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TV ONLINE EPISODE GUIDE
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Director : Ken Hannam Script : Robert Barr Cast : Norman Rodway (Brady), Gerard Heinz (Doctor Richter), Janet Key (Magda Rajik) and Paul Aston (Peter). Publicity : To All Agents: "These Are The Men That You Are Up Against" - London's espionage networks are exposed in a new weekday thriller series beginning this week. Michael Wynn Jones has turned in this dossier on the security men that every spy must avoid …: Subject: British Security Service (Counter-Intelligence). Action: Read and destroy. Classification: Absolutely confidential. Hard Information, I need hardly tell you, on all wings of British Defence Intelligence - MI5 and MI6 - is scarce. These secret services are so secret that their existence is recognised neither by British common law nor their Official Secrets Act. The purpose of this memorandum is to acquaint units with all available information concerning British counter-intelligence activities. In the event of capture and interrogation of any agent, the contents of this file may prove to be of some help. D.I Operation Centre: The cover of counter-intelligence operations is changed frequently. According to the nameplate outside their London HQ, it appears currently to be the South-West London Tree Preservation Society. There is no telephone number listed for any organisation of this name, nor any other records. Do not be misled by the innocuous appearance of this building. Only the more experienced agent would notice that there are no handles on the inside of the "waiting-room". Once in, you will not get out. Our reports indicate that the detention cell is situated in the basement. The lights are controlled from outside. The room is almost certainly "bugged". You have been warned. The interrogation room is on the first floor; it is of a type you will be familiar with from your training. The tape-recorder is normally operated from the top drawer of the desk. The department also maintains a "de-briefing" centre at a country house within reach of London. We have reasons to believe it is in Berkshire. File further information immediately. D.I Personnel: These are the men you are up against. It is their job to break your cover and to make you talk. The more you know of your enemy, the better equipped you will be to fight him. Anderson, Commander, RN. Height: Six foot one inch. Colour: Fair. Build: Medium. Age: Thirty plus. Status: Married, two children. Agents must familiarise themselves thoroughly with Anderson's photograph. It is his responsibility to trace and track down "subversives". It is unlikely that when on service within the UK he will be armed, but he is an excellent marksman who has won several Services competitions at Bisley. Take no chances. Education: Academic qualifications uncertain. Entered navy at young age (his family has long naval tradition) and has seen normal sea-going service. Background: Sporting. Plays rugger regularly at club level, and squash as occasional relaxation. Exceptionally fit. Character: Man of action, temperamentally as well as physically. Often intuitive. Weakness: Inclined to impatience, which can at times lead him to act impulsively. This might suggest a conflict of purpose between him and Ryan - exploitable? Saunders, Lieutenant, RN. Height: Six foot. Colour: Fair. Build: Slim. Age: Twenty-five to twenty-nine. Status: Umarried. This officer has recently joined Anderson's unit, supposedly as a liaison officer. We require more information on this man. Our surveillance suggests Saunders is new to intelligence, still exhibits shipboard "discipline" in the presence of his senior officers. But do not take his youth or inexperience for granted. He is trained in firearms; shows a keen interest in all manner of gadgetry. The variety of badges on his car indicate he is an enthusiastic (and fast?) driver. Has competed in cross-country scrambling events. Agents will also note that he reportedly has what the British call "an eye" for glamorous women. Trent. Height: Five foot ten inches. Hair: White, short. Build: Medium. Age: Fifty plus. Marks: Scar on right eye - possible naval action? Marital status unknown. From photographs, this man appears to be in his fifties, but to have remained fit and alert. It is assumed that he is the senior operative in the unit and, since he has been observed on a number of occasions at the Admiralty and Ministry of Defence, that he is answerable only to the Director-General of Intelligence. Ryan, Commander, RN. Height: Five foot ten inches. Colour: Dark. Build: Solid. Age: Thirty-eight to forty-three. Status: Unmarried. Those of you who have had experience of British naval intelligence will not be surprised to learn that the key personnel in this department hold naval rank. Ryan probably has had experience both in the office of DNI (Director of Naval Intelligence) and in foreign postings. His foreign decorations (in addition to his CBE) suggest he has served as Naval Attache at several foreign embassies. Ryan is chief interrogator of the unit. Education: Charterhouse and Worcester College, Oxford. Studied Maths and History. Has since become fluent in French, Germand and Russian. Working knowledge of Italian and Greek. Described as "brilliant in some way". Background: Bachelor, lives alone. Rarely seen in public, entertains at home (cooking is his hobby, mostly European dishes). Club: Garrick. Character: A meticulous man, as the tidiness of his desk indicates. Weakness: Not obvious. Moderate drinker, no female "involvement" on record. One report states he has a tendency to irascibility with colleagues, especially in the face of obtuseness. Note: This memo supersedes his Who's Who entry. Finally you are reminded that officially this unit and these officers do not exist. Do not let that influence you in your precautions. You are not required to find them. But they will find you if you are not careful. MEMO ENDS. (Radio Times, March 9, 1972 - Article by Michael Wynn Jones). Synopsis : An "agent" escapes. Surprisingly he brings three other people with him - including a girl … Notes : The series was originally transmitted 7:05pm to 7:30pm on BBC 1. Series 1 was originally transmitted four nights per week (Monday to Thursday evenings).
Director : Ken Hannam Script : Robert Barr Cast : Norman Rodway (Brady), Gerard Heinz (Doctor Richter), Janet Key (Magda Rajik) and Paul Aston (Peter). Synopsis : It is now the girl's turn to be questioned.
Director : Ken Hannam Script : Robert Barr Cast : Norman Rodway (Brady), Gerard Heinz (Doctor Richter), Janet Key (Magda Rajik) and Paul Aston (Peter). Synopsis : . On the night of the fifth did Magda wait too long for Brady? The "Sleeper" is sent a signal.
Director : Ken Hannam Script : Robert Barr Cast : Norman Rodway (Brady), Gerard Heinz (Doctor Richter), Janet Key (Magda Rajik) and Paul Aston (Peter). Synopsis : Ryan and Trent see Magda again. The pressure is on. Brady faces new facts, and a future is at stake.
Director : Philip Dudley Script : N J Crisp Cast : John Abineri (Nicholas Bratiano), David Kincaid (The Policeman), John Barcroft (The Foreign Office Official), Gertan Klauber (The Ambassador), Caroline Mortimer (Carol Jackson) and Edward Brooke (The Border Official). Synopsis : Nicholas Bratiano defects to Britain with valuable secrets. He wants to bargain - but it means Anderson risking his life.
Director : Philip Dudley Script : N J Crisp Cast : John Abineri (Nicholas Bratiano), David Kincaid (The Policeman), John Barcroft (The Foreign Office Official), Gertan Klauber (The Ambassador), Caroline Mortimer (Carol Jackson) and Edward Brooke (The Border Official). Synopsis : Anderson and Carol arrive behind the Iron Curtain. They don't know who their contact is …
Director : Philip Dudley Script : N J Crisp Cast : John Abineri (Nicholas Bratiano), David Kincaid (The Policeman), John Barcroft (The Foreign Office Official), Gertan Klauber (The Ambassador), Caroline Mortimer (Carol Jackson) and Edward Brooke (The Border Official). Synopsis : "I'll tell you my difficulty, Mr Bratiano … you're a liar".
Director : Philip Dudley Script : N J Crisp Cast : John Abineri (Nicholas Bratiano), David Kincaid (The Policeman), John Barcroft (The Foreign Office Official), Gertan Klauber (The Ambassador), Caroline Mortimer (Carol Jackson) and Edward Brooke (The Border Official). Synopsis : "The frontier will be sealed as tight as a coffin before morning. They've got to cross tonight … on their own …".
Director : Terence Williams Script : John Gould Cast : Bryan Stanion (Detective Constable Coles), Neil McCallum (Donald Barry), Sylvia Kay (Susan Barry), Kevin Stoney (Trent), Robert McBain (David Miller) and Anthony Woodruff (The Magistrate). Synopsis : Travel agent Donald Barry specialises in trips behind the Iron Curtain: and that's no accident …
Director : Terence Williams Script : John Gould Cast : Bryan Stanion (Detective Constable Coles), Neil McCallum (Donald Barry), Sylvia Kay (Susan Barry), Kevin Stoney (Trent), Robert McBain (David Miller) and Anthony Woodruff (The Magistrate). Synopsis : "I worked it out a long time ago. It's the only way I can save him now".
Director : Terence Williams Script : John Gould Cast : Bryan Stanion (Detective Constable Coles), Neil McCallum (Donald Barry), Sylvia Kay (Susan Barry), Kevin Stoney (Trent), Robert McBain (David Miller) and Anthony Woodruff (The Magistrate). Synopsis : "I want you to make the best application you've ever made. Make it sound like life or death".
Director : Terence Williams Script : John Gould Cast : Bryan Stanion (Detective Constable Coles), Neil McCallum (Donald Barry), Sylvia Kay (Susan Barry), Kevin Stoney (Trent), Robert McBain (David Miller) and Anthony Woodruff (The Magistrate). Synopsis : "What do we lose if she does get caught?"
Director : Tristan de Vere Cole Script : Robert Barr Cast : Chris Tranchell (James Gibbs), Betty Kyprianov (The Maid), Patricia Trueman (The Receptionist) and Jon Laurimore (Rankin). Synopsis : James Gibbs is arrested, easy meat for Ryan … but he's not the one Ryan wanted, and he's tougher than he looks …
Director : Tristan de Vere Cole Script : Robert Barr Cast : Chris Tranchell (James Gibbs), Betty Kyprianov (The Maid), Patricia Trueman (The Receptionist) and Jon Laurimore (Rankin). Synopsis : "At the moment Gibbs, you have only one friend in the world - me …".
Director : Ken Hannam Script : Robert Barr Cast : Isla Blair (Marie Hansen), John Laurimore (Rankin), David Healy (Commander McCall) and Fleur Chandler (Judith Fallon). Synopsis : Rankin - the organizer. Gibbs - the contact. Marie Hansen - the courier. Ryan has them all - to break … or use.
Director : Ken Hannam Script : Robert Barr Cast : Isla Blair (Marie Hansen), John Laurimore (Rankin), David Healy (Commander McCall) and Fleur Chandler (Judith Fallon). Synopsis : Saunders and Rankin have left the hotel. The mission has begun ….
Director : Vere Lorrimer Script : Robert Barr Cast : Jon Laurimore (Rankin), Hector Ross (Chief Petty Officer Millar), James Copeland (Patterson) and Gabrielle Hamilton (Mrs Patterson). Synopsis : Marie Hansen is free. Rankin's made sure of it. And she's not gone empty-handed.
Director : Vere Lorrimer Script : Robert Barr Cast : Jon Laurimore (Rankin), Hector Ross (Chief Petty Officer Millar), James Copeland (Patterson) and Gabrielle Hamilton (Mrs Patterson). Synopsis : "If you want Brand - leave Patterson alone. I have more to lose than you. If I fail, I get twenty years".
Director : Terence Williams Script : Robert Barr Cast : Kevin Stoney (Trent), Eric Lander (Brand), John Laurimore (Rankin), David Downer (The Waiter) and Dorothy Frere (The Land Lady). Synopsis : Paul Brand is expected in London. Rankin knows not even Ryan can protect him now - he'll be on his own …
Director : Terence Williams Script : Robert Barr Cast : Kevin Stoney (Trent), Eric Lander (Brand), John Laurimore (Rankin), David Downer (The Waiter) and Dorothy Frere (The Land Lady). Synopsis : "This is three-nine … three-nine to Commander Anderson … our friend is ill … this is urgent".
Director : Tristan de Vere Cole Script : Robert Barr Cast : Kevin Stoney (Trent), Mark Burns (Peter Royce), Meg Wynn Owen (Anna Vas), Kazik Michalski (Michael Gabor), Paul Humpoletz (Henry) and Tom Criddle (Doctor Arnold). Synopsis : There is a man in Hungary who knows the name of the Whitehall traitor; it is Anderson's job to get it …
Director : Tristan de Vere Cole Script : Robert Barr Cast : Kevin Stoney (Trent), Mark Burns (Peter Royce), Meg Wynn Owen (Anna Vas), Kazik Michalski (Michael Gabor), Paul Humpoletz (Henry) and Tom Criddle (Doctor Arnold). Synopsis : "My dearest Anna, I have received your letter and I am greatly disturbed. Of course I will come to see you …".
Director : Ken Hannam Script : Robert Barr Cast : Kevin Stoney (Trent), Eric Lander (Brand), Jon Laurimore (Rankin), Tom Criddle (Doctor Arnold), Richard Warner (Prichard) and David Downer (The Waiter). Synopsis : . Ryan knows a name - Prichard: but it is not enough. Prichard is untouchable unless Ryan can find absolute proof …
Director : Ken Hannam Script : Robert Barr Cast : Kevin Stoney (Trent), Eric Lander (Brand), Jon Laurimore (Rankin), Tom Criddle (Doctor Arnold), Richard Warner (Prichard) and David Downer (The Waiter). Synopsis : . "You know quite well why you are here. You will be charged as a spy. And you will leave here only to go to prison …"
Director : Vere Lorrimer Script : N J Crisp Cast : Barry Jackson (Nicky), Marian Diamond (Helen Foster), Tom Kepinski (Johnson) and Barry Saunders (George). Synopsis : "Execution authorised of high-ranking British agent". This is the message Superintendent Clark delivers to Ryan and Anderson. The agents cover name is "Bernard". "Bernard" is Anderson …
Director : Vere Lorrimer Script : N J Crisp Cast : Barry Jackson (Nicky), Marian Diamond (Helen Foster), Tom Kepinski (Johnson) and Barry Saunders (George). Synopsis : "The money should be in cash. Bank accounts can be traced and I should hate to join our revered Karl Marx in Highgate Cemetery".
Director : Terence Williams Script : N J Crisp Cast : Barry Jackson (Nicky), Marian Diamond (Helen Foster), Tom Kepinski (Johnson) and Barry Saunders (George). Synopsis : "A singer in a night club: a song called `The Future Of Eterntiy' - and Anderson's in the gun-sights …".
Director : Terence Williams Script : N J Crisp Cast : Barry Jackson (Nicky), Marian Diamond (Helen Foster), Tom Kepinski (Johnson) and Barry Saunders (George). Synopsis : "Stop! Stop! Don't make me shoot again …"
Director : Tristan de Vere Cole Script : Jeremy Burnham Cast : Paul Eddington (Driscoll), Wendy Gofford (Lorna), Phillipa Page (Vicky), Ian Thompson (Metcalfe), Kevin Stoney (Trent), Laura Graham (Miss Parr), Peter Duncan (Gavin), Alan Foss (Bristow) and Keith Campbell (Lacey). Synopsis : What happens to a man's wife when he's convicted of spying? What happens when it suddenly seems that she was working with him …?".
Director : Tristan de Vere Cole Script : Jeremy Burnham Cast : Paul Eddington (Driscoll), Wendy Gofford (Lorna), Phillipa Page (Vicky), Ian Thompson (Metcalfe), Kevin Stoney (Trent), Laura Graham (Miss Parr), Peter Duncan (Gavin), Alan Foss (Bristow) and Keith Campbell (Lacey).
Director : Ken Hannam Script : John Gould Cast : Patsy Smart (Mrs Burton), Jon Laurimore (Rankin), Derek Martin (Brown), Jimmy Mac (The Commissionaire), Denis de Marne (Morgan), Willy Bowman (Starhemburg) and Sally Lahee (Mrs Trent). Synopsis : Starhemburg is "coming over". But he knows too much …
Director : Ken Hannam Script : John Gould Cast : Patsy Smart (Mrs Burton), Jon Laurimore (Rankin), Derek Martin (Brown), Jimmy Mac (The Commissionaire), Denis de Marne (Morgan), Willy Bowman (Starhemburg) and Sally Lahee (Mrs Trent). Synopsis : "There's a traitor - in thus unit".
Director : Ken Hannam Script : John Gould Cast : Patsy Smart (Mrs Burton), Jon Laurimore (Rankin), Derek Martin (Brown), Jimmy Mac (The Commissionaire), Denis de Marne (Morgan), Willy Bowman (Starhemburg) and Sally Lahee (Mrs Trent). Synopsis : Starhemburg is dead; Rankin is missing; Saunders "blown"; and Carson listening to every word - no one can trust anyone anymore.
Director : Ken Hannam Script : John Gould Cast : Patsy Smart (Mrs Burton), Jon Laurimore (Rankin), Derek Martin (Brown), Jimmy Mac (The Commissionaire), Denis de Marne (Morgan), Willy Bowman (Starhemburg) and Sally Lahee (Mrs Trent). Synopsis : . "If your husband is a traitor, it's not just to his country, but to you".
Director : Terence Williams Script : John Gould Cast : Patsy Smart (Mrs Burton), Jon Laurimore (Rankin), Derek Martin (Brown), Jimmy Mac (The Commissionaire), Denis de Marne (Morgan), Willy Bowman (Starhemburg) and Sally Lahee (Mrs Trent). Synopsis : "News from Paris states that Ryan is returning".
Director : Terence Williams Script : John Gould Cast : Patsy Smart (Mrs Burton), Jon Laurimore (Rankin), Derek Martin (Brown), Jimmy Mac (The Commissionaire), Denis de Marne (Morgan), Willy Bowman (Starhemburg), Sally Lahee (Mrs Trent), Julia Goodman (Judith), Michael Gough (Cooper), Lindsay Cooper (Webster) and Anna Palk (Mrs Anderson). Synopsis : "You've seen fit to put me through it, investigate my bank account, make my wife betray me - when all the time you've known".
Director : David Askey Script : N J Crisp Cast : Kate O'Mara (Sharon Lunghi), John Ringham (Severin), Alister Williamson (Charlie), Robert Russell (Miller) and Derek Martin (Davis). Synopsis : Without warning, a complete stranger walks into Ryan's office. He says he's Anderson's replacement. He could be genuine. But a man is missing, and there might be a link … Notes : This season was transmitted on BBC 1 between 8:15pm and 9:00pm.
Director : David Askey Script : John Wiles Cast : Derek Newark (Colonel Kretmar), Peter Geddis (Vander Doel), Kewsi Kay (Joseph Motu), George Roubicek (Commander Fisher), Lionel Ngakane (Ralph Kissanga), Mark Heath (John Kanza), Bill Treacher (The Pub Landlord) and Glen Williams (Charles Blake). Synopsis : The London offices of the Free Kibwsea movement are raided by men calling themselves "Special Branch". But why should Special Branch wreck the office, then make their getaway in an ambulance?
Director : Julia Smith Script : John Gould Cast : David Warbeck (Douglas Armstrong), David Gretton (The Student), Ralph Ball (Graham) and Mary Henry (Mrs Fleming). Synopsis : Douglas Armstrong is astonished when he is dismissed, for no apparent reason, from his post as lecturer in Arabic: no reason, that is, until he meets Commander Ryan.
Director : Valerie Hanson Script : N J Crisp Cast : Derek Farr (Lionel Fenchurch), Mary Kenton (Mary Fenchurch), George Pravda (The Ambassador), Louise Pajo (Deborah Monkton), John Warner (The Foreign Office Official), Jan Carey (Kathy Fenchurch) and Gerald Case (Eric Stuttard MP). Synopsis : Men, even in the very highest places, may believe that their power and influence can protect them against most things. But, when information is leaked, nothing can protect a man against Ryan and Carson.
Director : Julia Smith Script : Robert Holmes Cast : Terry Walsh (Schreiber), Artro Morris (Linz), Kenton Moore (Griffiths), Carl Rigg (Venner), Jenny Tanisch (Susie), Rafi Anwar (The Doctor) and Melia White (Andrea). Synopsis : Venner, serving twenty years, has to be "sprung" from prison: but someone wants Venner dead.
Director : Valerie Hanson Script : John Gould Cast : Anthony Valentine (Edward Chance), Anna Cropper (Penny Chance), John Rolfe (Harvey), Paul Thompson (The First Journalist), John Slavid (The Second Journalist) and John Caesar (The Third Journalist). Synopsis : Returning heroes deserve rest and honours … but only after Commander Ryan has finished with them.
Director : Julia Smith Script : Bill Barron Cast : Ann Castle (Barbara Baker), Susan Littler (Freda Gutteridge), William Squire (Nigel Stewart), Kate O'Mara (Sharon Lunghi), Jenny Quayle (Janice), Zoe Wanamaker (Muriel) and Robert Gary (Pascoe).. Synopsis : Anyone who travels regularly behind the Iron Curtain may be suspect - even an art critic.
Director : Valerie Hanson Script : P J Hammond Cast : James Maxwell (Knott), Andre Melly (Susan), John Kelland (Terry), Katherine David (Fiona), Hugh Martin (George), Jeremy Pearce (Ray), Geoffrey Hayes (Geoffrey) and Eve Pearce (Mrs Knott). Synopsis : When a man has a nervous breakdown and has worked in a highly classified area he may become a security risk …
Director : Viktors Ritelis Script : John Gould Cast : David Warbeck (Douglas Armstrong), Elliot Montgomery (Stanton), Richard Leech (Simpkins), Sylvia Langova (Adele OnslowDenis Lill (Onslow), Peter Weston (Mahoney), Eric McCaine (Detective Inspector Williams), Brenda Kempner (The Voice Of Mrs Simpkins) and Ian Fairbairn (The Man In The Theatre).
Director : Valerie Hanson Script : David Ellis Cast : Richard Hampton (Gordon Trask), Janet Lees Price (Joyce Trask), Kenneth Watson (Danvers), Peter Clay (Godfrey) and David Ashton (Dennis O'Reilly). Synopsis : Gordon Trask is a "double" working for us. He's small-time and scared, maybe too scared …
Director : Viktors Ritelis Script : John Wiles Cast : Seymour Green (Benito Lunghi), Franco Derosa (Aurelio Mulini), Joseph Pinker (The Waiter), Brian Ralph (The Hotel Receptionist), Kate O'Mara (Sharon Lunghi), Penny Jackson (The Air Stewardess), Joop Jossel-Behr (Bruno Stanek), Bruno Barnabe (Emilio Mauro) and Patricia Burke (Claudia Mauro).
Director : Viktors Ritelis Script : John Foster Cast : Jenny Twigge (Judy Powell), David Warwick (Armstrong), Andrew King (Neil Jessup), Anthony Stesh (Marchetti), Paddy Joyce (Delaney), Marcella Markham (Velma), Michael Rose (Slater) and Mary Barclay (Apache).
Director : David Askey Script : Ben Bassett Cast : Daniel Moynihan (Lambert), Colin McCormack (Inspector Tarr), Mary Webster (Sophie Winter), Geraldine Newman (Miss Buckle), Leon Eagles (Liary) and Zibra Mays (Annie Matthews).. Synopsis : Alex Winter was a good pilot: he's flown operations in Malaya, low level, in and out, rough stuff. So what was he doing thirty miles off course with a six hundred feet altimeter error - flying into the ground?
Director : David Askey Script : John Gould Cast : Keith Smith (William Jansen), Sheelah Wilcocks (The Woman), Ramsay Williams (James Smith) and Jenny Till (Miss Bryant).
Director : Paul Annett Script : Ben Bassett Cast : Geoffrey Bateman (Buchan), Ann Lynn (Marie), Peter Miles (Gregorov), Michael Turner (Captain Palance) and Peter Vidovic (Czepaev). Synopsis : "Go search for people who are hurt by fate or nature - the ugly … Belonging to an influential or powerful organization, for the first time in their lives they will experience a sense of importance. It is said indeed, and humanely shallow - but we are obliged to profit from it" (General Paul Sudoplatov, Partisan Directorate, NKVD). Publicity : This Week's Uncover Story - Friday sees the return of those masters of counter-espionage, Ryan, Sullivan and Carson, in a new series of Spy Trap. Behind their top-secret operations stand other men, never seen on the screen, who plan every move in the dangerous game played by the Department. They are the series writers. One of them, Ben Bassett, here tells David Gillard why he too has had good reason to keep his identity a close secret: Ultimate responsibility for counter-intelligence rests with the Prime Minister and two senior Ministers. In Spy Trap, Carson is the high-ranking civil servant in charge of security operations. The interrogator, Ryan, reports to him in Whitehall, and Sullivan takes his orders from Ryan. Clark and Williams are the two Special Branch detectives who provide police support - they alone have powers of arrest. Ben Bassett's real name is Kenneth Clark. When you're a Detective Chief Superintendent who also writes television police thrillers, the need for professional anonymity decrees a nom de plume. And Mr Clark had this bassett hound called Ben who used to walk all over his scripts … Ken Clark has always been attached to "Ben Bassett" but has never needed his pseudonymous half quite as much as does now. Last year he suffered a massive heart attack and his failing health finally forced him to retire after twenty-six years with the police, the last four as chief of the South-West Regional Crime Squad. Being "Ben Bassett" has suddenly become a full-time occupation. Look For The Ugly, the first of the new Spy Trap series, is Bassett's latest thriller, a spy saga with the sort of authentic touch you'd expect from a man who's been on the inside. But he says he never uses genuine incidents from his own police experience for his television plots: "Ben Bassett writes from situations, places, atmosphere, rather than events. My characters are amalgams, perhaps, but some of the things I've been involved with would be far too outrageous for any script editor to accept. No one would ever believe them". Not that he'd deny that the day-to-day police activities with which he's been involved have laid the groundwork for many scripts. His stories for Z-Cars, Dixon Of Dock Green and Softly, Softly reek of first-hand knowledge. His past Z-Cars episodes have included Certain Parties which, he says, "looked at the general bloodiness of crime-fighting at the local level" and Operation Ascalon which concentrated on a detective chief superintendent's debriefing for an operation that had gone wrong. "No matter how meticulous your plans, if something can go wrong it probably will," says Clark. Look For The Ugly is, he says, written more from research than from experience, though he's had his dealings with the Special Branch over the years and "spent an awful lot of time in ditches and under railway arches watching people". But there are more obvious parallels to be drawn between the script and his own life. One of the characters in it is a man injured in a parachuting accident - and Clark himself was a member of the Parachute Regiment at the end of the last war and cracked two ribs in a demonstration drop over Salisbury Plain. "I Suppose Talk Of Officer Quality Is Old-Fashioned …": He is forty-eight now, a modest, avuncular man trying desperately to come to terms with what he sees as the terrifying prospect of full-time writing. Both his sons are in the Merchant Navy and he and his wife Adeline live in a neat bungalow overlooking the Bristol Channel, scene of some of his television adventures. They still have a bassett hound, Rupert, Ben's cousin about ten times removed, and there's little around the home to recall his past. He joined the police in 1948, having failed to get a commission in the Regular Army, but it's evident that his Army background has influenced him throughout his career. "The training was invaluable," he says. "The chaps who taught me about officer quality were blokes who'd held the bridges at Arnhem. I suppose talk of officer quality is old-fashioned these days. What is it they call it now? Management technique?". On the beat as a constable in Cheltenham he decided to augment his small income by writing, first short stories for magazines, then radio scripts for the BBC. It wasn't until much later, in the 1960s, that he thought of writing police stories for television. "I'm A Devout Coward And A Terrible Shot": With his writing, as with other important facets of his life, he is unassuming, mildly self-deprecating. The Army training showing through, perhaps. Officer quality. "I would not presume to call myself a writer," he says. "Hemingway's a writer. Ben Bassett really lived only two or three hours a day, usually from four to five o'clock in the morning. Until now, writing has been a hobby for me, an exercise of mind, a discipline. For twenty-six years I was a dedicated professional policeman, for most of that time a working detective". Running a regional crime squad was a job that gave him a great deal of flexibility to combat what he calls "the professional and highly mobile criminal". As a qualified pilot he was allowed to use light aircraft for operations and, two years ago, succeeded in busting a gang smuggling illegal immigrants. By posing as a BBC scriptwriter in trouble with the taxman, he infiltrated the gang in Paris and offered to fly illegal immigrants to England in his private plane. "Unfortunately," he says, "they rumbled me at the last minute - but we got most of them and sealed the Paris end of the operation". Just the sort of adventure that could give rise to a Ben Bassett script, though he characteristically underplays the dangers of the operation and laughs off the suggestion that such work could have its parallels with the clandestine espionage world of Spy Trap. "I assure you I'm a devout coward and a terrible shot," he says. "Anyway, I've always seen myself as more of a Richard Hannay than a James Bond". (Radio Times, March 13, 1975 - Article by David Gillard). Notes : This season was transmitted on BBC 1 at 9:45pm to 10:35pm .
Director : Paul Annett Script : John Kershaw Cast : Michael Aldridge (Andrei Gourko), Charles West (The Professor), Jeffrey Gardiner (Jonathan Hodge), Peter Baldwin (White), Frederick Hall (Under Secretary), Denys Hawthorne (Harris), Betty Bowden (Landlady), John Kidd (Doctor Blom) and Keith Varnier (The Technician). Synopsis : The detector in Ryan's office claims he's Andrei Gourko, celebrated poet and scientist. But the Russian's claim Gourko is still happily working in Moscow.
Director : David Askey Script : P J Hammond Cast : Alf Joint (Charlie Pitman), Sheila Fearn (Mrs Church), John F Landry (Clive Church), Bob Cartland (James Compton), Jill Balcon (Mrs Pitman), Leon Sinden (John Ferris) and Martin Matthews (The CID Inspector). Synopsis : Prince royal village may be a nice place to live but Charlie Pitman died there, only a stone's throw from the neighbouring atomic research station. He was a popular fellow. He may also have been a spy …
Director : David Askey Script : Ray Jenkins Cast : Michael Burrell (Danny Steadman), John Baldwin, Lyndon Brook (Doctor Malcolm George), Trevor Baxter (Gordon Beng), Jacqueline Pearce (Helen Machin), David Soames (Simon Pocock) and Don Fellows (Bennett A Hibbard). Synopsis : Danny Steadman knows he's under surveillance. He says he's got nothing to hide, but if so why, when he finds Sullivan searching his flat, doesn't he call the police?
Director : Morris Barry Script : John Wiles Cast : Bill Matthews (Ivan Chuikov), James Bree (Richard Andrew Lees), Diane Keen (Deborah Anne Lees), Alfred Hoffman (George Harris), Patricia Mort (Mrs Harris), Vincent Hall (Brian Harris), Allissa Naye (Christine Harris), Malcolm Kaye (Jimmy Kay) and Robin Browne (Mansell). Synopsis : A spy, running for home, doesn't usually have time to make social calls. So why should Ivan Chuikov visit an East End block of flats, en route for London Airport?
Director : Valerie Hanson Script : Bill Craig Cast : Ian Paterson (Schroeder), Richard Marner (Werner Lempke), Mikel Lambert (Gerta Scholtz), Victor Beaumont (Gunther Strobel) and Douglas Stark (Vopo). Synopsis : The radio message simply says that the unicorn has been "blown" and Schroeder is badly wounded. But how badly, and what information has he got? Ryan and Sullivan are sent to penetrate the Iron Curtain to find out.
Director : Valerie Hanson Script : Arden Winch Cast : Yvonne Coulette (Lady Cockerell), Stephen Murray (Sir Edward), David Blake Kelly (Harry Cooper), Patrick Jordan (Hans Berndorf), Pamela Brown (Hester), Marie Rogers (Beryl) and Sonja Nerdrum (Gerda). Synopsis : . Sometimes truth must be hidden at all costs, even if it means destroying a reputation and wrecking a marriage …
Director : Julia Smith Script : John Gould Cast : Pat Gorman (The Detective), Naomi Chance (Diana Stuart), Griffith Jones (Alick Stuart), Lucinda Curtis (Valerie Charles), Bill Treacher (Joe Ruckley), Richard Butler (Mr Mullin), Gabrielle Blunt (Mrs Mullin) and George Baker (Colonel Jacoby). Synopsis : Someone must have made a very wrong decision in April 67 …
Director : Julia Smith Script : Ian Curteis Cast : Marjorie Yates (Mrs Adam), Peter Bale (Carter) and Ronald Randall (Maitland). Synopsis : "You'll talk to me, Carter. Not to the police, but to me. Because I've never heard of the Judge's Rules. So I don't care how much noise you make …"
Director : Julia Smith Script : Tony Williamson Cast : Robert Flemyng (General Merrin) and Pat Milner (Sergeant Walters). Synopsis : There's no law against a retired General writing his memoirs, nor need he submit them for security clearance. But it's a prudent precaution - unless, of course, he's deliberately using the book to betray NATO … |
 Paul Daneman Thirteen years after creating the highly-successful Spycatcher for BBC Television, writer Robert Barr returned with a fresh concept for the 1970s in the form of Spy Trap, a weekday thriller serial which would delve into the cloak-and-dagger world of espionage and prove a notable fixture in BBC 1's early evening schedules.  Prentis Hancock and Julian Glover The series concerned the "Department", an espionage organisation which was based somewhere between MI5 and MI6, answerable to the Ministry Of Defence and headed by Commander Ryan RN (Paul Daneman), interrogator extraordinaire (shades of Barr's Colonel Pinto from Spycatcher echoing strongly in this character).  Michael Gwynn, Paul Daneman and Tom Adams Agents in the field were Commander Anderson (Julian Glover) and Lieutenant Saunders RN (Prentis Hancock), both of whom were required to travel the world in pursuit of rogue agents, defectors and other matters in the national interest. The programme originally appeared four nights a week and was designed as an on-going serial with multi-part storylines flowing into one another as on-going and short-run investigations blended and merged. When the series returned in Autumn 1973 (after a successful thirty-six episode first season run), the programme was scheduled in a different timeslot (now later, in the prime-time 8:15pm slot) and duration (fifty-minute episodes as opposed to thirty-minute episodes). Michael Gwynne was introduced as the agent Carson, whilst Tom Adams was introduced as Major Sullivan (Julian Glover's replacement). The series changed emphasis from long-running pursuits to individual cases, which enabled the storylines to delve deeper into the dangers posed to agents in the field, and also enabled the writing and production crew to establish a stronger element of tension and conflict in episodes. A third season of ten episodes in March 1975 followed, with audiences supporting the series relatively strongly, and with a high-calibre supporting cast. The programme depicted a harder-edged world of counter-espionage than had otherwise appeared in spy and thriller serials on BBC Television, and was possibly influenced by a wide array of ITV products on a similar theme (which started to develop "teams" as opposed to "loners" in the field). Spy Trap was a rare example of a programme which harked back to the days of John Drake in Danger Man, in that agents very rarely carried weapons, relying rather on their wits and skills of negotiation to accomplish their missions. The series boasted notable guest performances from Norman Rodway, John Abineri, Isla Blair and Kate O'Mara, assisted by strong script contributions from Robert Barr, N J Crisp, John Gould, Robert Holmes, P J Hammond, Ben Bassett and Tony Williamson. The series was produced by experienced hand Morris Barry, and whilst it may have slipped by the wayside in the appreciation of other cult and archive television, Spy Trap is a commendable last-turn for the BBC in the secret-spy-organisation-thriller genre. Whilst several notable one-off series and individual productions would dabble in this broad genre from different angles, it would not be until Kudos Productions delivered the highly popular series Spooks for the BBC that this kind of programme would reappear in the network's schedules. The series was successfully exported, but never been commercially released in any format.
The series was created by Robert Barr and produced by Morris Barry. The series was script edited by Simon Masters. Text © Matthew Lee, 2005. |