Cult TV Blog

We arrive at shows broadcast in the seventies and still using the white Jaguar footage (although this show was actually made in 1968). I am not even going to pretend to do a full discussion of this show but will purely focus on what interests me - simply because it has already had very full discussion on the internet, especially the page on the Randall and Hopkirk Deceased website linked below. I actually love this one, purely because I love the classic film set up where a family come together at an isolated house (with or without the reading of a will), all loathe each other and then the bodies start piling up. It was virtually impossible to get through this series without using that plot at some point! As always when I watch this show I have unresolved questions about Randall's work and finances. Most obviously how he manages to afford a flat decorated in up to the minute seventies decor, despite never having any money. This episode brings up another question and I honestly don...

Very classic ITC territory here, Nazi war criminals intent on world domination, unexploded bombs and only The Champions standing between them and their ambition. At this point I realise that I really could do with watching all the way through the ITC series again, because I am completely certain that these themes are recurring ones, but couldn't particularly tell you which shows. From memory, I am certain there is another Champions where they deal with a Nazi who has been hiding out for twenty years and (somewhat incredibly) thinks the war is still going on, and there is a Department S with a Nazi theme. In true Department S style it is treated much more as a backdrop of Nazi memorabilia, and to be fair you have to be a bit theatrical in that show because otherwise Jason King might appear unreal. And we can't have that, can we. Actually I have also literally just realised the sheer number of shows at this time with Second World War themes. I was hoping to have a short, pithy re...

Caution: there is a possible plot spoiler in this post. It is below the line. Our second show where the white Jag gets it and our second episode of The Baron. This one may even have some tenuous connection to the antiques trade, because as you all know, a cameo brooch is heavily involved. I'm liking this Baron very much because it is very firmly out of the ITC stable and yet is a solid mystery. It is set in Spain, which gives it its ITC sophistication. For the main part it is also visually very ITC, however I think many props are used to set up the mystery in a way very characteristic of The Avengers. What I mean by this is the amount of 'antique' (reproduction in reality) furniture and other props. I would suggest that ITC usually would be more likely to go for a modern look. If you put this clobber in an episode of The Avengers, it would spell out that a great old English family has gorn to the dogs.  Here the old family set up is contrasted with the modem set up of the l...

I mooted several possible linked posts plans in my last post. As you can see I have gone for the idea of a series of posts on the episodes of shows featuring the famous ITC white Jaguar plummeting over the cliff. You can read more about the making of this  here  which is also the list I'm going by for my posts. I hope I can complete this, however I might have difficulty with the final appearance on the list, an episode of Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense. My first thought about the use of these Jaguars is that it was relatively economical to shoot this footage once and reuse it. I imagine nowadays it could be done virtually and I see new Jaguars cost between £30,000 and £65,000 so at current prices it would be very expensive! Nor were the cars new at the time: they used a mixture of Mark 1 (1955 to 1959) cars and Mark 2 (1959 to 1967) cars. You won't see them on the road here now -as far as I can see the numbers remaining of both models are down to the hundreds, not least ...

High time we had some Professionals again. I've picked this one for unusual reasons for me - apart from the interest of the episode itself I have taken an interest in the familiar guest actors. Perhaps I should just say that I have never claimed to be consistent! This was the second Professionals episode ever made, although originally shown late in the first series. It required some reshooting of parts with some different actors, and as a result you can find a number of difficulties documented on t'internet with things like continuity. The wonder for me is that despite it being filmed so early, the Professionals thing is pretty much established. The relationship between Bodie, Doyle, and Cowley is already what it would be for succeeding series. Their attitude towards the female agent is already set in stone.,. and so on. For a series to be up and running so early is quite something. No matter that there are plot holes (notably that we are let in too quickly on what's happen...