The Champions
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- For other uses, see Champion (disambiguation).
| The Champions | |
|---|---|
 British DVD release |
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| Genre | Sci-Fi Action Adventure |
| Running time | 60 min. |
| Creator(s) | Dennis Spooner |
| Starring | Stuart Damon Alexandra Bastedo William Gaunt |
| Country of origin | UK |
| Original channel | ITV |
| Original run | September 25, 1968–April 23, 1969 |
| No. of episodes | 30 |
The Champions was a British espionage/science fiction adventure series produced over the course of 30 episodes during 1968–1969 and produced by Lew Grade's ITC Entertainment production company.
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[edit] Overview and premise
The series starred Stuart Damon as Craig Stirling, Alexandra Bastedo as Sharon Macready and William Gaunt as Richard Barrett. The trio were agents for a United Nations law enforcement organisation called "Nemesis" which was based in Geneva. During a mission, their plane crashed in the Himalayas and they were rescued by an advanced civilisation who saved their lives and gave them superhuman powers.
The powers possessed by the three heroes included the ability to communicate with one another over long distances by ESP, and the ability to foresee events that were about to happen. They also had enhanced senses, reasoning power and physical abilities up to the limit of known human abilities. One feature of the series was that they had to learn about the use of their new powers as they went along.
Their boss, Tremayne, who was played by Anthony Nicholls, spent quite a lot of time pretending that he did not know that they had special powers. In fact, apart from the occasional mock innocent question about how they had carried out a specific task while on a mission, he never referred to their new abilities at all.
The three agents had different backgrounds and skills. Barrett was a code breaker, Stirling a pilot and Macready was a scientist and doctor. Many of the stories featured unusual villains, such as fascist regimes from unspecified South American countries, neo-Nazis or the Chinese. The villains' schemes often threatened world peace in some way — this was because Nemesis' brief was supposed to be international, dealing with threats that transcended national interests and concerns.
[edit] Production
The series was created by Dennis Spooner and its episodes were written by veterans of a number of popular British spy series of the time, including The Avengers and Danger Man. In fact, the series used an unproduced script originally written for Danger Man.
The series was produced by Monty Berman who had co-produced, with Robert S. Baker, The Saint, The Baron and numerous B-movies of the 1950s. Berman went on to produce, working with many of the same writers, directors and crew, other ITC series including Department S, Jason King, Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) and The Adventurer.
Because of budget constraints, many sets and pieces of stock footage were re-used and the series has three separate adventures set on a submarine, three set in the arctic and so on. Like most such ITC series much of the exterior action took place in and around the studio lot - usually, as was the case with The Champions, Elstree Studios in Borehamwood, Herts.
Several episodes were edited together to form the feature film Legend of the Champions.
[edit] The Champions today
Although short-lived, the series is fondly remembered and is available on DVD in Britain. The series is now being screened on ITV's new digital channel ITV4 in the UK. Stuart Damon, Alexandra Bastedo and William Gaunt were reunited to provide the commentary on several episodes in the latest DVD release. In 2006, a similarly themed American series, Heroes debuted.
[edit] Episodes
1. The Beginning - writer Dennis Spooner, director Cyril Frankel
The Nemesis agents' plane crash lands in the Himalayas after they are shot down while returning from an undercover mission into China. They are rescued and their injuries are healed by the inhabitants of an unknown city, who belong to an advanced civilisation which has evolved in parallel to our own. The agents wake up in the wreckage of the plane, having lost three days; they have vague memories of being operated on and healed and discover gold dressings covering their wounds. Stirling and Macready elect to walk out to India with the evidence while Barrett decides to go back and try and find out more about what has happened to them.
Stirling and Macready are captured by a Chinese patrol. Barrett meets an old man from the city who tells him that the three now have powers and abilities to the limit of human capabilities and that they will have to learn how to use them, as children do. Barrett realises that he has been getting ESP like flashes suggesting that the others are in danger and goes back to help them. Meanwhile Stirling has attempted to escape and been shot and left for dead. Luckily the bullet has been deflected by a compass in his pocket. However, his new powers are shown by the fact that the wound from the bullet richochet has healed unusually fast. He and Barrett attack the patrol, using their new powers, and rescue Macready. They return to Geneva.
The episode ends with the agents uncertain about what, if anything, to tell their boss, Tremayne, about their new powers.
2. The Invisible Man - writer Donald James, director Cyril Frankel
3. Reply Box No. 666 - writer Philip Broadley, director Cyril Frankel
4. The Experiment - writer Philip Broadley, director Cyril Frankel
5. Happening - writer Brian Clemens, director Cyril Frankel
6. Operation Deep Freeze - writer Gerald Kelsey, director Paul Dickson
7. The Survivors - writer Donald James, director Cyril Frankel
8. To Trap a Rat - writer Ralph Smart, director Sam Wanamaker
9. The Iron Man - writer Philip Broadley, director John Moxey
This was one of the more comedic episodes. The trio are detailed to guard the former dictator of a small South American country, La Revada, who is living in exile in the South of France. This is because some of his political opponents are planning to assassinate him, which would destabilise the political situation in the region. El Caudillo (as the former dictator insists on being called) turns out to be a vainglorious, not very intelligent, womaniser who likes to prove that he is superior to everyone around him. However, the trio, who are posing as members of his household staff (Barrett as a chef, Macready as a secretary and Stirling as his head of security) manage to save him from the assassins, though their cover is blown in the process and they are revealed as agents of Nemesis.
10. The Ghost Plane - writer Donald James, director John Gilling
11. The Dark Island - writer Tony Williamson, director Cyril Frankel
12. The Fanatics - writer Terry Nation, director John Gilling
13. Twelve Hours - writer Donald James, director Paul Dickson
14. The Search - writer Dennis Spooner, director Leslie Norman
15. The Gilded Cage - writer Philip Broadley, director Cyril Frankel
The episode opens with a break in at Nemesis, which Tremayne (who apparently lives on the premises) interrupts. He is knocked out by the intruders but is able to discover later that they were photographing Barrett's personal file.
Next day, he assigns Craig to be Barrett's 'guardian angel'. Craig travels to Barrett's flat, where Richard is acting as bait. However Barrett has already been kidnapped, knocked out and taken, concealed in a rolled up carpet, by the intruders before he gets there. It is clear from Barrett's actions that he realises who is at his door (he moves furniture so that it will not be damaged in any struggle, leaves a drink for Craig with a note saying "Have a drink. P.S. They've been") and allows himself to be coshed and drugged.)
With Sharron's help, Craig remembers the licence plate of the van the intruders used, and tracks it down. He discovers that it was abandoned near the airport and works out that Barrett was flown to London. He goes there to follow the trail, discovering that the 'package' was delivered to an S.Killan in Knightsbridge.
Meanwhile Barrett wakes up, dressed in pyjamas, in a luxuriously appointed bedroom with bars on the windows. The only other occupant is a young blonde called Samantha (played by Jennie Linden) who serves him champagne. Barrett realises that he is being watched via closed circuit camera. Samantha, though friendly, deflects his questions and leaves.
The next few sections of the episode cut between Barrett and Stirling as Craig, pretending to be selling central heating, goes into S.Killan's house (and she turns out be Samantha) and searches it. Barrett meanwhile grows much more friendly with Samantha (to the extent where they kiss) and sends a misleading message attached to a pigeon's leg saying that he is on a boat to Dublin. He also discovers that there is a room full of computers attached to the bedroom. As he is investigating this the room fills with gas and he passes out.
When Barrett wakes up he is greeted by his real captor, a man who tells him that he has kidnapped Barrett so that Barrett can crack a cipher for him. He tells Barrett that if he does not solve the problem within 12 hours he, the captor, will kill Samantha. Barrett starts work on the cipher.
Meanwhile Stirling has followed Samantha to the house where Richard is being held. He calls Barrett's name under his breath (something Richard should be able to hear with his enhanced hearing and a usual way for the Champions to communicate with each other). Richard hears him but does not reply, instead waiting till he goes away and telling Samantha that she is in danger. It becomes clear during this conversation that Samantha thinks that Richard is there voluntarily and is being paid a great deal of money to crack the code. Later, Craig hears Richard's favourite music from the house and becomes convinced that Richard is there. He also finds out that the name of the man who is holding Richard captive is Symons.
Samantha confronts Symons and he reassures her that Richard is lying. Samantha is, however, worried enough to go home and summon two men who are obviously conspiring with her to rob Symons. Craig, who is spying on her from the garage, overhears all this. He knocks over a stove and the men check the garage but discount the noise because Stirling has dislodged a tyre and pulled out the nail holding it up, making it look as though that made the noise.
That night Richard cracks the code and then burns the piece of paper with the answer on it. In the morning Symons, who has been watching him via closed circuit television, asks him why he did this. Richard refuses to give him the formula. Symons, who has earlier summoned Samantha, gets his thugs to put her in the computer room and threatens to turn on the gas. Richard reluctantly gives him the information. Meanwhile Samantha's two friends turn up and hold everyone in the house at gunpoint. Samantha expresses surprise that Richard gave Symons the real formula and Richard points out that Symons had threatened to kill her. Samantha is disconcerted, wondering if Richard really did care for her. Richard tells her that she'll never know now.
Craig arrives and rescues Richard at gunpoint. Richard acknowledges that he is glad to see him and explains his misdirection with the pigeon by saying he didn't want Craig to intervene too early.
The episode closes with the two back in Geneva. Barrett tells Tremayne that the formula was for a new solid fuel. It would have put the oil companies out of business except that it would have cost twice as much to make as petrol.
16. Shadow of the Panther - writer Tony Williamson, director Freddie Francis
17. A Case of Lemmings - writer Philip Broadley, director Paul Dickson
18. The Interrogation - writer Dennis Spooner, director Cyril Frankel
This episode was notable for featuring only one extra set (though it included flashbacks to earlier episodes) and for focusing mostly on the character of Craig Stirling. It also had the most blatant example of Tremayne ignoring the display of an extraordinary power.
The episode opens as Barrett and Macready walk into Tremayne's office and demand to know where Stirling is - he is overdue from a mission in Hong Kong. Tremayne puts them off and they leave, promising to investigate further. The scene then cuts to Stirling who is in a hallucinatory state - he has a number of flashbacks to earlier episodes and then wakes up in a windowless cell with a steel door. He cannot remember how he got there, only that his last mission was for Nemesis in Hong Kong, where he was working on the Retford case.
As the episode progresses Craig continues to experience flashbacks, including flashbacks of being greeted by Tremayne after coming back from the Hong Kong mission. He realises that he has been drugged and that the cell has been rigged to disorientate him e.g. it has a thermometer which does not reflect the real temperature. (He overcomes this by hiding a cup of water which later freezes, providing him with evidence.)
An interrogator (Colin Blakely) appears beyond a section of the cell wall that becomes transparent and tries to gain information about Craig's last mission in Hong Kong. Craig puts off the interrogator, despite his increasing disorientation. During this time Craig manages to pry one of the hinges of the door off, but is interrupted and does not finish the job.
Meanwhile Barrett and Macready confront Tremayne and tell him that they know what has happened to Stirling.
After further conversation with the interrogator, Craig, in a hallucinatory state, sees Barrett and Macready standing behind the interrogator beyond the transparent wall. He grows more desperate and during a break in the interrogation, finishes prying the steel hinges from the door, causing it to fall and reveal a brick wall beyond.
This leads to his next encounter with the interrogator, during which he drinks water which has been drugged. The interrogator tries and fails to unearth his secret. It turns out that he is interested in how Craig has managed to complete his mission. Craig collapses, near breaking point, and then realises that there is a new footprint on the floor. This tells him that the interrogator has been within his cell and he explores his surroundings to find the way out.
He finds a hidden catch that lets him out of the cell, goes along a corridor and finds himself in Tremayne's office. Tremayne calls in the interrogator, who is a member of Nemesis internal security, and tells him that the investigation is over, despite his objections.
Craig leaves the office and finds Barrett waiting for him. He challenges the other man, asking how he could have permitted the interrogation to happen. Barrett shamefacedly tells him that it is part of the job, and says that he could do nothing without revealing their powers. Craig says that he hopes that if he is ever faced with that situation he will at least try to do something.
19. The Mission - writer Donald James, director Robert Asher
20. The Silent Enemy - writer Donald James, director Robert Asher
21. The Body Snatchers - writer Terry Nation, director Paul Dickson
22. Get Me Out of Here! - writer Ralph Smart, director Cyril Frankel
The agents rescue an eminent female scientist who has returned to her home country and been detained against her will by the dictatorship which runs it. The government want her to do her work there, in order to gain reflected prestige from her medical discoveries. This episode featured a performance from Philip Madoc, as the scientist's sleazy estranged husband, and a sequence where Stirling and Barrett rescue the scientist from a blacked out police station (not a problem for them, as they can see in the dark).
23. The Night People - writer Donald James, director Robert Asher
24. Project Zero - writer Tony Williamson, director Don Sharp
25. Desert Journey - writer Ian Stuart Black, director Paul Dickson
26. Full Circle - writer Donald James, director John Gilling
27. The Nutcracker - writer Philip Broadley, director Roy Ward Baker
28. The Final Countdown - writer Gerald Kelsey, director John Gilling
29. The Gun Runners - writer Dennis Spooner, director Robert Asher
This was one of the few episodes which did not feature two stories running side by side. The three agents work on bringing a gun runner to justice.
30. Autokill - writer Brian Clemens, director Roy Ward Baker
A drugged Nemesis agent, George Brading, is driven to Nemesis H.Q. by a man (Paul Eddington) masquerading as a Swiss policeman. Once there the 'policeman' hands him a gun. He walks in and shoots another member of staff before being overpowered. It becomes clear that he has been brainwashed to kill that specific person. Richard, Craig and Sharron investigate and discover that the only unusual thing that has happened to him was that his briefcase was stolen a week before he was abducted.
The focus shifts to the villains, who are operating from a false police station. The main villain describes his plan, which is to turn the organisation against itself by brainwashing its agents to attack each other. He explains that he does this by use of a hallucinogenic drug which returns individuals to childhood, making them highly suggestible.
They abduct Tremayne, who returns to Nemesis later but is overpowered by the trio before he can hurt anyone. The agents now know that they are running out of time because Brading has died from the effects of the brainwashing. They work out that the only common factor is that Tremayne and Brading both had personal possessions go missing shortly before they vanished. Craig realises that Barrett has had his wallet stolen (he picked up an impression that something was wrong as it was happening but didn't know what it was) and that he must be the next victim.
When the false policeman approaches Barrett he goes with him but asks where his base is and sends a mental message to the others that it is in Sector 13. Craig and Sharron follow and go into that police station, only to discover that that is not where Richard was taken. Meanwhile Barrett has been coshed, handcuffed to a chair and given large amounts of a hallucinogenic drug to destabilise his mind. The main villain (Eric Pohlmann) then brainwashes him using large photographs and by talking to him, telling him that Craig is the man who killed his father, brother and fiancée. He convinces Richard that this is true and releases him from the chair once he is a rage. Richard attacks the photographs, slashing them with a knife.
Meanwhile Craig and Sharron have belatedly used their abilities to remember the licence plate of the car that dropped Tremayne off and located the building where he is being held. They break in and overpower the villains. Craig manages to save one vial of the drug, despite the main villain stamping on his hand. Richard is by now unconscious and the others release him and bring him round. He immediately attacks Craig and a vicious three way fight starts. Richard still has the knife and is determined to kill Craig. The others are held back by not wanting to hurt him. Finally, Sharron holds him down and Craig punches him into unconsciousness.
The scene cuts to Nemesis where Tremayne has been given an antidote based on analysis of the drug they recovered. A bruised and battered Craig asks after Richard, who is asleep in bed. Richard wakes up and, with no memory of the events, asks Craig "What have you done to yourself?" Craig says "I had a lesson in equality. It's a long story." Richard replies "Tell me about it later." and goes back to sleep.
[edit] External links
- The Champions at the Internet Movie Database
- Television Heaven — information about the series
- The Champions — information about the series
- The Champions Nemesis — information about the series
- International Heroes — information about the series
- The Champions — ITC memorabilia — information about the series
- Champions Fan Club — an on-line fan club
- British Film Institute Screen Online
