THE MOGUL / THE TROUBLESHOOTERS APPRECIATION SITE
A BBC Television Drama Production for BBC-1 devised and created by John Elliot.
MOGUL - Production Notes / Series Overview / Episode Guide / Character Biographies / Cast And Crew / Cast Biographies / Crew Biographies
TROUBLESHOOTERS - Production Notes / Series Overview / Episode Guide / Character Biographies / Cast And Crew / Cast Biographies / Merchandise / Links
Mogul Crew Biographies
John Elliot
John Elliot in later life
John Elliot - Born in Bristol in 1918. John Elliot was certainly a competent literary artist who was capable of delivering gripping novels and highly entertaining television scripts with consummate ease. Having scripted a succession of one-off plays for British Television between 1954 and 1960 (namely War In The Air and A Man From The Sun), he emerged as a writer of considerable note when he joined forces with Fred Hoyle to write the ground-breaking A For Andromeda, a science-fiction serial in 1961 which set the tone for all which was to follow in its stead. The popularity of the serial spawned a sequel, The Andromeda Breakthrough, the following year, and Elliot once again collaborated with scientist Fred Hoyle to ensure an authenticity to his work. Following the success of these two productions, Elliot penned further one-off plays, but his talents were underused by the BBC, who employed him on the production of several notable documentaries until 1963, when he resigned from the network to pursue more high-brow literary efforts elsewhere. As a parting gift to the BBC, he offered the corporation an option on his concept for a drama series set against the backdrop of the oil industry, and two years later Mogul reached the screens. Disillusioned with the direction the series eventually took, Elliot turned his hand to contributions to a variety of individual programmes (such as Fall Of Eagles and the documentary-drama series Survival). Like many writers, he considered he had never reached his full potential and recognition, though the Andromeda productions and the Mogul / Troubleshooters series have served as a lasting legacy of his ingenuity and creativity. John Elliot died 14th August 1997.
Peter Graham Scott - Born 17th October, 1923. Peter Graham Scott has enjoyed an illustrious career traversing writing, producing and directing television and film productions from 1947 to 1988. In the capacity of Editor, Scott started his career in 1947 on Brighton Rock, a film for the United States market which featured Richard Attenborough. His editing contributions were enjoyed on other film productions such as The Perfect Woman, Landfall, Shadow Of The Eagle, The Small Miracle, The Large Rope and River Beat. In a writing capacity, Scott penned Sing Along With Me (1952) which he also directed, The Big Chance (1957) and the ITV serial Kidnapped in 1979 (which he also produced). Under the mantle of Producer, Scott was responsible for contributions to The Citadel (1960), the cult series Children Of The Stones (1977) which he also directed, The Curse Of King Tut's Tomb, Into The Labyrinth, Arch Of Triumph, Jamaica Inn, Jenny's War, Frontiers and The Canterville Ghost. However, Scott is perhaps best regarded for his work in a directorial capacity, having worked on programmes such as Danger Man, The Avengers, Sir Francis Drake, Zero One, The Four Seasons Of Rosie Carr, Redcap, The Prisoner and Subterfuge (amongst others). A perfectionist in every sense of the work, Scott's ability to produce and direct fast-paced episodes of popular programmes (perhaps harking back to his skills in the editing suite) has ensured his equal status with some of the best and most reliable producers and directors in the business.
Anthony ReadAnthony Read - Anthony Read originally trained to be an actor at the Central School of Speech and Drama and it was here that he realised his ambitions to be a writer. His training was cut short by National Service and on demob he worked as a journalist and in public relations. Determined to break into TV he applied for, but was turned down for, the post of script editor on The Avengers. However he gained work at the BBC and apart from script editing The Troubleshooters he also held the same post during 1978-1979 on Doctor Who. Other work included producing the first season of The Lotus Eaters and writing scripts for The Professionals, The Omega Factor, Sapphire And Steel, Chocky and The Hammer House of Horror. He also created the series One By One. He now works mainly in non-fiction, though has been a major script contributor to the children's Kiwi post apocalypse drama The Tribe.