THE ENGLISH WAY OF DEATH. 'CALLAN': THE COLOUR YEARS

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:

The memorable UK TVTIMES magazine cover heralding the shows colour return.

SEASON THREE

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.

Clips: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmwdXVkJ4RU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4iHC_I6T6E

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.

Back in action for the show's final season.

SEASON FOUR

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

KOOL TV DVD REVIEW: 'CALLAN - WET JOB'

CALLAN (Edward Woodward) returns one last time in Wet Job. Images: NETWORK DVD/ITV

CALLAN: WET JOB

Written by James Mitchell

Produced and directed by Shaun O’Riordan

Available on DVD from NETWORK

Reviewed by Scott Weller

You never leave the British Secret Service-seven years on that’s a fact that the once seemingly retired David Callan, as iconically portrayed by Edward Woodward, finds out the hard way in the 1981 one-off resurrection TV film Wet Job, written by the CALLAN series originator James Mitchell for ATV, and finally released on DVD, after years in archive limbo, from NETWORK.

The antithesis of James Bond, CALLAN, the late sixties/early seventies series, had become additive viewing for millions of British audiences and quickly made Woodward a big star, long before his later eighties American success with THE EQUALIZER. And his lonely but ruthless character may indeed be a spy, often reluctantly for Queen and Country, but he’s certainly nothing like the kind of fantastical agent seen working for Her Majesty in Ian Fleming’s famous novel and film series. In stark contrast to Bond, Callan’s world is a brutal and unforgiving mistress, who takes more than she gives.

Callan meets the new spy boss, Hunter (Hugh Walters)

Now a shopkeeper selling millitaria, and with an on/off relationship with his indecisive landlady, Margaret Channing (Angela Brown), Callan soon has his trusty Walther PPK back in his hand, brought back into “The Business” by the new Hunter (a creepy and manipulative performance from the always enjoyable Hugh Walters), to settle an unwanted problem against a dangerous businessman named Haggerty (UFO’s George Sewell) who’s threatening to name names, including Callan’s (whom he blames for the death of his daughter years back), in an explosive upcoming biography.

Woodward, as the isolated and complex lead, weary of his return to killing but soon relying on his prior survival instincts, and Russell Hunter as his “smelly friend” Lonely, now out of the burglary career and running a plumbing outfit called Fresh and Fragrant! (though coerced into doing one last service for his intimidating old friend), both effortlessly slip back into their roles, and Mitchell’s dialogue for them is as sharp and memorable as ever (Lonely, in particular, has some great dialogue: “I never pong when I’m Happy!” and “It’s like the good old days. Gawd help us!”). Both actors had also aged well in the seven-year gap and look like they’ve never been away (clip: Callan: Wet Job - starring Edward Woodward - YouTube). This one-off’s main protagonist, George Sewell as Haggerty, is also excellent, though it’s a shame that he and Woodward have very little time to spar in the production, which at times gets a little bogged down with the ex-spy’s bittersweet relationship with Margaret, to the detriment of the story.

Russell Hunter returns as smelly Lonely.

Overall, there are still touches of the old classic CALLAN from Mitchell, but ultimately the story doesn’t sustain its one hour and twenty minutes length. I think it would have been much better if it had been a lean, mean and condensed episode of the original series.

Watched by 12.8 million viewers on its original debut, producer/director Shaun O’Riordan obviously shows enthusiasm and ambition for the production, but it’s not a total success and needed to have more money and polish spent on it. Though a talented composer (his Sapphire and Steel work alongside O’Riordan had been excellent), Cyril Ornadel’s incidental score here is sadly both intrusive and irritating, and fails to capture the atmosphere of the series original theme music (in fact, the sixties and seventies CALLAN series had very little music-and never needed it). Not being shot on 16 or 35mm film is also a mistake that should have been avoided: this final story for Callan, with such a great cast, could have looked visually better than being filmed on video and outside broadcast tape-a common occurrence in eighties British TV series so as to cut production costs. (The original series had also been filmed in that manner but again worked better in its original environment.)

NETWORK’s transfer of the story to DVD is clean and blemish-free, though sadly the scant photo gallery barely makes the grade on the extras front-this one-off tale deserved at least some kind of production info or at least an interview with the surviving members of the shows original cast and crew. As the final ever episode of CALLAN, it definitely deserved better from NETWORK, though full credit to them for finally getting this one-off tale released.

Acting as a kind of bookend to creator Mitchell’s original pilot episode for CALLAN-A Magnum for Schneider from back in 1967- Wet Job is a solid and watchable, if hardly classic, footnote to the original series. For curiosity value, and an always strong performance from Edward Woodward, it’s worth a look, but don't expect to see the show at it's best here-stick to the original run for that…

KOOL TV RATING: 3 out of 5

All surviving Black and White episodes, and the full colour series of CALLAN are now available from NETWORK.

KOOL TV REVIEW: "CALLAN" THE MONOCHROME YEARS

Spy with a conscience. Edward Woodward as CALLAN. All images: NETWORK DVD

One of the UK’s most beloved TV series of the late sixties and early seventies, the unique spy thriller CALLAN, created by James Mitchell, whose vulnerable but dangerous assassin lead character would be played to perfection by the excellent late actor Edward Woodward (his career best role, and the one that launched him into the TV hall of fame forever), has now been made available in its existing entirety via two box sets from the ever reliable UK company NETWORK DVD –one for the surviving black and white episodes of the shows first two seasons, the other for the two equally successful colour years from the early seventies. It’s the former set that I’ve now had the chance to see, and there are some cracking episodes on it that make it an essential purchase for all fans of good drama, strong characters and spy series in general. Considering the age of the episodes they are in pretty good shape for the most part, though sadly its obvious that, bar one episode, THE WORST SOLIDER I EVER SAW, previously lost but now expertly restored and re-edited from the original surviving recording footage, this has not had the kind of special clean-up treatment seen with the work done by the likes of the BBC’s DOCTOR WHO classic series DVD range, that it I feel it deserved. There’s also no behind the scenes booklet accompanying the release and no DVD extras at all, which is a further missed opportunity (I’m sure NETWORK could have interviewed some of the directors/writers who might still be alive, and on the acting front they could have at least tracked down Anthony Valentine (who played Callan’s rival, Toby Mears) for a chat or at least a couple of episode commentaries). Such an enduringly popular series as CALLAN, even if it is in a Black and White format that might be seen as off putting for certain buyers, deserved better. 

At the end of the day, though, it’s the episodes themselves that count and are the real stars of the package. All of them are worth watching, and the original pilot, A MAGNUM FOR SCHNEIDER, realized by one of THE AVENGERS TV series earliest producers, Leonard White, and directed by Bill Bain (also instrumental visually in some of that aforementioned series style), made on unglossy, raw videotape for the ARMCHAIR THEATRE series by ABC TV (and staying in that format for the rest of the series to come), is one of the best ever made for that time. All the series later classic trademarks and elements that would make it such a success with UK TV audiences are on display here, showing the great story and character promise to come pretty much from the get go. James Mitchell’s script is lean and mean, and well caters for the theatre like atmosphere of the opener, with a star performance from Edward Woodward and an equally strong supporting cast including regular 60’s TV baddie, before becoming the suave 70’s sophisticate of shows like TO THE MANOR BORN and LYTTON’S DIARY, Peter Bowles, in his one and only performance as Callan’s young rival, and private boarding school toff Toby Mears, THE PRISONER’s Ronald Radd as the mysterious but seedy and dangerous “Hunter”, in charge of the UK’s spy ring known as The Section, and the super Scottish character actor Russell Hunter looking not so scruffy, but certainly retaining his personal hygiene problems, as the seedy gun acquirer/safe cracker/thief, Lonely. The character dynamics (the antagonistic relationships between the main characters, like Callan and the ambitious, sometimes trigger happy, bullyish thorn in his side Mears (played in the regular series by Anthony Valentine), our often anti-hero-like central character Callan’s in bred and naturalistic hatred of his superiors (The Section making him do all the dark and dirty jobs no one else wants to touch, of which there would be three overall “Hunter”s in Seasons One and Two (Ronald Radd, Michael Goodliffe, Derek Bond), his dry and often bleak sense of humour (where we often hear what he’s thinking-an element of the shows that’s removed in later episodes) and his sometimes isolationism, where his only friend whom he can trust actually turns out to be the downtrodden Lonely (In some ways, poor little Lonely acts as a kind of vicious circle security blanket/boxing pole for Callan, who constantly smacks him around- the spy himself is constantly being bruised and beaten by his superiors in the assignments he has to do and he can’t fight them back, therefore he takes it out on Lonely, whom he can manipulate and scare within their unusual love/hate relationship, and knowing that Lonely doesn’t have the strength to resist him back, either!). Adding to the main characters, the series has realistic and dangerous villains for them to fight, against a sixties London backdrop that is both familiar and grittily sinister.

Callan gets to grips with his "smelly friend" Lonely (Russell Hunter).

Looking at the episodes that follow MAGNUM (from the caliber of well known writers like Ray Jenkins, Michael Winder and Terence Feely) you can see how the shows production values improve with each episode and season (and regular continuity proves excellent). 

Here’s my personal favourite choices of the thirteen surviving episodes in the B/W box set:

A MAGNUM FOR SCHNEIDER (1967 PILOT)

Brought out of an enforced leave by his shadowy spy master “Hunter” (Ronald Radd), civil servant David Callan, once known as a formidable killer with a ruthless streak, is given an unwilling test mission that, if successful, will see him back in employment: to take out a Red File assignment target, a German named Schneider (Joseph Furst), who, it seems, is a danger to British interests, living the good life in London as an importer/exporter. But an importer of what?

THE GOOD GUYS ARE ALL DEAD (SEASON ONE, EPISODE ONE)

Acting as an undesired but needed freelancer for The Section, which is currently working alongside the Israeli Secret Service, Callan has to resume his undercover work as an accounts/book clerk to discover whether an Egyptian businessman, Savros, is really an ex-Nazi slave camp leader, Strauss, from 23 years previously.

This is pretty much another version of the pilot, presumably to introduce new viewers to the series, but it’s still good nonetheless! With its serious tone showing the consequences of being a spy- of perhaps killing someone that you ultimately like despite their reputation- this episode intriguingly shows how being an assassin can affect an individual, especially one possessing a strong sense of morality like Callan!

RED KNIGHT, WHITE KNIGHT  (1969 SEASON TWO (KNOWN AS “THE CALLAN SAGA”), EPISODE ONE)

At odds with a new Hunter (Michael Goodliffe), Callan, soon fully re-instated within The Section, finds himself once more pitted against his old adversary and equal from Moscow, the assassin Punin (Duncan Lamont). Is Punin really defecting to the West? Or is Callan’s adversary up to his old murderous tricks once more?

THE MOST PROMISING GIRL OF HER YEAR (SEASON TWO, EPISODE TWO)

Lab technician Joan Mather (Elizabeth Bell) wants to quit her job in helping to develop a possible new nerve gas weapon and run away with her East German boyfriend, but when The Section realizes she has a natural talent-a photographic memory of all her work- any idea of her leaving is soon under suspicion. Callan, acting as principal investigator for his superior, takes on a dangerous assassin and finds that love can make the ultimate sacrifice…

LET’S KILL EVERYBODY  (SEASON TWO, EPISODE FIVE)

A previously injured Callan finds himself caught in a deadly assassination plot by an unknown power against The Section and its members, with his unsuspecting girlfriend, ex-nurse Jenny (Hilary Dwyer), caught in the middle! An excellent episode from writer Ray Jenkins, with the unexpected shocking death of a major series character by its finale.

THE WORST SOLDIER I EVER SAW (SEASON TWO, EPISODE THIRTEEN)

The dictatorial and power hungry Sultan of Abutar wants to wage war against his Middle Eastern enemies and hires a British Brigadier, Pringle (Alan Cuthbertson), to come to his country in order to train soldiers. The Section, however, aware of the dangers of such a military action in such sensitive times, and how a new war could threaten past and future oil deals, sends Callan, a former solider to Pringle, and now acting as his house manservant, to discreetly stop him…

DEATH OF A HUNTER  (SEASON TWO FINALE, EPISODE FOURTEEN)

On a special individual assignment for Hunter- in surveillance of a possible enemy agent- Callan unwillingly becomes the pawn in a deadly chess game trap being initiated against The Section. This time all bets are off as the final moves on the board see Pawn take Knight!

The series finale, DEATH OF A HUNTER is one of the shows darkest hours for the character of Callan, in a tale which brings together a great, cleverly constructed script by Michael Winder (and if you liked the Michael Caine spy thriller THE IPCRESS FILE you’ll certainly like this). I can only imagine how shocked viewers were by the ending when they first watched the original transmission, backed up with taut and exciting direction from producer Reginald Collin, who, uncertain whether the series would continue in colour, filmed two ending to the episode: one in which Callan lived, and the other in which he died. Fortunately, due to public demand for more, they chose the former!

KOOL TV RATINGS (OVERALL): Episodes 3.5 out of 5. DVD extras 0 out of 5

For more detailed notes on the series in general check out the earlier KOOL TV blog in the labels area.