I won't bother mentioning The Saint or Avengers, as they are well known already.
Dangerman (Secret Agent in The States) starred Patrick Magoohan as secret agent John Drake. It started of as a half hour series, but suspect because of the success of The Saint it up itself to an hour and increased the action. Magoohan also played secret agents In The Prisoner (Resigned) and brilliant in Ice Station Zebra.
Gideon's Way with John Gregson and Daphne Anderson, a tv version of Gideon's Day.
American actors began crossing the pond to star in Brit adventure series. Steve Forrest played antiques dealer and adventurer John Mannering. He was joined by regular female assistant Sue Llyod (The Ipcress File) as Cordila Winfield. it wasn't to different from The Saint.
After co-starring in Marlon Brandon's The Chase, Richard Bradford came over and did Man In A Suitcase, playing grey haired 30 something M'Gill, who was a wrongly disgraced American secret agent, earning a living bounty hunting in Europe, mainly the UK. Unlike TS and TB, M'Gill was more casual in appearence, drove a simply Hillman Imp and though able to take care of himself, he when outnumbered was beaten up on several occassions.
American actor Joel Fabiani joined Rosemarry Nichols and part-time novelist Peter Wyngarde as members of Goverment agency Department S. In the 70s Wyngarde repised his role for sequel Jason King
The Prisoner again with Magoohan, playing a resigned secret agent kidnapped and taken to small far away village. People have suggested he was still playing John Drake, but we only knew the character as No-6. Magoohan, who wrote the show was probably the only one who understood the plot, or was he LOL.
American Stuart Damon played Graig Sterling, a secret agent, who after dying in a aircrash, is revived with superhuman powers. He was joined by William Gaunt as Richard Barrett and Alexandra Bastedo as Sharon McReady, who also had the same powers in The Champions.
Top British Adventure shows of the 60s.
I am unfamiliar with those Sixties shows. Basically, my TV market (Cleveland) only had "The Avengers" and "The Saint."
This is from a later period, but what do you know about "The Secret Army," a series about an escape network for shot-down Allied pilots in Belgium during WWII. I saw some episodes from the third season on A&E and then some first season episodes on the Akron PBS station, and then utterly nothing in the 23 years since.
This is from a later period, but what do you know about "The Secret Army," a series about an escape network for shot-down Allied pilots in Belgium during WWII. I saw some episodes from the third season on A&E and then some first season episodes on the Akron PBS station, and then utterly nothing in the 23 years since.
Secret Army was an outstanding war-time drama starring Bernard Hepton and Jan Francis, as heads of an organization called Lifeline that helped British escapees back to their own lines. Francis' character was killed off at the end of season one. Albert was married, then widowed, but had a mistress, played by Angela Richards, who was also part of the team.
Secret Army had a sequel called Kessler. It was set in the 60s and was about the brutal Nazi officer Kessler, now a successful buisnessman, who believed his party would rise and be greater than ever.
Secret Army also inspired the controversial sit-com Hello Hello, starring Gordon Kaye as a cafe owner called Rene, who was a reluctant member of the French resistance, but also equally reluctantly involved with two crooked German Officers who had stolen a saucy painting that Hitler himself wanted. Rene was also married, but had affairs with all his waitresses, one of whom aggresssivley would shout out 'Rene..................................' as a catchphrase. It was controversial because it was a sit com about the Nazi occupation of France
I'll get you a link on SA
Secret Army had a sequel called Kessler. It was set in the 60s and was about the brutal Nazi officer Kessler, now a successful buisnessman, who believed his party would rise and be greater than ever.
Secret Army also inspired the controversial sit-com Hello Hello, starring Gordon Kaye as a cafe owner called Rene, who was a reluctant member of the French resistance, but also equally reluctantly involved with two crooked German Officers who had stolen a saucy painting that Hitler himself wanted. Rene was also married, but had affairs with all his waitresses, one of whom aggresssivley would shout out 'Rene..................................' as a catchphrase. It was controversial because it was a sit com about the Nazi occupation of France
I'll get you a link on SA
Secret Army (TV series) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Secret Army is a BBC television drama series created by Gerard Glaister . The series chronicled the history of a Belgian resistance movement during the second world war dedicated to returning allied airmen, usually having been shot down by the Luftwaffe , back to their home country.
Series Overview · Production · Merchandise
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret_Army_%28TV_series%29 · Cached page
Secret Army is a BBC television drama series created by Gerard Glaister . The series chronicled the history of a Belgian resistance movement during the second world war dedicated to returning allied airmen, usually having been shot down by the Luftwaffe , back to their home country.
Series Overview · Production · Merchandise
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret_Army_%28TV_series%29 · Cached page
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klondike
Hey, Stuart!
My favorite Brit Action series (p'raps as much sci-fi as adventure - though, come to think of it, so was "The Prisoner"!), was "The Champions"!
Background: a pair of freelance Brit commandoes & their girl-friday gal-pal "perish" in a plane crash in the Himalayas, only to be resurrected by super-mystical, pseudo-Tibetan lamas in a hidden monastery, and mysteriously granted comic-bookish paranormal powers, before being yak-trained back down to civilization.
Weekly scenario: with their secret abilities known to only a few M-I depts, this mild-looking trio get assigned to all sorts of nasty little covert crime chores, the kind that John Steed would "pass" on, usually lacking in irony or sardonic humor.
Anyway, I really dug it as a teenager, and am remembering it, perhaps inaccurately, as a B&W product, with a pretty shoestring budget.
All that notwithstanding, I sure wish I could find it somewhere on tape or disc!
My favorite Brit Action series (p'raps as much sci-fi as adventure - though, come to think of it, so was "The Prisoner"!), was "The Champions"!
Background: a pair of freelance Brit commandoes & their girl-friday gal-pal "perish" in a plane crash in the Himalayas, only to be resurrected by super-mystical, pseudo-Tibetan lamas in a hidden monastery, and mysteriously granted comic-bookish paranormal powers, before being yak-trained back down to civilization.
Weekly scenario: with their secret abilities known to only a few M-I depts, this mild-looking trio get assigned to all sorts of nasty little covert crime chores, the kind that John Steed would "pass" on, usually lacking in irony or sardonic humor.
Anyway, I really dug it as a teenager, and am remembering it, perhaps inaccurately, as a B&W product, with a pretty shoestring budget.
All that notwithstanding, I sure wish I could find it somewhere on tape or disc!
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moira finnie
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The Champions on YouTube
I'd forgotten all about this '60s artifact, Klondike. Wasn't it a summer replacement show? If you want to see a bunch of episode segments on youtube you can go here
Here's the beginning of the first episode with the crash into the Himalayas. Shangri-La, here they come:
[youtube][/youtube]
Here's the beginning of the first episode with the crash into the Himalayas. Shangri-La, here they come:
[youtube][/youtube]
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klondike
Hey, how about that, never thought to prowl for it on trusty ol' YouTube; thanks, Moira!
Gotta say, though, a derisive laugh or 2 escaped me, watching that clip, before I got my disbelief-suspend-o-meter adjusted.
Obviously, my memory airbrushed a great deal of dignity onto the fuselage of that pilot vehicle; the trailer looks more like an offering from the producers of "UFO" or "The Starlost"!
Maybe, back in the Day, I watched it on a B&W set . . . maybe that's the best way to watch it even now!
Gotta say, though, a derisive laugh or 2 escaped me, watching that clip, before I got my disbelief-suspend-o-meter adjusted.
Obviously, my memory airbrushed a great deal of dignity onto the fuselage of that pilot vehicle; the trailer looks more like an offering from the producers of "UFO" or "The Starlost"!
Maybe, back in the Day, I watched it on a B&W set . . . maybe that's the best way to watch it even now!
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cinemalover
- Posts: 1594
- Joined: April 17th, 2007, 10:57 am
- Location: Seattle, Washington
I loved the Prisoner and never tired of watching the same 17 (I think that's how many episodes there were) over and over.
Secret Agent (Danger Man) was memorable for being a gritty, non-too glamorous undercover man. I really enjoy the "Secret Agent Man" theme song as well as the musical intros at the beginning of each episode.
Secret Agent (Danger Man) was memorable for being a gritty, non-too glamorous undercover man. I really enjoy the "Secret Agent Man" theme song as well as the musical intros at the beginning of each episode.
Chris
The only bad movie is no movie at all.
The only bad movie is no movie at all.