60's Television

Urban_Tribesman · Post edited by Urban_Tribesman at 2014-09-03 18:44:11

As a child of the 60's ( and I suspect,not the only one on this forum ) I loved the television programmes of the era; especially the fantasy/adventurer type and I think today's examples are poor generally in comparison; losing that simple, low tech approach of the 60's, and replacing it with a showy glitz where multiple characters need to be introduced to keep the story moving ( or the odd, displaced Polar bear !).
I was left on my own recognisance a lot as a child as my parents ran an Off Licence which, in those days, was open until 10.30pm seven days a week, so I lived a visual diet of these in very formative years as I flipped through all 3 channels (yes, three. Four if you count the fact we could pick up Southern TV as well as Anglia - 5 on the rare occasions atmospherics played up and we could pick up ITV London).
From previous threads, I have seen I have a kindred spirt with @TheCarpathian and the Avengers (I believe we both own the full box sets and it is my all time favourite) but there were so many others we can explore, such as Gideon's Way, Man in a Suitcase, Adam Adamant ( you didn't believe Stuart Goddard was original did you?) before we get anywhere near more famous examples like The Saint, Thunderbirds and, of course, Dr Who.
To start, anyone remember The Baron? An American who made his money running a Texas cattle ranch (cattle baron geddit ?) and then came to London to run an antiques business with a side line in espionage and general adventurism, along the lines of The Saint.
Below is an interesting web site about the program and the character ( and the DVD box set of course).
The Baron

Opening Credits ( look out for Script Supervisor Terry ( Daleks) Nation

Urban_Tribesman · Post edited by Urban_Tribesman at 2014-08-11 17:19:53

Sorry. Forgot to mention. It's worth clicking this link if you have ever wondered what Lois Maxwell (the original Miss Moneypenny from Bond) looks like in a basque !
No, that's Sue Lloyd in the bath. Keep going !
Hubba Hubba!

Urban_Tribesman · Post edited by Urban_Tribesman at 2014-09-03 18:37:22

So, what's next on 60's TV?
Well, another program around about the same time as The Baron, was Man in a Suitcase.
Made by ITC, it features what was a familiar format on TV at this time; the solitary rogue agent or hero on the fringe of the intelligence community that ends up being dragged into adventures with Ne'er do Well's and ladies in distress each week. It was commissioned to replace an earlier series 'Danger Man' after Patrick McGoohan, the star of Danger Man, decided he had had enough of that particular vehicle and decided to leave to follow another idea that would eventually become 'The Prisoner'.
Reputed to be grittier than other similar program's of the time, it did dwell longer on the violence than most others and these scenes were more realistic than most. The hero went by just his surname, McGill, and was another American like the hero in The Baron because Americans at that time were seen as being more edgy characters, less stiff upper lip than their British counterparts and less likely to be concerned about following the rules.
It featured a gamet of famous co stars; Anton Rogers, Donald Sutherland, Judy Geeson, Stuart Damon (later seen in another 60's classic, The Champions') , to name a few. McGill was played by Richard Bradford, and if you are wondering where you may have seen him later, he was Mary Beth Lacey's Dad in Cagney & Lacey!

Man in a Suitcase

Opening credits - Look out for Dennis ( The Avengers) Spooner and theme music nicked by Chris (Ginger Whinger) Evans.

Urban_Tribesman · Post edited by Urban_Tribesman at 2015-04-14 15:19:17

In view of comments elsewhere about old TV programs, time for thread bump.
Was thinking the other day I had not posted anything here recently.
In the 60's in the UK, programs were very Spy based, as the above posts showed. One Genre defining show at that time was Dangerman, which was called prosaically, 'Secret Agent' in the States. It starred Patrick McGoohan as John Drake; probably the first in a long line of disgruntled, disaffected spies who kicked back against the system that created them. This culminated in the progression to one of the most celebrated programs of the era, 'The Prisoner'. Whether the character of No 6 was actually John Drake; spirited away by the very regime that created him is up for a lot of conjecture, but more of that another time.
A link to more info about Dangerman and also the theme music, which features some rinkydink harpsichord!

http://doubleosection.blogspot.com/2007/03/review-secret-agent-aka-danger-man.html

KatRobin

I'm very happy to say I'm too young for this thread lol. :D

Urban_Tribesman

Don't worry. We may get to Clangers by the by.

KatRobin

Oh good. Loved The Clangers. Always disappointed if the Soup Dragon didn't emerge. A lesson in disappointment early in life never hurt anyone ( but has made me bitter ever since lol).

Urban_Tribesman · Post edited by Urban_Tribesman at 2018-06-20 17:13:40

Thread bumpppp!
One of my favourite programs from the 60's ( I lie, my Favourite program from the 60's bar none) was the Avengers. The best incarnation of this was John Steed with Emma Peel, Emma played by (now Dame) Diana Rigg.
Emma was just sublime. For a young boy, glued to the television, she was such a feminist icon before there was such a thing as feminist icons. She had quite a profound effect and I grew up with a real penchant for tall, willowy brunettes. This should explain all nicely. A well cut montage to the song Short Skirt and Long Jacket by the band Cake.

Howdy, Stranger!

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