Ghost Squad (TV series)
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| ITC Entertainment Distributions | |
|---|---|
| Ghost Squad | |
| Also known as | G.S.5 |
| Format | Crime drama |
| Running time | 50 minutes |
| Created by | John Gosling Anthony Kearey |
| Starring | Michael Quinn (actor) Neil Hallett Anthony Marlowe (actor) Clare Nielson |
| Country of origin |  United Kingdom |
| Network | ATV |
| Original run | September 9, 1961 – May 16, 1964 |
| No. of episodes | 52 |
| Production company(s) |
ITC Entertainment |
Ghost Squad, known as G.S.5 for its third season, was a crime drama series about an elite division of Scotland Yard that ran between 1961 and 1964. Each episode the Ghost Squad would investigate cases that fell outside the scope of normal police work.[1] Despite the show and characters being fictional, an actual division did exist within the Metropolitan Police at the time.[2]
Inspiration for the series was taken from a book of the same name, written by Jack Capstick and John Gosling — both retired police officers and former members of the team.[2] Although the real-life squad only operated in London, the fictionalised team travelled internationally; however — as was typical of the time — most foreign locations were actually a combination of stock footage and sets at Elstree Studios.
The show was produced by ITC Entertainment, and was the first ITC show filmed to fit the one hour time-slot — setting the trend for the majority of ITC's future output. Another common ITC trait was to feature an American, in this case Michael Quinn, in a leading role so as to increase the chances of international sales. He was later replaced by Australian actor, Ray Barrett.
Contents |
[edit] Cast
- Michael Quinn as Nick Craig, squad operator (Seasons 1, 2)
- Neil Hallett as Tony Miller, squad operator
- Anthony Marlowe as Geoffrey Stock, squad chief
- Clare Nielson as Jean "Porridge" Carter, Stock's Scottish secretary
- Ray Barrett as Peter Clarke (Season 3)
Quinn's character was killed off in the last episode of season two, being replaced by Barrett for the duration of season three.
[edit] Episodes
The show was produced for three consecutive seasons.[3]
| Season | Premiere | Finale | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season One | September 9, 1961 | November 22, 1962 | 13 |
| Season Two | January 19, 1963 | July 13, 1963 | 26 |
| Season Three | February 22, 1964 | May 16, 1964 | 13 |
Season three was renamed G.S.5.
[edit] Availability
The series has not been broadcast since the 1960s.[1] It is available on DVD from Network DVD, who have also released several other ITC productions.
[edit] References
- ^ a b Ghost Squad. Network DVD. Retrieved on 2008-04-21.
- ^ a b Laurence Marcus (January 30, 2001). Ghost Squad. Television Heaven. Retrieved on 2008-04-21.
- ^ However, as a typical ITC season lasted for 13 episodes, it can be argued that the second season of 26 episodes can be split into two shooting blocks making a total of four seasons of 13.
