Dick Spanner, P.I.
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| Dick Spanner, P.I. | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Stop motion Comedy Crime |
| Creator(s) | Gerry Anderson Christopher Burr |
| Starring | Shane Rimmer |
| Country of origin |  United Kingdom |
| No. of episodes | 22 × 6 minutes (alternate version: 4 × 24 minutes) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 6 minutes (alternate version: 24 minutes) |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | Channel 4 |
| Original run | 1986 – 1987 |
| Links | |
| IMDb profile | |
| TV.com summary | |
Dick Spanner, P.I. was a tongue-in-cheek 1986 British television series featuring puppets filmed entirely in stop-motion animation, starring mild-mannered robot private detective Dick Spanner as the suitably square-jawed titular hero (voiced by Shane Rimmer).
The series consisted of 22 six-minute episodes, covering two story arcs: "The Case of the Human Cannonball" and "The Case Of The Maltese Parrot", both consisting of 11 episodes each. The programme was originally seen in the UK on Channel 4 as part of its Sunday morning show Network 7, but was later given a late night showing, where its sly satire and sight-gags could perhaps be better appreciated.
Occasionally referred to as "the world's strangest private investigator," this blurb from one episode says it all:
- "Will Spanner get his bird or will he fall foul of Eric Von Strongbow? Why are all the smalls taking over Ivywood and is Mae East revealing more than she should...? Find out in "The Case Of The Maltese Parrot."
The series was created by Terry Adlam, and produced by Gerry Anderson, of Thunderbirds fame. It also was the basis for the Anderson-created Tennants Pilsner advertising campaign using the Lou Tennant character.
| Gerry Anderson |
|---|
| Television |
| The Adventures of Twizzle | Torchy the Battery Boy | Four Feather Falls | Supercar | Fireball XL5 | Stingray | Thunderbirds | Captain Scarlet | Joe 90 | The Secret Service | UFO | The Protectors | Space: 1999 | Terrahawks | Dick Spanner, P.I. | Space Precinct | Lavender Castle | New Captain Scarlet |
| Feature Films |
| Crossroads to Crime | Thunderbirds Are GO | Thunderbird 6 | Doppelgänger |
| Companies/Techniques |
| AP Films | Century 21 Productions | Supermarionation |
| Notable Collaborators |
| Sylvia Anderson | David Lane | Barry Gray | Reg Hill | Derek Meddings | John Read | Shane Rimmer |
