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| The broken spy? Edward Woodward returns as CALLAN. Images: FREMANTLE MEDIA/NETWORK DVD. |
A dead shot with a cold nerve to kill, David Callan’s reluctant work as one of Britain’s top spies, at a time when his creator, James Mitchell, was carving out a quality drama series that would often prove to be the antithesis of James Bond- of which the subject of killing would be such a nasty and complicated business- continues to hit its target with fans of great TV, as seen with the popular releases of the show’s black and white and colour eras in separate and combined sets on DVD, from those vintage TV specialists and purveyors at NETWORK.
KOOL TV has already covered the series in depth before: http://kooltvblog.blogspot.co.uk/2010/03/callan-tvs-killer-with-conscience.html, and looked back at its surviving monochrome episodes: http://kooltvblog.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/kool-tv-review-callan-monochrome-years.html, but a full guide to our favourite episodes of the early seventies colour era hadn’t been done. We now rectify that situation.
Technically, the picture quality of the colour series releases on DVD varies greatly, with some episodes having not survived well in the THAMES TV archives, most notably with the third season, but the fourth and final run is a considerable improvement, with less picture flakes and other drop-outs. Sound is consistently good, though, in what has surely been a difficult and time consuming job for NETWORK in their notable restoration efforts. It’s also nice to finally see the episodes uncut, as UK GOLD often butchered them for violence or timing reasons when the two seasons were shown in the mid-nineties, in afternoon or mid-evening slots.
Star Edward Woodward remains as impressive as ever in the series, bringing hard edged action and sympathetic angst to the part, whilst his teaming up with Russell Hunter’s smelly partner, Lonely, remains one of TV’s great and uniquely symbiotic pairings. The series supporting cast is also uniquely top drawer, including Anthony Valentine and Patrick Mower as Callan’s rivals, the often unfriendly and brutal Toby Mears and Cross, whilst William Squire’s new Hunter is tough but relatively fair, with a grudging respect for his top operative and his talents, despite Callan’s conscience and responsibilities often getting in the way of things.
There’s also the occasional work of Clifford Rose as psychologist Doctor Snell, possessing an overall reserved and intimidatingly cold bearing and cruel smile, described by Cross in one episode as being like “a breast fed Nazi’! Appearing as a semi-regular in Season Four is Geoffrey Chater, playing the charming mannered Civil Service/Whitehall manipulator Bishop, coming across as a more realistic version of John Steed, but without his demonstrable crime fighting abilities,
Well-known guest stars in Season Three would include Warren Clarke, Michael Jayston, Mike Pratt and Stephanie Beacham, whilst Season Four had Tony Beckley, Sarah Lawson, Michael Pennington, Jane Lapotaire, William Marlowe and T.P. McKenna.
The series, brought back and into colour by THAMES TELEVISION due to overwhelming popular demand, would be once more produced by the dependable Reginald Collin, whilst the clever scripts, full of strong characterization, would be adeptly handled by editor George Markstein.
Here are KOOL TV’s favourite episodes of Season Three and Four:
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| The memorable UK TVTIMES magazine cover heralding the shows colour return. |
SEASON THREE
Where Else Could I Go?
Where Else Could I Go?
Five months on from his brainwashed murder of the old Hunter, and recovering from his almost fatal shooting injuries from a too-late-to-stop-him Toby Mears, Callan's viability as a killer is tested and psycho-analyzed. He may still be the best shot in the service, but can he regain his killer instincts enough to still be of use to Queen and Country.
Or will his usefulness be at an end, and a red file “retirement” “be sanctioned?
Callan’s fellow agent Toby Mears, as played by Anthony Valentine, is gone from Season Three (returning the following year), replaced by the more mercenary and equally ambitious Cross, played by Patrick Mower, who proves a more direct, but no less interesting, antagonist to Callan when they perform their missions for the Section.
Writer/creator James Mitchell sets the scene well for the new colour series (so good in fact, that the modern JAMES BOND writers would rip-off most of the episode’s plot and use it in the early part of their new movie Skyfall!), and introducing the newest and best Hunter of the series, as played by deep voiced and memorably stern William Squire. There’s also the debut of Patrick Mower- a popular star particularly into the seventies, as the new and confident, ambitious and snide upstart, Cross. The return of Lonely, separated from Callan in the spy’s recuperation period, is as scared and smelly as ever, and once more beautifully portrayed by the late Russell Hunter.
A Village Called G
In a nice showcase for regular supporting actress Lisa Langdon, Liz, Hunter’s super efficient secretary with access to all the departments secrets, has disappeared, and Callan and Cross must find her quickly and at all costs: the information in her brain bring invaluable to enemy agents. But has an altogether darker chapter of Liz's life now resurfaced?
God Help Your Friends
Cross and Callan have to put their grievances to one side in order to break up the engagement of a soon to be NATO interpreter and a PR man who may have ties to enemy agents in the East. The only trouble is, the pair really are in love, of which only tragic developments can follow…
Sterling guest stars Stephanie Beacham and Michael Jayston, make the most of a memorable modern day ROMEO AND JULIET-esque script from William Emms.
Suddenly - at Home
Callan has to use “friendly persuasion” so as to stop the pleasant and sophisticated widow of a deceased foreign minister from sharing her late husband’s memoirs with a potential Russian agent, masquerading as a film producer. Unfortunately, things get complicated when David falls in love with her…
The romance between Callan and Lady Janet Lewis (Zena Walker) may happen very quickly, but the script by Mitchell, and the performances, including guest villain Tony Beckley (most well known as Camp Freddie in THE ITALIAN JOB), are top notch.
An Act of Kindness
Callan’s love of military history and “toy soldiers” is put to good use by his superiors, when he has to stop a business man blackmailer (Anthony Nicholls) from ratting out a former undercover agent.
A solid tale, with some memorable War Game playing moments, linked to some fine scripted verbal sparring from Michael Winder between Woodward and Nicholls.
Breakout
Callan and Lonely bring new meaning to the words “Cell Damage” when they have to penetrate Her Majesty's Convenience in order to breakout a top KGB agent, Lubin (THE SWEENEY’s Garfield Morgan), possessing stolen secret information that Hunter wants back at all costs.
A strong script from James Mitchell, with great character moments for the already in prison Lonely and his dealings with Lubin and Callan. There’s also some sparkling dialogue and acting between Woodward and Squire early on.
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| Back in action for the show's final season. |
SEASON FOUR
That'll Be the Day
That'll Be the Day
Death loves a funeral, as Lonely and other mourners arrive for the passing of their beloved civil servant and friend, David Callan. In a fate worse than death, though, our hero is stull very much alive: abandoned and left to suffer torture and drug interrogation from the KGB after bring captured in East Germany. After eight months in confinement, just how much longer can he hold up from the pressure? And how dies another spy- the Russian known as Richmond (T.P. McKenna) - become intrinsically linked to his destiny?
A great start to Season Four from creator Mitchell that sets up several plot strands that will be developed to great success later in the season, most notably with the elusive character of Richmond.
The mysterious bureaucrat Bishop, almost like a more corrupted John Steed, played by Geoffrey Chater, joins as a semi-regular, whilst Julian Glover is another fine villain as Callan’s Russian interrogator.
The final scene of the episode, where Lonely encounters the very much alive Callan, is genuinely priceless!
Call Me Sir!
There's a new Hunter in charge. And it's David Callan!
Threatening to leave the service, Hunter and Bishop, realizing they can't afford to lose one of their best operatives, have no choice but to promote Callan as the new chief, just as a Russian hit squad, wanting retaliation for the agents previous capture and return, have him in their sites and using the ultimate lure: the now missing and on the run Lonely.
Another fine script from regular series writer Bill Craig.
First Refusal
A secrets broker offers Callan a list of top-secret British agents for sale at the hefty price of £10,000. Aware that such a sale could bankrupt the service and heavily damage British interests if released into enemy hands, Callan, now officially Hunter, plans to retrieve the list before it can be offered to the Russians. As equally important, though, they have to find whoever was responsible for the original leaking of the info. Someone who could only be in a high-ranking position…
Smarmy schoolboy type Anthony Valentine makes a welcome return to the series as fellow Section agent Toby Mears (story-wise, having been previously dispatched to Washington to work with the CIA) - having almost killed Callan at the end of the monochrome era- and his well-written reunion scenes crackle with tension and bite. Meanwhile, there's some mild humour as Lonely is drafted into the Section as their resident taxi cab driver!
If He Can, I Could
On the trail of a potential Ukrainian hit man with a score to settle for Mother Russia, The Section are on red alert, but will the returned to duty Cross, already under psychological pressure from the injuring of a child in a previous episode, fulfill his duty in protecting the target? Or will it lead to his making a fatal mistake?
About to move on to other series work, and his role slightly sidelined with the return of Anthony Valentine, Patrick Mower’s last episode for the series is certainly a memorable one, with a good script by Ray Jenkins. Woodward also has an excellent episode final scene, as a drunkenly morbid Callan seeks emotional refuge and solace with the company of his only true friend, Lonely.
I Never Wanted the Job
It's Callan versus the Mob, as Lonely’s cab moonlighting makes him a witness to a gangland hit, whose perpetrators want to witnesses.
John Kershaw’s script is a novel one: spies versus gangsters, and one set of killers against another, with strong heavy support from William Marlowe and efficient direction from Jim Goddard.
The Richmond File: Call Me Enemy
It's the beginning of the end with the first part of this well-crafted three-part conclusion to the series. The Russian spy Richmond (T.P. McKenna) is reacquired by British intelligence and it's up to Callan to find out what his purpose is with his return. Has he deliberately and genuinely defected, ready to reveal all about his once paymasters? Or is Richmond part of a bigger and more dangerous plan, designed to shake Callan’s resolve, and linked to a potential traitor in The Section?
George Markstein’s stagey but impressive script is taut and clever, full of strong character moments for the actors to play off, as the two spies, friendly enemies in a secluded safe house, intellectually and emotionally spar, revealing some personal home truths about themselves and their time in the spy profession. Some impressive for its time set design add to the episode, alongside solid direction from series regular Bill Bain.
The Richmond File: A Man Like Me (Series Conclusion)
Its Human instinct versus computer analytical power, as Callan begins the hunt for the now fugitive Richmond, planning his escape from the country. It's a final battle between evenly matched and skilled talents: two agents who, despite their opposing viewpoints, share many personal qualities. Will Callan's occasional compassion finally be the end of him?
A tense showdown between Callan and Richmond inside a cargo warehouse is well written by series creator James Mitchell, and tensely realized on film by producer/director Reginald Collin. A Man Like Me brings the series to a satisfyingly human and dramatic close, also seeing in the new technological era of the early seventies and the beginning of the end of the original Cold War between the East and West.
The series supporting cast (including the return of Geoffrey Chater, and an appearance from rising star Brain Croucher) all get some fine scenes concluding their time on the show, but the final moments between Callan and Lonely are genuinely bittersweet and sad, handled with class and emotion by Woodward and Russell Hunter.
A unique and inspired character pairing- the strong genetic make-up of an all-together original and always well-made TV series- now come to a distinctive end, and a genuine high point of the spy genre and seventies TV history now reached.
Get hold of the definitive CALLAN series here: Callan - The Definitive Collection [1967] [DVD]: Amazon.co.uk: Edward Woodward, Russell Hunter, Anthony Valentine, Patrick Mower, William Squire: Film & TV
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