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77
Sunset Strip
ITV
Warner Brothers |
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American
private detective series originally created in 1958 which starred Efrem
Zimbalist Jr ( Stuart Bailey ), Roger Smith ( Jeff Spencer ) and Edd
Byrnes ( Kookie ). No doubt that the West Coast hot-rodding, quiff-combing,
jive talking Byrnes was the main interest of the series for teenage
females on both sides of the Atlantic. Bailey and Spencer were the freelance
private eyes who, along with their secretary Suzanne ( Jacqueline Beer
), were assisted in their enquiries by local 'head', Kookie. Kookie....Kookie...lend
me your comb.... and the theme tune was pretty snappy too
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A
Life Of Bliss
BBC 1960-61 |
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George
Cole starred in the successful carry-over of this 30 minute comedy series
from radio to television, playing the part of David Bliss, a gullible
young bachelor prone to verbal gaffes and jumping to incorrect conclusions.
His pet dog, Psyche, was 'voiced' by animal impersonator Percy Edwards.
Sheila Sweet starred as his girlfriend, Isabel Dean as sister Anne and
Colin Gordon as his brother-in-law. Two series were made, written and
produced by Godfrey Harrison
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All Our Yesterdays
GRANADA 1960-73 |
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20 minute ( later 30 minute ) nostalgia documentary programme which
showed newsreels from 25 years ago on that week. These were made up
from the twice-weekly cinema Pathe newsreels which were shown at the
time, later to include television news archive footage and studio guests.
First narrated by James Cameron and later narrated and introduced by
Brian Inglis
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Biggles
GRANADA 1960 |
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28
x 30 minute episodes featured the adventures of Air Police Inspector
Bigglesworth based on the stories by Captain W.E.Johns. A children's
action series with very definite goodies and baddies. The goodies were
Biggles ( Nevil Whiting ), Ginger ( Chart-topping pop star John Leyton
) and Bertie ( David Drummond )
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Bonanza
ITV 1960-
NBC 1959 |
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Huge,
long-running blockbuster American western series featuring the life
and adventures of the Cartwright family, owners of the Ponderosa ranch,
and citizens in nearby Virginia City during the wild west of the 1860s.
Ben Cartwright was played by Lorne Greene and his three sons, Hoss,
Little Joe and Adam were played respectively by Dan Blocker, Michael
Landon and Pernell Roberts. Very much a 'moral' series with the Cartwrights
demonstrating the best traits of human nature, usually with a happy
ending despite nature's setbacks and gun-toting baddies of all types.
Immensely popular series still showing on various channels today
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Bonehead
BBC 1960-62 |
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Slapstick
25 minute comedy series produced and written by Shaun Sutton which featured
Bonehead ( Colin Douglas ), Happy ( Douglas Blackwell ) and Boss ( Paul
Whitsun-Jones ) as the 'Silliest and least successful gang in the Underworld'
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Citizen
James
BBC 1960-62 |
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This
30 minute comedy series was essentially a spin-off of the character
played by Sid James in Hancock's Half Hour. The first series, written
by Galton and Simpson, presented the character as a layabout, aided
and abetted by Bill Kerr and girlfriend Liz Fraser. The second series,
written by Sid Green and Dick Hills transformed him into a well-meaning
but bungling do-gooder aided by pal Sydney Tafler
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Coronation
Street
GRANADA 1960- |
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What
can I possibly say in a few lines that would do justice to what started
as a twice-weekly soap opera about the lives of North-western city folk
and has since turned into a British institution. It was originally intended
to be a 13 part series, written by creator Tony Warren, to be called
'Florizel Street'. Original series main characters included Ena Sharples
( Violet Carson ), Martha Longhurst ( Lynne Carol ), Minnie Caldwell
( Margot Bryant ), Elsie Tanner ( Pat Phoenix ), Len Fairclough ( Peter
Adamson ), Dennis Tanner ( Philip Lowrie ), Albert Tatlock ( Jack Howarth
), Ken Barlow ( William Roache ) and the masters of 'The Rover's Return'
Annie and Jack Walker ( Doris Speed & Arthur Leslie )
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Danger
Man
ATV 1960-61 1964-67 |
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Cult
action / adventure espionage series created by Ralph Smart which featured
Patrick McGoohan as John Drake, a top agent for the NATO secret service
( British Intelligence M9 in the second series ) who, unlike his American
counterparts, rarely resorted to gunplay, preferring to slug his way
out of trouble. The first series consisted of 39 x 30 minute episodes
produced by Ralph Smart and the second series of 45 x 60 minute episodes
produced by Aida Young (64/65) and Sidney Cole. Two 60 minute episodes
(1967) were made in colour - 'Koroshi' and 'Shinda Shima' which were
recombined into a 93 minute telefeature called 'Koroshi'. The programme
was networked in the U.S. by CBS under the title 'Secret Agent'
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Four
Feather Falls
GRANADA 1960
AP Films |
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39
x 15minute episodes were made of one of Gerry Anderson's early puppet-based
adventure/fantasy shows. Sherrif Tex Tucker saves the life of Makooya,
the son of indian chief Kalamakooya and is rewarded with four magic
feathers which, among other things, enable his guns to fire by themselves
and allow his dog, Dusty and horse, Rocky to be able to talk to him.
The series villains are bandits Pedro and Fernando. Other characters
included Martha Jones, Grandpa Twink and Little Jake
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Here's
Harry
BBC 1960-65 |
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A
very popular and long-running comedy series starring the genius of Harry
Worth whose bumbling attempts at do-gooding landed him in all sorts
of hot water and strange situations. The series followed on from the
earlier BBC sitcom 'The Trouble With Harry'. Writers included Vince
Powell and Harry Driver and the shows, like the earlier series, were
produced by John Ammonds
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International
Detective
ITV 1960
Delry - A.Edward Sutherland
Associated British - Pathe |
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A
series of action / drama detective stories based on the actual files
of the William J.Burns international detective agency. 39 x 30minute
episodes were made, directed by Eddie Sutherland and featuring Arthur
Fleming as private investigator Ken Franklin
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It's
A Square World
BBC 1960-64 |
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A
long-running series of satirical comedy shows masterminded by Michael
Bentine of Goon Show fame. Notable for the unusual variety of means
employed to convey the very visual gags, including cartoons and silent-movie
techniques. The series, produced by John Street and G.B.Lupino also
featured many other famous comedians including Benny Lee, Clive Dunn,
Frank Thornton, Dick Emery, John Bluthal and the possibly less well-known
Leon Thau, Anthea Wyndham, Louis Mansi and Janette Rowselle
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Maigret
BBC 1960-63
Winwell Productions |
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51
episodes x 45/55minutes over four seasons featured Rupert Davies in
the title role as Georges Simenon's famous fictional character after
the BBC acquired worldwide rights to the creation. The thoughtful, highly
observant French detective was supported by assistant Lucas ( Ewen Solon
) and Mme Maigret, played by Helen Shingler. Giles Cooper wrote and
edited the series scripts and Ron Grainer composed the music which accompanied
Eileen Diss's atmospheric French settings. Davies reprised the character
for a one-off 90 minute programme in 1969 for the 'Play of the Month'
series
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On
Trial
GRANADA 1960 |
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A
series of 10 x 60minute authentic docu-dramas which chronicled and re-enacted
famous historical British trials such as those of Oscar Wilde and Sir
Roger Casement ( Peter Wyngarde ). The shows included factual narration
by Andrew Faulds and an explanatory commentary by Brian Inglis. The
series producer was Peter Wildeblood
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Our
House
ABC 1960-61 |
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Very
much in the 'Carry On' mould, this 13 episode x 55minutes and 7 episodes
x 45 minutes two season series was written by Carry On writer Norman
Hudis. Nine inherently incompatible people ( Season one: Charles Hawtrey,
Hattie Jacques, Norman Rossington, Joan Sims, Frank Pettingell, Trader
Faulkner, Ina de la Haye, Frederick Peisley and Leigh Madison ) club
together to purchase and inhabit a run-down house. The disasters and
belly laughs continued into season two with the addition of Hylda Baker
and Bernard Bresslaw. The series was produced by Ernest Maxim
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Police
Surgeon
ABC 1960 |
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The
series starred Ian Hendry as Doctor Geoffrey Brent in this lightweight
straight crime drama series. Other regular participants were John Warwick
as Inspector Landon and Ingrid Hafner as Amanda Gibbs. Michael Crawford
appeared in one episode - 'Easy Money' - as a juvenile delinquent. As
it was essentially insipid, the show was cancelled after one season
but the character of Geoffrey Brent, still played by Hendry, was revived
12 months later, having gained a partner, as one of the two main parts
in the first series of 'The Avengers'
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Sykes
and a .......
BBC 1960-65 |
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Superb
long-running situation comedy series which starred Eric Sykes and Hattie
Jacques as brother and sister who lived at 24 Sebastopol Terrace next
door to long-suffering neighbour Charles Brown, played by Richard Wattis.
The .... of the title each week was the object, situation or latest
weird obsession which was the cause of that episode's mayhem and disaster,
frequently attended by local beat policeman PC 'Corky' Turnbull ( Deryck
Guyler ). 60 x 25-30 minute episodes were made in black and white, written
by Eric Sykes, Johnny Speight, Spike Milligan and John Antrobus. Occasional
guests on the series included Peter Sellers, Joan Sims and Les Dawson.
One episode was remade in 1967 by Associated London Films as a 54 minute
classic comedy film called 'The Plank'
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Target
Luna
Pathfinders In Space
Pathfinders To Mars
ABC 1960-61 |
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6
x 30 minute episode childrens science fiction series written by Malcolm
Hulke and Eric Paice. Sydney Newman's production style was reminiscent
of a comic-style approach and featured children in the lead roles. This
was the first of seven series and starred David Markham, Michael Hammond,
Sylvia Davies and Michael Craze in a story revolving a trip to the moon.The
series was followed by Pathfinders In Space ( 1960 - 7 x 30mins ), Pathfinders
To Mars ( 1960/61 - 6 x 30mins ), Pathfinders To Venus ( 1961 - 8 x
30mins ), Plateau Of Fear ( 1961 - 6 x 30mins ), City Beneath The Sea
( 1962 - 7 x 30mins ) and Secret Beneath The Sea ( 1963 6 x 30mins )
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The
Charlie Drake Show
BBC 1960-62 ATV 1963 BBC 1967-68 |
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30
minute comedy series which followed on from the 1959-60 series 'Charlie
Drake' and featured slapstick-style sketches and situations which brought
out the pathos and genius of this much underrated comedian.Scripts were
written by Charlie Drake and Richard Waring. Ronald Marsh produced.
Most, if not all of the slapstick stunts were undertaken by Drake himself,
causing him to be badly injured on more than one occasion. The 1963
ATV series was scripted by Drake and Lewis Schwarz and produced by Colin
Clews
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The
Dickie Henderson Show
AR 1960-65 AR 1968 |
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Although
British-made, this Bill Hitchcock-directed 30 minute domestic sitcom
series had a very American feel. Featuring the multi-talented Dickie
Henderson as 'himself' with long-suffering wife June Laverick, 10 year
old son John Parsons and musical manager friend Lionel Murton as the
other main characters, plus weekly guest stars
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The
Flying Doctor
ABC 1960-61 |
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Hands
up who thought that this was an Australian show! 39 x 30minute episodes
of stories based on the adventures of the Royal Flying Doctor Service
were made on location in Australia ( plus a lot of stock footage ) and
at the Associated British Studios in Elstree. The lead character, Dr.
Greg Graham ( an American medico ) was played by Richard Denning, carted
around by pilot Charley Wood ( Alan White ) and assisted by nurse Mary
Meredith ( Jill Adams ). Series produce was David MacDonald
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The
Splendid Spur
BBC 1960 |
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Adventure
/ drama series set during the English Civil War in 1642 starred Patrick
Troughton as cavalier Captain Luke Settle in this 6 x 30 minute episode
serial. David Goddard produced, based on a story by Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch.
Also appearing were Victoria Watts, Michael Balfour and Kenneth Farrington
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The
Strange World
of Gurney Slade
ATV 1960 |
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Weird
and surreal, this short series starred Anthony Newley as an over-imaginative
young man prone to fantasising about his ideal female and frequently
finding himself in conversation with trees and similar objects. The
6 x 30 minute episodes were written by Sid Green and Dick Hills and
produced by Alan Tarrant. Max Harris's music was conducted by Jack Parnell
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The
Sunday Night Play
BBC 1960-63 |
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A
series of new plays specially written for television production, and
starring some very famous names, which were shown periodically under
this umbrella title between 1960 and 1963. The first one to be seen
was 'A Walk In The Desert' by John Whiting which starred Lawrence Harvey,
Tracy Lloyd and Nigel Stock. One of the productions - David Mercer's
'A Suitable Case For Treatment' - was later made into a feature film
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The
Untouchables
Desilu Productions |
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114
( possibly 118 ) 60 minute episodes were made of this classic gang-busting
series starring Robert Stack as F.B.I. agent Eliot Ness, featuring the
American establishment's fight against organised crime and the likes of
Al Capone during the prohibition period. Although fairly mild by today's
standards, it was considered to be one of the most violent TV shows of
all time. The stories were essentially taken from F.B.I. files up to the
end of prohibition. The later storylines continued into the Forties although
the real 'untouchables' disbanded in 1932. Other agents were played by
Nick Georgiade ( Enrico Rossi ), Abel Fernandez ( Bill Youngfellow ),
Paul Percerni ( Lee Hobson ), Jerry Paris ( Martin Flaherty ) Steve London
( Agent Rossman ) and Anthony George ( Cam Allison ). Narration was by
Walter Winchell
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The
World of Tim Frazer
BBC |
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18
x 30 minute episodes were made of this drama intrigue series which were
actually three individual 6-part stories although shown consecutively.
Jack Hedley starred as Tim Frazer, a structural engineer who gets recruitede
as an undercover agent by a government intelligence department. The
whole series came under the general heading of 'Francis Durbridge Presents',
Durbridge collaborating with three different writers for the three 'series'
which were produced byRichmond Harding
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Torchy
A-R 1960-61
AP Films / Pelham Productions
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Another
early Gerry Anderson-directed puppetry series, this time aimed at a
slightly younger audience. Torchy, a clockwork toy with a battery-powered
light on his hat, travels in his space rocket to and from Topsy-Turvy
Land, where all the neglected and mistreated toys live and come alive
to join in his adventures. 3-Dimensional
sets were introduced for the first time on this series and puppets were
fitted with moving mouths and eyes. Creator Roberta Leigh went on to
make a second series of Torchy with Associated British Pathe
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Whiplash
ATV / ITC 1960-61
Artransa Park |
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34
x 30 minute shows were made of this Wild West style action series which
was set in 1850s Australia. Peter Graves ( Mission Impossible ) starred
as stagecoach company owner Chris Cobb and featured his adventures in
the constant struggle against outlawry and competitors during the continent's
formative years. Anthony Wickert featured as his helper, Dan. The 'baddies'
in the series included George Wallace Jr and Belfast-born Chuck Faulkner,
who had actually been Australia's first newsreader and weatherman back
in 1956 for Channel 9. Did you know that Peter Graves and James Arness
of 'Gunsmoke' are brothers?
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Some
Other 1960 Shows Which You May Have Seen are...
