The Rat Catchers
The Rat Catchers is a 1960s British television series about a top secret British Intelligence Unit who receive orders from the Prime Minister and without questions battles enemy spies, saboteurs, and other criminals in order to protect the security of Great Britain and the Western Alliance. The show centred around three major characters: Peregrine Pascale Smith (portrayed by Gerald Flood), the Oxford University-educated managing director with 12 years experience under his belt, Brigadier H. St. J. Davidson (portrayed by Philip Stone), the emotionless analytical brains behind the group, and newly-recruited Richard William Hurst (portrayed by Glyn Owen), formerly a superintendent at Scotland Yard who though he was said to have gone by the book in the police force, seems to have some problems with authority now. Part of the problem is that the Brigadier refuses to tell him more than the minimum that he needs to know about the organisation. Officially he works for Smith's company: Transworld Electronics and in episode 3, he is not sure whether Smith or the Brigadier is his boss.
The organisation was based at Whitehall but officially didn't exist, being denied at the highest level as they worked with the greatest secrecy. The show began with the arrival of Hurst who is out of step with the other two. Raymond Francis was originally picked for the Hurst role but changed his mind at the last minute. Many of the stories were continued, sometimes with cliff-hanger endings.
The show aired from February 2, 1966 to April 27, 1966 and December 15, 1966 to March 9, 1967 and comprised 25 60-minute episodes. It was a Rediffusion TV Network Production. Producer Cyril Coke. It was in the Monday 8 pm slot. Theme music composed and arranged by Johnny Pearson. Directed by James Ormerod and produced by Cyril Coke.
- Writers:
- Raymond Bowers = 1-4, 18-21.
- Paul Lee = 5, 6, 10.
- Jeremy Paul = 7-9, 14, 22.
- Victor Canning = 11-13, 15-17.
- Stanley Miller = 23-25.
It is believed that the only copies of episodes which have survived is 'Ticket to Madrid' and 'The Unwitting Courier'. Two books were released at the time to accompany the series 'All in a Days's Work' and 'The End of the Fourth Reich' by David Ray.
Season one
- 1. Ticket to Madrid: Ex-cop Hurst arrives and is sent on a mission. In Madrid, he and the beautiful Miss Larks (Jan Waters) come up against the cold horror of the world of espionage and deception. Also stars Norman Scace and Jeffrey Gardiner. One of two surviving complete episodes.
- 2. The Captain Morales Story: In Madrid, Hurst comes face to face with the violence of his new job. Also stars Edward de Souza, James Kerry and Peter Dennis.
- 3. The Unwitting Courier: A beautiful FBI agent causes the Brigadier trouble sending a secret document to his Madrid contact. She is after the Alpha Crowd who the Brigadier sees as neither friend nor foe. He sets Hurst to following an American couple played by: Jeanne Moody and David Bauer. Also stars James Kerry as Alpha, Victor Platt and Tsai Chin. The other surviving complete episode.
- 4. Madrid Delivery: With the vital information passed on, Hurst is ready to go home but finds himself in trouble and needing the Brigadier's help. Also stars: Tom Gill, Patricia English and Alex Scott.
- 5. The Missing Agent: Hurst and Smith search for missing agent Dorothy Hansen (Pamela Sholto) in Stockholm but others don't want her found. Also stars Anne Dyson and Wanda Ventham.
- 6. The Baited Hook: With danger closing in on them, Hurst and Smith search for Hansen and meet a student with a gun, ready to use it. Also stars Sandor Eles, Stella Courtnay and Jayne Sofiano.
- 7. The Umbrella: The Umbrella Project when in operation will safeguard Britain from aerial attack but Hurst and Smith have to find a hidden saboteur who threatens to breach security. Also stars Robert Raglan, Ronald Howard and Tenniel Evans.
- 8. Thieves' Market: Hurst travels to Lisbon to uncover a traitor while Smith tries to find a connection between a Nazi General's memoirs and a golf bag flown to Lisbon. Also stars Wendy Gifford, Edward Underdown and Max Kirby.
- 9. Return of Evil: Still searching for the traitor, the trail leads to the threat of the return of a man from the past who still looms large and could destroy Europe. Also stars Monica Grey, Carmilla Brockman and Frederick Schrecker.
- 10. The Edge of Disaster: It hangs in the air around us. It is invisible and yet pointed with deadly accuracy. Can Hurst and Smith save the nation? Also stars Reginald Marsh, Sylvia Kay and Basil Moss.
- 11. Operation Lost Souls: Following a trail of traitors to Geneva, Hurst and Smith find the HQ of the people behind the brain drain is in Ireland. Also stars Patricia Haines, Bernard Kay and Tom Watson.
- 12. Operation Irish Triangle: The operation in Ireland looks to be nothing but trouble and they get more than they bargained for when Arlette Maylam (Patricia Haines) shows her true colours. Also stars John Macklin, Alan Gifford and Eugene Deckers.
- 13. Operation Big Fish: Everything is set for the big kill but Hurst and Smith are still in the dark over it. Can they stop one of history's most spectacular crimes? Also stars Rachel Gurney, Edward Palmer and P.G. Stephens.
Season two
- 14. Showdown Vienna: Hurst and Smith are on a find and destroy mission but run up against the dangerous Leopold Donner (Frank Gatliff). Also stars Lucy Fleming and Vernon Dobtcheff.
- 15. Mission to Madeira: Working undercover, Hurst infiltrates the dangerous Midas Consortium but can he trust the lovely Lea (Hannah Gordon)? Also stars Richard Warner and John Abineri.
- 16. Death in Madeira: Hurst seems to have fallen for Lea and wants to resign but the Brigadier has other plans with unpleasant results. Also stars Frederick Treves and Susan Engel.
- 17. Midnight Over Madeira: Hurst and the Brigadier clash as The Midas Consortium plan the death of a man, which will send the world's stock markets crashing and make them a huge fortune. Also stars Kevin Stoney, Jerry Stovin and John Abineri.
- 18. Wednesday in Dubrovnik: Faces from the past threaten Britain's Secret Service including the Brigadier's group. Also stars James Kerry, Jeffrey Gardiner and Jacqueline Ellis.
- 19. Murder in Mostar: A very unpleasant murder and Hurst and Smith are in revolt as the Brigadier orders them to eliminate a public figure. Also stars Reginald Marsh, Derren Nesbitt and Michael Peake.
- 20. Dead-End - Dubrovnik: The Brigadier forms a strange alliance to get rid of a common enemy but the outcome is violence of the worst kind as death stalks the streets. Also stars James Kerry, Reginald Marsh and Derren Nesbitt.
- 21. Big Grab - Amsterdam: An American secret agent carrying vital information in his head vanishes. America presses for action but the Brigadier seems unconcerned. Who is the mysterious Vol (Cyril Shaps)? Also stars Raymond Huntley and James Kerry.
- 22. Retribution Amsterdam: An American spy as a hostage held by an enemy agent as brilliant as the Brigadier. Hurst and Smith must follow strict orders to prevent the worst happening. Also stars Cyril Shaps, Hugh McDermott and Toke Townley.
- 23. The Heel of Achilles: Hurst and Smith find violence in Athens as helped by a turncoat spy (Dora Reisser), they seek the man behind an international espionage ring to stop the beaches of Corfu running red with blood. Also stars Wolfe Morris, Ralph Michael, Anthony Marlowe and Hilary Tindall. Just poor copies of the action sequences survive of this episode.
- 24. The Seven Pillars of Hercules: Hurst and Smith are after a man hiding in the mountains of Greece but so is Madame Achmet (Catherine Lacey) who is a very dangerous woman. Also stars: Wolfe Morris and Paul Tann.
- 25. The Mask of Agamemnon: Hurst and Smith must decide whether to try and rescue the man held on Madame Achmet's yacht, knowing the Brigadier wants him dead. Death and destruction follow. Also stars Wolfe Morris and James Kerry.
External links
The Rat Catchers at the Internet Movie Database