James Mitchell's creation, 'Callan', established one of television's most compelling anit-heroes and made a star of Edward Woodward.
Although it ran for only for four series (1967-1972), it made a great impression with the viewing public and spawned a feature film and a sequel in 1981.
Although it ran for only for four series (1967-1972), it made a great impression with the viewing public and spawned a feature film and a sequel in 1981.
With it’s iconic title sequence - a bare, swinging light bulb which is then shot out – it depicted the grimier side of the intelligence services against a Cold War background of agent swaps and spirals of double agent treachery.
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TP’s involvement with the series came in its final series when he was cast in the role of a maverick Russian agent, Richmond.
Over the course of three episodes entitled ‘The Richmond Files’, he and Callan are involved in an extremely tense battle of wits with Richmond initially defecting into Callan’s hands before then absconding, ultimately to be tracked down to a warehouse full of vodka and a bloody shootout.
Over the course of three episodes entitled ‘The Richmond Files’, he and Callan are involved in an extremely tense battle of wits with Richmond initially defecting into Callan’s hands before then absconding, ultimately to be tracked down to a warehouse full of vodka and a bloody shootout.
This was TV drama of the finest order with taut, intelligent scripts (series creator James Mitchell was also responsible for the Geordie drama ‘When The Boat Comes In’) and largely studio based (shot at Thames's Teddington Studios) with multiple-camera shooting which allowed scenes to be played for their full, dramatic potential.
The opener for the trilogy, ‘Call Me Enemy’ (writer: George Markstein), is a virtual two-hander with TP and Edward Woodward holed up in a large country house, a ‘safe’ house, where neither of them feel remotely safe.
The opener for the trilogy, ‘Call Me Enemy’ (writer: George Markstein), is a virtual two-hander with TP and Edward Woodward holed up in a large country house, a ‘safe’ house, where neither of them feel remotely safe.
Over the course of fifty minutes they are locked in a verbal duel, snarling and spitting, like trapped wolves; both killers, both hunted.
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| "To forget and be forgotten" |
It’s not entirely an exaggeration to say that this was television which was talked about for years to come and in 1994 it was screened by Channel Four as the centrepiece of a tribute night to series producer, Thames Television.
Callan - The Colour Years (Network DVD 7953307 - Region 2 - Released 10th May 2010 - Cert 15)
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