Category Archives: UK Television Series

Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans TPC / ITC 1957

UK Television Series, USA Television Series

This was a Television Programmes of America series for which Sir Lew grade’s ITC (ITPC as it was at the time) company partly funded and handled the distribution of. Produced in 1957, It starred John Hart as Nat Cutler AKA Hawkeye, and Lon Chaney Jr as Chingachgook. 39 episodes were produced, and it was based loosely on the 1826 novel by James Fenimore Cooper The Last of the Mohicans. The series filmed in Canada was set in the Hudson Valley, New York. More realistic in its portrayal of 1750’s America In comparison to other western-type series filmed during this period. All UK produced items for this series are copyrighted to Television Products Ltd, while in the USA the copyright details indicated Television Programs of America or TPA.

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Other items known to exist but not yet in the collection include.

A jigsaw puzzle produced by Bell toys.

Bell games produced Board Game

Morestone toys in the UK produced several Hawkeye Toys including a Covered wagon and a Stage Coach, both items had been existing models in their range, but were adapted and put out in Hawkeye themed boxes. Morestone also produced plastic 54mm high figures of Hawkeye and Chingachgook which were sold as a pair on a backing card with plinth.

Adam Adamant Lives! BBC TV 1966-7

UK Television Series, ,

The basic premise of this series is that of an Edwardian gentleman and adventurer (Adam Adamant), who had been entombed in a block of ice by his arch-enemy “The Face” in 1902. Upon his discovery in the present (1966), he is revived, enabling him to continue his adventuring. Finding his vast fortune still intact, he buys a penthouse overlooking the Thames. This he refurbishes with furniture from his own period. His only concession to the present day, is a Mini Cooper S, with the appropriate numberplate AA1000. This is housed in an underground garage, which has a private lift to his penthouse. Accompanied by his young companion Georgina Jones and with his ever-useful swordstick at his side, he embarks upon further adventures.

The character of Adam Adamant was played with great style, by Gerald Harper, while his youthful companion was Juliet Harmer. Of the other regulars, the part of Adam’s butler, Simms, was taken by Jack May, whose character spent much of the time quoting appropriate limericks to Adam. These quotes were especially written by Dick Vosburgh. Adam Adamant Lives !, was first broadcast on BBC 1, (First episode 22nd June 1966) usually on Saturdays at 9 p.m., in mid – 1966.

Two seasons were made, with 29 episodes in total. During it’s run it came close to toppling “The Avengers” crown, but although  Adam Adamant was popular, it was  never  re-commissioned, and thus finished. Interestingly this series was produced by Verity Lambert whose best-known contribution to television, was as the first producer of Doctor Who. Very few items were released in connection with the series.

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Known to exist but currently not in the collection is a Georgia Jones 12″ doll by Linda toys.

Sherlock BBC TV 2010 –

UK Television Series

Modern updating and retelling of the classic Sherlock Holmes stories.

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Biggles – Grenada TV 1960

UK Television Series

Very short-lived TV series following the adventures of Sgt James Bigglesworth of the Special Air police, known to all as Biggles. 

The series was based on the Biggles adventures written by Capt W E Johns, and ran for 44 black and white half-hour episodes during 1960. Biggles was played by Neville Whiting and he was supported in his endeavors by John Leyton as Ginger and David Drummond as Bertie. The main adversary for Biggles throughout the series was Von Stalhein played by Carl Duering.

Each of the episodes supposedly featured a real instances of flying. Director Matthew Boddy had also apparently decided that all of the actors should have flying lessons. Indeed the actor David Drummond told of one such lesson,  David had taken the second pilots seat during the lesson with John Leyton in the rear, when it came for David to take over the controls from the instructor, he was instructed “Don’t go up.” but he did if fact go up, so sharply in fact that upon landing John was green as due to the sharpness of the climb he had thought they were going to loop the loop.

Now in the original Biggles books there was a fourth member of the team Algy, this character did not however make it into the series as early on, as according to David Drummond, there were discussions and budget did not stretch to a fourth team member, the roles of Bertie and Algy were there for combined.

The series ran from the 1st of April 1960 until 12th October 1960, and the 44 episodes consisted of 11 multi-part stories, which appear from the titles to have been adapted from several of the original Biggles books. “Biggles flies North”, “Biggles Follows On”, Biggles takes Charge” etc.  

By all accounts the series was aimed at a younger audience, with each episode containing plenty of action and excitement, each episode also apparently ended with a cliff hanger inviting the viewer to tune in the following week.   

During the run of the series, the youngest cast member, John Leyton, had received a lot of fan mail, and it was suggested to Leyton that he might try his luck as a pop singer because he had the looks. Chart success came very quickly with his second single “Johnny, Remember Me”, becoming a huge hit.

Several big names appeared in the series in supporting roles among them Oliver Reed and Terrence Alexander. Reed playing Gus Norman in the first story “Biggles on the Home Front”. While Dad’s Army regular John Laurie appeared in the adventure “Biggles Flies North”. 

The series was written by Tony Warren who would go onto create Coronation Street, whilst the series composer, Tony Spier, would also write the theme music for that later series.

Sadly not much other information is available about this series and a planned DVD release by Network was canceled due to a possible new version being in the early stages of pre-production. 

Only items known to be relating to the Grenada TV series are included here.

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On The Buses 1969-73 LWT

UK Television Series

” I hate you Butler !”
This catchphrase used by Stephen Lewis’s Inspector Blake could equally have been used by this sitcoms many critics who lamented the comedy adventures of its hero bus driver Stan Butler, played by Reg` Varney. However the viewing public loved the show, which got excellent ratings. Commissioned by Frank Muir, it was the creation of Ronald Wolfe and Ronald Chesney. If the writing failed to impress, the cast featured many popular stalwarts of British Television. In addition to Varney and Lewis there were Anna Karen, as Stan`s Sister Olive and and Micheal Robbins, as her Husband Arthur. Stan`s conductor was Jack Harper, a stereo typical “Jack the lad” character, who was played Bob Grant. The role of Stan and Olive`s Mother Mabel, was taken initially by Cicely Courtneidge, but was replaced by Doris Hare after the first season. The program seems to have lost much of its audience appeal in the last season with the departure of Micheal Robbins and Reg` Varney. “On The Buses” without its central character was a strange concept. How could a show that was all about a Bus Driver and his relationships with his family and work mates continue without that Bus Driver ? The answer seems to have been that it could not. Season 7 was to be the last.

Whatever its merits as comedy “On The Buses” holds considerable interest as cultural history. It depicts an English Working Class way of life which no longer exists. Much of the humour comes from the attempts of Stan` and Jack to bed their female colleges at the fictional Luxton and District Bus Company. The characters and there attitudes were of the time and many would be unlikely to find acceptance on television today.

Equally typical of the times was the ITV Colour Strike which meant that 7 episodes of season 3 had to be made in black and white.

It was perhaps fitting that Hammer Films produced 3 “On The Buses” movies. Hammer had a long history of radio and television spin-offs and their “On The Buses” ones did very good box office: On the Buses (1971), has Stan` and Jack resisting the feminisation of labour by sabotaging the Bus Company`s attempts to employ female drivers. Still a controversial mater in 1971. “Mutiny On The Buses”(1972) again featured Stan` and Jack trying to oppose the Bus Company`s modernisation plans. This time it is the introduction of radio control that they are trying to sabotage. “Holiday on the Buses” (1973) begins with Stan`, Jack, and Inspector Blake all being dismissed from the Bus Company. All three get new jobs at Pontins holiday camp in Prestatyn, North Wales. Stan` and Jack running the camp bus and “Old Blakie” as head of security. The film involves a slapstick sequence of Stan`s Sister Olive and her Husband Arthur going on Holiday on a motorcycle and a romance between Stan`s Mother and Irish widower Bert Thomson. Thomson was played by Wilfrid Bramble and the character is very reminiscent of the one hat he played in the Beatles film “A Hard Days Night.”
In 1974, a year after the demise of the original program, LWT produced a short lived spin off series featuring Inspector Blake. Entitled “Don’t Drink The Water” , the show featured Blakey retiring to Spain with his Sister. The show ran to a second season in 1975.

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Life on Mars 2006-2007 BBC

UK Television Series

Back in 2006-7 Britain was captivated on a level perhaps not seen since we all asked “Who is No1?” a few decades earlier! Sam Tyler (John Simm) a Manchester Detective Chief  Inspector, had an accident and woke up in 1973. Just what had happened? From being a modern day DCI, Sam finds himself in 1973, a DI and surrounded with some serious characters. First his DCI, Gene Hunt (Played by Philip Glenister) by comparison makes the Sweeney’s Jack Regan look like Lord Longford, Ray Carling (Dean Andrews) is a hard man, who at the start of the series comes over as slightly thuggish. , and Chris Skelton (Marshall Lancaster) is the amiable, slightly nerdy young DC who isn’t the brightest bulb! Then there is Annie…….. Annie Cartwright (Liz White) who takes Sam under her wing, and clearly adores him despite thinking him a little crazy (well he is always going on about being from the future).

I won’t spoil the ending but perhaps in the light of what we know now Sam was perhaps ill advised in who he turned to for help… “Fix it for me JIM)!!!!!

The series was remade for the American market with Harvey Keitel as Gene Hunt. A follow on – spin off “Ashes to Ashes” took Gene, Ray and Chris to London in the early 1980s and ran for three series with Keeley Hawes as DI Alex Drake.

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Professionals, 1977 – 1983 The Avengers Mark 1 productions / LWT

UK Television Series

Created by Avengers supremo Brian Clemens and produced by his production company Avengers Mark 1 productions, this series saw the creation of CI5 (Criminal Intelligence 5) a sort of Police Secret Service, almost a British equivalent of the FBI by nature. Under the leadership of George Cowley (Gordon Jackson) we follow the departments star agents Bodie and Doyle (Lewis Collins and Martin Shaw). Cowley an ex MI5 administrator had formed the unit to combat the increasing threat of terrorism within the UK. Not afraid to use violence against violence .

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Public Eye 1965 – 75 ABC/Thames

UK Television Series

Public Eye followed the adventures of Frank Marker, a down at heel Private Eye, based in London, Birmingham, Brighton, Windsor and finally Chertsey. Marker was a man who could be summed up in negatives. He wasn’t rich, he wasn’t exciting, he didn’t get the girls, he wasn’t intended to be dashing, he didn’t have an exciting job and when he did end up in a conflict he invariably came off the worse for it. What Marker was, however, was a great lynch pin around which the characters central to the story would revolve. He was a decent man who lacked luck, he was a loner who ended up making friendships with Mrs Mortimer (Pauline Delaney) and Detective Inspector Percy Firbank (Ray Smith who later went on to play Spikings in Dempsey & Makepeace), these friendships were very much on Markers’s terms only and he did test these sometimes!

The series was first produced by ATV and relatively little of this remains in the archive. Thames took over in 1969 and the series moved to Brighton, this series deals with Marker’s time getting his life back on track after serving a prison sentence (Marker of course conned by a client and left to carry the can). The Brighton series also saw the production of the first “Colour” episode, which was never broadcast in that format, but was made to test Thames’ new colour equipment. This was “A Fixed Address”.

In 1971 the show moved to Windsor for the fifth series and was the introduction of Percy Firbank. This saw the series move to Colour (Though the 1971 series saw a mix of Colour & B&W). Perhaps the most remarkable Episode of the Windsor shows was “The Man Who Said Sorry”, now baring in mind these episodes were made to fill a 1 Hour slot on the ITV network (about 50 mins plus adverts) it makes it all the more remarkable that this episode, probably the strongest episode of the whole series was for the most part a two hander, based in Marker’s office with Paul Rogers playing the part of the hapless bitter divorcee Clemens.

It is not unusual for Marker to take on a case to find himself helping the person he was hired to find, or for Marker to find himself on the receiving end of a crooked client particularly when a crooked solicitor caused him to serve time in prison (Cross That Palm When I Come to It). Indeed in “Lifer” he is hired to find a man’s runaway wife’s lover, only to find the man is Brian Stafford who in fact has just been released from prison for killing Marker’s client’s daughter. Despite what he has done it is difficult not to feel some sympathy for Stafford, who is a completely broken man, tortured by what he has done and haunted by the memory of his victim.

Public Eye ran until 1975. Alfred Burke had decided not to continue as the series was due to be made by Euston Films (of The Sweeney fame) and Burke felt that the faster paced, film shot, more action packed style of Euston would not work with the low key feel of Frank Marker.

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Timeslip 1970-1971 ATV

UK Television Series

Twenty six episode childrens adventure series devised by Ruth and James Boswell.

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Human Jungle, The. ABCTV 1963 – 1965

UK Television Series

Series following Dr Roger Corder a psychiatrist played by Herbert Lom, as he tries to help his patients through their various emotional and mental breakdowns. Whilst good at solving other peoples problems he is often unable to solve his own, particularly his relationship with his daughter Jennifer played by Sally Smith.

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Hadleigh Yorkshire TV 1969-76

UK Television Series

A spin off series from Gazette (Yorkshire TV 1968) it revolved around James Hadleigh (Gerald Harper) , a dashing handsome young(ish) landowner whose exploits around his Yorkshire estate kept us entertained from 1969 to 1976.

Suave , sophisticated and very charming, James Hadleigh seemed to have it all, and more.

Series One sees him engaged to young and ambitious journalist Susan Jackson (Gillian Wray) Series Two sees Hadleigh befriend divorced mother Anne Hepton (Jane Merrow) the episode “A Letter to David” sees a rather cruel parody of highly respected educational theorist A.S. Neill (who was still alive at the time), played by Richard Pearson.

Series Three sees Hadleigh fall in love and marry Jennifer Caldwell (Hilary Dwyer) a slightly fiery young lady of independent means. She brings conflict to the Hadleigh household and in particular with Butler Sutton. Commentaries on the DVD Episodes and the Documentary “The Lonely Man On The Hill” suggest that Dwyer was somewhat fiery and all was not peace and love between the co stars.

Series Four sees James Hadleigh fighting for his financial life. The 1975 Stock market crash leaves him broke and he tries everything to survive. This series was seen as the best by many and the female main character is Jenny Twigge – Goddaughter to the soon to be divorced Hadleigh  (Hilary Dwyer did not return for Series Four) . Despite its merits, series four lost the feeling of escapism, you tuned in to get away from stories of financial woes only to find them in place of said escapism.

Still this was good old school drama. One of Yorkshire TV’s finest.

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Department S ITC 1969-70

UK Television Series

A team of highly specialist unusual investigators, working as an offshoot department of Interpol, solve the mysteries nobody else can. This is the series that saw us first introduced to the international bestselling author, Jason King, who as the principle investigator looks at each case as if it’s the plot from one of his novels A flamboyant character played by Peter Wyngarde. Working together with Stewart Sullivan (Joel Fabiani) and Annabelle Hurst (Rosemary Nicols) they formed Department S. Each with their own very different approaches to solving the mysteries, together they were able to solve even the most complex of puzzles.

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Adventures of William Tell, The ITC 1957 – 59

UK Television Series

Fourteenth century Switzerland. The country is under Austrian rule and one man dares to stand up for freedom against the tyranny of this oppressive regime. Conrad Phillips plays the legendary Swizz bowman in this nineteen fifties adaptation of the legend. In honesty it’s really little more than a Swizz version of Robin Hood. Willoughby Goddard’s character of Gressler (the Austrian Governor) being the equivalent of the Sheriff of Nottingham. Thirty-nine episodes were produced in the, then popular half hour format used by ITC.

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Adventures of Sir Lancelot, The ITC 1955-57

UK Television Series

   Produced between 1956 and 1957, this 30-episode series followed the adventures of Sir Lancelot, famed knight of the round table. Played in the series by William Russell, who would later become one of Doctor Who’s first companions, it followed in the style of many other of the ITC shows from the period. Sir Lancelot mostly having to stave off threats to the throne by marauding invaders. This is possibly one of the earliest British television series to have been made, at least partially, in colour with the final 14 episodes being filmed entirely in colour. AS with Robin Hood before it, the show was made by Sapphire Films for ITC and likewise made use of many US writers, often using pseudonyms, who were blacklisted in their home country. Other regulars in the series were Ronald Leigh-Hunt who played King Arthur for the majority of the series. Bruce Seton having played it for the first three episodes. Queen Guinevere was played by Jane Hylton, while Cyril Smith appeared as Merlin the Magician, with whom Sir Lancelot would often conspire in ways to thwart whatever threat was endangering Camelot. Sir Lancelot’s young squire Brian was played by Robert Scroggins.

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Other items known to exist but currently not in the collection include:

Two different British Painting Books

Quatermass

UK Television Series

Widely regarded as the grandfather of British science fiction television. Professor Bernard Quatermass, created by Nigel Kneale in 1953 has featured in five TV series and four feature films.

The Quatermass Experiment BBC TV 1953

This was the first adventure to feature the Professor and it concerned the return to eath of an experimental British spacecraft which during its mission had been knocked off course into deep space.

Quatermass II BBC

Quatermass and the Pit BBC

Quatermass (AKA Quatermass the Conclusion) 1979 Thames

The final outing (Well apart from the BBC remake of the original story in 2005) for the Professor, this time played by John Mills. Set in the near future, we see a world gone mad, society has broken down, the streets are run amok with marauding gangs. The Professor believes that all of this is in fact caused by some form of alien attack, as large groups of “Planet People” as the young are calling themselves are being killed in mass gatherings by beams of light from space. Produced in two versions, a four part TV drama, running nearly four hours and a cut down 90 minuet version for theatrical release.

The Quatermass Experiment BBC 2005

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Alf Garnett

UK Television Series

This classic comedy character as played by the late Warren Mitchell appeared in three TV series, two feature films and a TV special.

Till Death Us Do Part BBC 1965 –  1975

Till Death ATV 1981

In Sickness and in health BBC  1985 -1992

The Thoughts of Chairman Alf  1998

Till Death us do part (Movie)

The Alf Garnett Saga (Movie)

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Gerry Anderson Series

UK Television Series

This section is devoted to the many series created or produced by Gerry Anderson.

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Strange Report, The ITC 1968-69

UK Television Series

The adventures of Adam Strange (Anthony Quale) ex-police criminologist, a skilled solver of crimes that have baffled the best minds of Scotland Yard. When all other routes of investigation ha failed, Strange would be called upon. Due to being freelance, he was able to pursue his crime-solving hobbies without the restrictions previously placed upon him before his retirement, when working for the home office. Each of the sixteen-hour-long episodes was titled as a report number.

It is interesting to note that this series was produced by Norman Felton and Arena productions for ITC. Norman Felton and Arena, having been responsible for the American series the Man from U.N.C.L.E. . Another interesting side note is that the series also stared Anneke Wills who had previously played Polly during the William Hartnell period of Doctor Who.

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Sword of Freedom ITC 1959 – 61

UK Television Series

   Another of ITV’s historical swashbuckling adventure series that were so popular on British television in the late fifties and early sixties. This one followed the adventures of Marco Del Monte (Edmund Purdom) a freedom-loving painter living in 15th century Florence, who as a skilled swordsman would defend the people of Florence against the tyrannical rule of the Medicis. The series ran for 39 episodes being produced by Sapphire Films for ITC. Other series regulars included the delightful Adrienne Corri as Angelica the reformed pickpocket, now Del Monte’s model, Rowland Bartrop as Sandro. While Martin Benson was a suitably devious Duke de Medici, with his chief advisor the duplicitous Machiavelli portrayed by Kenneth Hyde.

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Known to exist, but not in the collection is an edition of the TV Times featuring the series on its front cover.

Sir Francis Drake 1961-62 ABC TV

UK Television Series

   This was the last of ITC swashbuckling shows to be produced for ITC. Debuting in 1961 the series starred Terence Morgan as Sir Francis Drake, the sixteenth-century Elizabethan maritime adventurer, with Jean Kent taking the role of Elizabeth the first. Other regulars in the series included a very young Michael Crawford as John Drake, his nephew, and cabin boy aboard the Golden Hind.

   Much of the filming for the series took place around Brixham in Devon, where a full-size replica of Drake’s ship the Golden hind was built, using a former motor fishing vessel as its basis. This reconstruction of the ship designed by Hugh Paget, who had based his design on the back of the old halfpenny coin, which at the time featured an illustration of the Golden Hind. This ship was to remain moored in Brixham long after the show had finished becoming home to a museum about Drake. Though sadly while on the way to Southampton for a refit in the mid-eighties this original replica sank in bad weather, a replacement ship was constructed and is now moored in its place.

   Taking his orders directly from Queen Elizabeth the First, Drake was a lone wolf and expert swordsman, who throughout the twenty six half hour episodes loyally defended both queen and country from foreign invaders. Several of the series adventures revolved around thwarting various veiled plots by the Spanish ambassador, Mendoza, played by future Doctor Who star, Roger Delgardo, while still maintaining diplomatic relations and avoiding all-out war with Spain.

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Other items known to exist, but not in the collection included both a sword and matchlock pistol produced by Lone Star.

A Jigsaw by Tower Press.

A Colouring Book

 

Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy BBC TV 1981

UK Television Series

Six part series following the adventures of Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect (Simon Jones and David Dixon) upon the demolition of Earth to make way for a Hyperspace bypass, by the Vogan construction fleet.
The series was created by Douglas Adams and based upon his successful radio series, which in turn had become a series of best selling novels. This at the time was probably one of the most highly original and comic science fiction series made. (and one I am forever quoting at various times) Six half hour episodes were made, being broadcast in early 1981.

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Van Der Valk 1972 – 77 Thames / Euston Films

UK Television Series

TV series based on the books by Nicholas Freeling, staring Barry Foster as Dutch detective Van Der Valk. Originally ran for 13 episodes during 1972-3 produced by Thames TV, before being bought back for a further 12 episodes by Euston Films in 1977.

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Sweeney, The 1974-78 Euston Films

UK Television Series

It is had to believe that when this tough no-nonsense hard hitting cop series hit our screens in 1974 that Dixon of Dock Green was still running on the BBC. Starring John Thaw and Dennis Waterman as Regan and Carter detectives in the Flying Squad. The series getting its name from the rhyming slang for this.

Fifty two episodes were made with two feature films being released in the Uk at the time (Not including the appalling modern remake). The series originated from a 90 minuet one of drama made for the Armchair Theatre slot on ITV, called Regan which had been written by Ian Kennedy Martin.

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Worzel Gummidge 1979-1981 Southern TV

UK Television Series

Jon Pertwee played Worzel Gummidge in these adventures of a living scarecrow befriended by two children. The series also stared Una Stubbs as Aunt Sally with Geoffrey Bayldon as the crowman. The series was developed from a series of children’s books by Barbara Euphan Todd.

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Catweazle LWT 1970 – 1

UK Television Series

Enjoyable children’s series starring Geoffrey Bayldon, about an eccentric 11th century wizard who, while attempting to use the powers of magic to discover the secret of flight, accidently becomes trapped in the present day. We then follow the adventures of this scrawny tramp like wizard as he attempts , not only to find his way back to Norman England, but as he copes with the bewildering “magic” that surrounds him in the twentieth century.

The series was created by Richard Carpenter and ran for two seasons resulting in 26 half hour episodes in total over its two year run on ITV in the UK.

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Invisible Man, The ATV 1958-59

UK Television Series

An early Ralph Smart produced series, this version of H G Wells’ Invisible Man owes absolutely nothing to H G Wells other than it’s concept of an invisible man. This was the first TV series to be inspired by Wells’ classic story. this version features scientist Peter Brady who while testing his theories of optical density occidentally turns him self invisible. finding himself unable to reverse the process that lead to this he becomes stuck as the Invisible Man.
Having to prove his loyalty to various ministerial types who have at first had him imprisoned, he then becomes a kind of government agent having to take on various villains and ne’er-do-wells for the British government, whilst still looking for a cure for his predicament. The actor playing Brady was never credited at the time, though he has sequentially been named as Actors Tim Turner, who provided the voice and Johnny Scripps who provided a physical form for Brady when needed. Produced Ralp Smart had felt that as so many people were responsible for the special effects such as driver-less cars, floating cigarettes, items that moved themselves, etc. That to credit one man as the character would be unfair.
The series also featured a young Deborah Watling as Brady’s niece Sally, who would later play Victoria during the Patrick Troughton era of Doctor Who. (An actor who incidentally was to guest star in the episode “Strange Partners”. Two seasons totalling 26 episodes were show during 1958 -59.

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