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ITV Means ACTION In The 60s-70s

MrRING said:
I've been watching Man in a Suitcase and rather enjoying it... considering that I like a number of UK shows from the 60's & 70's that originated somewhere in the ITV cannon (Avengers, Jason King, The Prisoner, Danger Man, The Protectors, The Persuaders - I think they are all ITV anyway) I was curious to know what other series are recommended from this period, and is there any guide to ITV from that period that lists their action/spy/fantastic shows?
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Man in a Suitcase is great. I'm always glad to see it get some love.

Randall and Hopkirk (deceased) is definitely worth watching but make sure it's the original 60s version.
I'm fond of The Man in Room 17 too but it's probably not as action packed as some of the other suggestions.
 
MrRING said:
..60's and 70's..I was curious to know what other series are recommended from this period, and is there any guide to ITV from that period that lists their action/spy/fantastic shows?
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Don't know of any guide, but why are you only interested in ITV shows?
The other Brit TV channel was the BBC and they had some good stuff too, here are some series that spring to mind but I can't remember if they were on ITV or BBC-
'Dr. Who'
'Blake's Seven' (sci fi)
'Callan' starring Edward Woodward as a Brit spy.
'The Regiment' about a fictitious Victorian Brit army regiment.
'Captain Virgin of the Secret Service', a comedy spoof.
 
Waymarker said:
Don't know of any guide, but why are you only interested in ITV shows?
The other Brit TV channel was the BBC and they had some good stuff too, here are some series that spring to mind but I can't remember if they were on ITV or BBC-
'Dr. Who'
'Blake's Seven' (sci fi)
'Callan' starring Edward Woodward as a Brit spy.
'The Regiment' about a fictitious Victorian Brit army regiment.
'Captain Virgin of the Secret Service', a comedy spoof.
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Callan was ITV I seem to remember.
 
I like many many British tv shows of the 60's through to today (even the 50's era Robin Hood and Invisible Man series as well), but ITV has a particular style I was interested in. I'd love to see more of Blake's 7, which has only been sporadically available in the States. I've heard of Captain Virgin but haven't seen it - does it still exist? Of course a huge Dr. Who fan from the beginning to today. I've seen Adam Adamant Lives - I used to work witha lady who looked just like Juliet Harmer!
 
This Ace of Wands series looks gear fab - anybody seen it here?:

https://echoishiizone.wordpress.com/2018/06/15/sf-obscure-ace-of-wands/
Ace of Wands focuses on a stage magician named Tarot who also has psychic powers and works to develop his paranormal skills. In series three he is assisted by a sibling team Chas, a photographer, and Mikki a journalist. Mikki is interested in studying the paranormal and she is more readily able to accept the various paranormal happenings. She also appears to have rather strong potential abilities herself. Chas is the resident skeptic. I felt like his character was a bit extraneous (perhaps a third wheel in the Tarot/Mikki dynamic) but I didn’t dislike him. There is also an owl named Oxymandius. The Tarot character made me think of the show Jonathan Creek and I wondered if those writers were influenced by it.
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I enjoyed that series. Theme tune was awesome.
 
Shame so much of Ace of Wands was wiped. Saw one episode and it was pretty decent, great theme tune (which I have on CD somewhere).
 
Haven't finished the first episode yet, but looks half-promising. I've never heard of it before, but there are a lot of once famous faces.

Edit: link broken, but it was Between the Lines.

 
Just watched an episode of the early series. Wasn't too bad - it was in black and white with the location scenes shot on film and the studio stuff on video.
 
So I've been watching the Sweeny, and it's been plenty fun. I"ve got the whole series, watching one a week. But now I've got a question: When is the right point in the series to watch the two Sweeny feature films? For instance, are they set between seasons? Or does the tv series wrap up the story of Regan and the flying squad?


 
They made those Sweeney movies in between seasons, so it doesn't really matter, especially as they don't tie in very much to the TV series. The first is a conspiracy thriller, the second a bit more like an X-rated two-part episode, but neither hugely reminiscent of the tone of the original. They're still watchable, though, but more the On the Buses spin-off trilogy of TV thrillers.
 
MrRING said:
So I've been watching the Sweeny, and it's been plenty fun. I"ve got the whole series, watching one a week. But now I've got a question: When is the right point in the series to watch the two Sweeny feature films? For instance, are they set between seasons? Or does the tv series wrap up the story of Regan and the flying squad?


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Ian Bannen!

I'll watch that.
 
There was an epiode of the Sweeney that involved Scottish criminals and a guest Scottish detective trying to nab them. My first real dealings with impenetrable accents on the series! Overall, the Sweeney has added to my repository of slang to pull out from time to time, geezer and snout being among my faves
 
The Sweeney and The Professionals are special to me in that they showed the London of my childhood.
Whilst much remains the same, there are key differences as highlighted in @Yithian 's post above...the last few bomb sites, the derelict docks, the lack of office block skyscrapers compared to today....the pocket neighbourhoods that had not changed much since the 1950's.
I like playing "Spot the location."
 
I'm jamming to this at the moment:
The music from Harry South is the only music written specifically for the show. The rest comes from the libraries of KPM, Bruton, De Wolfe, Chappell, Hudson, and Themes International from the years 1969 to 1978. Full list below ... 01 - HARRY SOUTH - The Sweeney (Opening Theme) (1975) - 0:00 02 - SIMON HASELEY - Bora (1972) - 2:41 03 - ALAN TEW - Money Runner (1976) - 5:54 04 - BRIAN BENNETT - The Investigator (1975) - 8:08 05 - KEITH MANSFIELD - Bodyguard (1975) - 10:56 06 - BRIAN BENNETT - Prowler (1978) - 12:38 07 - KEITH MANSFIELD - Big Shot (1975) - 14:25 08 - DUNCAN LAMONT - The Journey (1975) - 16:37 09 - DUNCAN LAMONT - Bull's Blood (1975) - 17:37 10 - ALAN TEW - The Build Up (1976) - 20:30 11 - JACK AREL & PIERRE DUTOUR - No Man's Land (1972) - 26:16 12 - DUNCAN LAMONT - Battle (1975) - 29:23 13 - BENOÎT KAUFMAN - Jingle 1 (1975) - 30:22 14 - ALAN HAWKSHAW & KEITH MANSFIELD - The Action Scene (1969) - 31:41 15 - ALAN TEW - Helicop (1976) - 32:20 16 - ALAN TEW - The Big One (1976) - 35:14 17 - IRVING MARTIN & BRIAN DEE - Funko (1978) - 39:19 18 - JOHNNY PEARSON - The Big Fuzz (1970) - 41:40 19 - BRIAN BENNETT - The Heist (1975) - 44:37 20 - DUNCAN LAMONT - Funky Express (1975) - 46:25 21 - MIKI ANTONY & TOM PARKER - Tension in the City (1978) - 48:28 22 - SIMON HASELEY - Heavy Truckin' (1973) - 50:31 23 - SIMON HASELEY - Hogan's Thing (1973) - 53:25 24 - BRIAN BENNETT & ALAN HAWKSHAW - Name Of The Game (1976) - 55:39 25 - DAVE RICHMOND - Police Car (1975) - 1:00:02 26 - BARRY STOLLER - Condition Red (1972) - 1:01:30 27 - BRIAN BENNETT - Flying Squad (1975) - 1:03:30 28 - NICK INGMAN - Smooth And Cool (1974) - 1:04:38 29 - JOHN O'BRIEN-DOCKER - Freak Out (1975) - 1:07:23 30 - GRAHAM PRESKETT - Dixie Lady (1975) - 1:09:13 31 - DAVID LINDUP - Acquital (1970) - 1:11:28 32 - JOHNNY PEARSON - Riot (1972) - 1:13:01 33 - JOHNNY PEARSON - Undatum (1977) - 1:15:14 34 - BRIAN BENNETT - Getaway (1978) - 1:17:56 35 - BRIAN BENNETT - Speed Trap (1975) - 1:19:55 36 - STEVE GRAY - Maniac (1975) - 1:20:49 37 - STEVE GRAY - Flashing Knives (1975) - 1:22:43 38 - BRIAN BENNETT - In Danger (1978) - 1:24:00 39 - BRIAN BENNETT - Surveillance (1978) - 1:26:13 40 - ALAN PARKER - Pusher (1972) - 1:28:06 41 - ALAN PARKER - Gut (1972) - 1:30:23 42 - ALAN HAWKSHAW - Undergroove (1973) - 1:33:09 43 - DAVE RICHMOND - Heavy Lead (1975) - 1:35:38 44 - JAMES CLARKE - Watchful Eye (1974) - 1:37:20 45 - BRIAN BENNETT - Routine Check (1978) - 1:38:52 46 - BRIAN BENNETT - Thug (1978) - 1:40:30 47 - DAVE RICHMOND - Nightwatch (1975) - 1:42:00 48 - GORDON GRANT - The Grey Man Moves (Version 2) (1975) - 1:44:44 49 - KEITH PAPWORTH - Wheel Man (1974) - 1:45:22 50 - WALLY ASP - Funky Pusher (1975) - 1:48:21 51 - BARRY MORGAN & HERBIE FLOWERS - Drama (7) (1971) - 1:51:06 52 - BARRY MORGAN & HERBIE FLOWERS - Light (6) (1971) - 1:53:19 53 - BARRY MORGAN & HERBIE FLOWERS - Movement (1) (1971) - 1:55:56 54 - BARRY MORGAN & HERBIE FLOWERS - Drama (1) (1971) - 1:57:06 55 - PETER RENO - Contact (1971) - 1:58:27 56 - CLIVE HICKS - Solid Pursuit (1975) - 2:01:52 57 - RON GEESIN - Frenzy (1975) - 2:02:56 58 - FRANK MCDONALD, CHRIS RAE & GARY SHURY - Prowl (1978) - 2:05:10 59 - HARRY SOUTH - The Sweeney (Closing Version) (1975) - 2:07:38 This isn't all of the music used in the show, just my favorites.
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Victory said:
The Sweeney and The Professionals are special to me in that they showed the London of my childhood.
Whilst much remains the same, there are key differences as highlighted in @Yithian 's post above...the last few bomb sites, the derelict docks, the lack of office block skyscrapers compared to today....the pocket neighbourhoods that had not changed much since the 1950's.
I like playing "Spot the location."
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This is exactly why I've been watching The Sweeney (which has been on ITV3 at lunchtimes recently). All that undeveloped land, the bomb damaged buildings and random gaps, the small independant shops and the rough and ready pubs. The London that I just about vaguely remember before it all got filled in and gentrified and yuppied to the hilt. I know some places still exist, but it's not the same now.
 
MrRING said:
There was an epiode of the Sweeney that involved Scottish criminals and a guest Scottish detective trying to nab them. My first real dealings with impenetrable accents on the series! Overall, the Sweeney has added to my repository of slang to pull out from time to time, geezer and snout being among my faves
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I found those accents easy to understand :) . From what I remember they were a bit toned down, clearly for the benefit of the majority of the viewers. The Scottish detective was played by James Cosmo, who has appeared in a lot over the years. Another character was played by Alex Norton, another prolific actor.
 
I recently got to watch the whole of Southern's Dick Barton: Special Agent! Done as a serial, there are evil badguys, deadly intentions, stiff upper lips by heroes Dick, Snowy and Jock, and some of the weirdest fight choreography I've ever seen. Oh, and a hypnotic theme song and title visual:

A low res version of the theme song and titles:
 
I remember watching that! My Mum and Dad remembered Dick Barton from the radio, so it was a little nostalgia trip for them.
Each episode was really too short.
 
Beresford said:
catseye said:
This is exactly why I've been watching The Sweeney (which has been on ITV3 at lunchtimes recently). All that undeveloped land, the bomb damaged buildings and random gaps, the small independant shops and the rough and ready pubs. The London that I just about vaguely remember before it all got filled in and gentrified and yuppied to the hilt. I know some places still exist, but it's not the same now.
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I can remember when it was first on TV and long before videos the pubs would empty just before it was due to come on.
 
Giant R said:
I can remember when it was first on TV and long before videos the pubs would empty just before it was due to come on.
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Alway seemed to be on when I got home past 11pm in the late 1970's, parents gone to bed, could sit in the good chair and wallow in it. It's aged quite well, I've watched a few recently, they work quite nicely.

('The Professionals' however has aged.... poorly)
 
I was curious about Southern ITV, and while poking about I discovered their action series Freewheelers! It looks like it could be fun. IMBD describes the plot as: A group of teenager sleuths fight evil. Plus Wendy Padbury!
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062562/


Also of note to Persuaders fans - there is a boffo new set out on BluRay. The 50th anniversay presentation, a collector's book, and 8 features edited from the shows remastered from the negative
https://new.networkonair.com/persuaders-take50/
 
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