Maggie Bell.