fbpx
Wikipedia

Department S (TV series)

Department S is a British spy-fi adventure series, produced by ITC Entertainment. It consists of 28 episodes which originally aired in 1969 and 1970. It stars Peter Wyngarde as author Jason King (later featured in spin-off series Jason King), Joel Fabiani as Stewart Sullivan, and Rosemary Nicols as computer expert Annabelle Hurst. These three are agents for a fictional special department (the "S" of the title) of Interpol. The head of Department S is Sir Curtis Seretse (Dennis Alaba Peters).

Department S
GenreSpy-fi
Action/adventure
Created byDennis Spooner
Monty Berman
Developed byDennis Spooner
StarringPeter Wyngarde
Joel Fabiani
Rosemary Nicols
Dennis Alaba Peters
Theme music composerEdwin Astley
ComposerEdwin Astley
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes28 (list of episodes)
Production
ProducerMonty Berman
CinematographyFrank Watts
Brian Elvin
Running time49 mins
Production companyITC production
DistributorIncorporated Television Company
Release
Original networkITV (ATV)
Picture format35 mm film 4:3 Colour
Audio formatMono
Original release9 March 1969 (1969-03-09) –
4 March 1970 (1970-03-04)
Chronology
Followed byJason King

Production

"When a case proves too baffling for the minds of Interpol, they turn to the talents of Department S." – from the ITC trailer for the series.

The series was created by Dennis Spooner and Monty Berman, although neither wrote any of the episodes, which were instead scripted by ITC regulars such as Terry Nation and Philip Broadley. Many of the directors on the show had also worked on other ITC shows such as The Saint, Danger Man and Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased).

The series was shot on 35mm film and designed, like all ITC's film productions, to fit the United States commercial format. Although episodes begin with a cold open (after the 'S' logo is shown), unusually, the episode title, writer and director credits appear on screen before the opening title sequence, though after the theme tune has started. With a few exceptions, the principal cast is always studio-bound. Some exteriors are represented by studio buildings, while the rest are mainly shown in second-unit footage using doubles where necessary. Outside locations were, in common with similar series, largely restricted to the Hertfordshire countryside in the vicinity of Borehamwood. At least one foreign location was used, featuring Peter Wyngarde on the streets of Vienna. Otherwise, foreign locations are usually established by the use of stock footage. To further cut costs, the series was produced back-to-back with Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased).

Synopsis

Department S is a division of Interpol headed by international bureaucrat Sir Curtis Seretse (Dennis Alaba Peters). Its headquarters is in Paris and its members investigate international cases that other crime agencies cannot solve.

The team itself is led by American and former FBI agent Stewart Sullivan (Joel Fabiani), who takes direction from Seretse. Outside of his FBI experience, little is known about Sullivan except that he is pragmatic and hands-on, and does much of the leg-work, confronting the criminals.

Jason King (Peter Wyngarde) is the ideas man, but also helps in the field. He is an adventure novelist who uses details from their cases to write his novels. The living he makes writing novels affords him a hedonistic lifestyle, and he is often seen with beautiful women though he has no permanent love interest in the series; in one episode he mentions he is a widower whose wife was killed in a plane crash. King also serves as comic relief in the series, especially in scenes of hand-to-hand combat where he winds up being subdued as often as he prevails.

Annabelle Hurst (Rosemary Nicols) is a computer expert and analyst as well as a field investigator. A very attractive woman, Hurst sometimes appears in seductive, glamorous disguises, as well as her underwear in the first episode. There are ongoing hints of romantic interest between Sullivan and Hurst during the series.

Cast

Episodes

Filming took place between April 1968 and June 1969.

The air dates[1] are for ATV Midlands. ITV[2] regions varied date and order.

The production numbers here refer to ITC synopsis guide numbers and the sequence in the Network DVD booklet.

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code
1"Six Days"Cyril FrankelGerald Kelsey9 March 1969 (1969-03-09)4006
When an aircraft goes missing for six days and the crew members and passengers (including Seretse) have no recollection of events, Department S investigates.
2"The Trojan Tanker"Ray AustinPhilip Broadley16 March 1969 (1969-03-16)4004
A crashed tanker has had a room built inside, which contains an unconscious girl; she disappears before help arrives.
3"A Cellar Full of Silence"John GillingTerry Nation23 March 1969 (1969-03-23)4003
Department S is called in after four dead men are found in a cellar, wearing fancy dress.
4"The Pied Piper of Hambledown"Roy Ward BakerDonald James30 March 1969 (1969-03-30)4002
When an entire village disappears overnight except for one girl, Department S is called in.
5"One of Our Aircraft Is Empty"Paul DicksonTony Williamson6 April 1969 (1969-04-06)4007
An airliner lands at Heathrow but the crew and passengers are missing. (Made back-to-back with "Six Days").
6"The Man in the Elegant Room"Cyril FrankelTerry Nation13 April 1969 (1969-04-13)4001
When a dead girl and a demented man are found in a room constructed inside a disused factory, Department S investigates.
7"Handicap Dead"John GillingPhilip Broadley20 April 1969 (1969-04-20)4005
When a tournament golfer is found dead on a nearby beach, Sullivan investigates.
8"A Ticket to Nowhere"Cyril FrankelTony Williamson27 April 1969 (1969-04-27)4017
A disappearing scientist and the death of a financier are linked, but Jason and Stewart keep forgetting about the case, to the despair of Annabelle.
9"Black Out"Ray AustinPhilip Broadley17 September 1969 (1969-09-17)4009
A chef and food critic is found unconscious in the Mexican desert and cannot recall the last three days. Is there a connection to the American space programme?
10"The Double Death of Charlie Crippen"John GillingLeslie Darbon24 September 1969 (1969-09-24)4010
An assassination attempt leaves only a dummy as the victim; Department S has to discover who the real target is.
11"Who Plays the Dummy?"John GillingTony Williamson1 October 1969 (1969-10-01)4013
When a car crashes and the sole occupant is a dummy in the driving seat, Department S follows the trail to an imminent attack on NATO senior officers.
12"The Treasure of the Costa del Sol"John GillingPhilip Broadley8 October 1969 (1969-10-08)4008
Two dead fisherman, and a haul of plastic fish containing $100,000, lead to a painter and engraver.
13"The Man Who Got a New Face"Cyril FrankelPhilip Broadley15 October 1969 (1969-10-15)4011
Department S investigates when a man is found dead with a clown's mask glued to his face, and the trail leads to a vicious vendetta.
14"Les Fleurs du Mal"Cyril FrankelPhilip Broadley22 October 1969 (1969-10-22)4014
Three plastic flowers contain a coded message that will lead to the proceeds of a bank robbery, but there are interested parties ready to kill for the flowers.
15"The Shift That Never Was"John GillingDonald James25 October 1969 (1969-10-25)4012
With one exception, every member of staff of a chemical factory takes a day off. The one man who went to work is murdered; the trail leads to a beauty parlour and a nuclear power station.
16"The Man from X"Gil TaylorTony Williamson5 November 1969 (1969-11-05)4019
A man clad in a spacesuit staggers in a London street; unable to remove the jammed helmet, he suffocates. Department S investigates; the only clue is the man has slight radiation burns and had been in a vacuum.
17"Dead Men Die Twice"Ray AustinPhilip Broadley12 November 1969 (1969-11-12)4016
Department S finds that a 'dead man' can die twice when a man is murdered twice three years after his double had been murdered.
18"The Perfect Operation"Cyril FrankelLeslie Darbon26 November 1969 (1969-11-26)4021
A surgeon performing a delicate brain operation on a senior British civil servant is forcibly removed; another surgeon enters and completes the operation, saving the man's life. Department S investigates the only surgeon capable of doing the operation, but he is Russian and too old.
19"The Duplicated Man"Paul DicksonHarry W. Junkin3 December 1969 (1969-12-03)4022
A double agent is killed, but is he really dead after he has spent ten years cultivating a second identity to escape from his masters? Department S investigates, closely followed by enemy agents.
20"The Mysterious Man in the Flying Machine"Cyril FrankelPhilip Broadley10 December 1969 (1969-12-10)4023
A man is found murdered in a mock-up aircraft in a warehouse. The team wonder why anybody should go to so much trouble. A message left scrawled on their car is the only clue.
21"Death on Reflection"Ray AustinPhilip Broadley17 December 1969 (1969-12-17)4020
Sir Curtis Seretse, head of Department S, is astonished to see a mirror sell at auction for four times its value; when the buyer is murdered, he asks the team to investigate.
22"Last Train to Redbridge"John GillingGerald Kelsey14 January 1970 (1970-01-14)4015
Multiple murders on a tube train lead Department S to criminal speculators attempting to tap the hot line between the US President and the UK Prime Minister.
23"A Small War of Nerves"Leslie NormanHarry W. Junkin21 January 1970 (1970-01-21)4026
A fanatical scientist who has developed a deadly nerve gas threatens to wipe out London unless governments take notice and agree to live in peace.
24"The Bones of Byrom Blain"Paul DicksonTony Williamson28 January 1970 (1970-01-28)4027
A chauffeur arrives at his destination only to discover his passenger has disappeared, leaving only his skeleton behind. Department S investigates and discovers the chauffeur's skeleton; the same fate awaits Sir Curtis Seretse and Jason King.
25"Spencer Bodily is 60 Years Old"Leslie NormanHarry W. Junkin11 February 1970 (1970-02-11)4024
Spencer Bodily is dead; he looks 20 but must be at least 60, and there is no record he ever existed. The body disappears, and Department S suspects there could be more cases of 'eternal youth'.
26"The Ghost of Mary Burnham"Cyril FrankelHarry W. Junkin18 February 1970 (1970-02-18)4018
John Burnham is tormented by the ghost of his wife shortly after she is shot and killed. He is a brilliant economist and someone is trying to unbalance him to prevent him taking an important job. Department S has to find out why before he is driven insane.
27"A Fish Out of Water"Cyril FrankelPhilip Broadley25 February 1970 (1970-02-25)4025
When an Interpol agent is found dead, Jason King is sent to take over his mission to crack an international drug ring. Jason realises he has been identified and his life is in danger. Stewart and Annabelle are sent to back him up.
28"The Soup of the Day"Leslie NormanLeslie Darbon4 March 1970 (1970-03-04)4028
When a crate of soup is stolen from a bonded warehouse, Department S suspects smuggling; but when the team locates the stolen soup cans, all are intact and contain only soup. Is it a case of double-cross?

Re-runs

A repeat run of Department S began on ITV4 in November 2005, alongside others of a large number of similar ITC productions. Episodes of Department S screened on London Live TV channel in the London area in March–April 2022.

Home media

The first two episodes of Department S were released on DVD in Britain by Carlton Television (now part of ITV plc). Department S was released on DVD in Australia by Umbrella Entertainment in a box set. This version is in PAL with no region code. Network released the series on DVD in the United Kingdom [1] featuring many exclusive extras, including commentaries and part of a documentary series also covering Jason King: Wanna Watch a Television Series? Chapter One: Variations on a Theme.

Department S first appeared in high definition on Blu-ray as a single episode on Retro Action Volume 1 released by the Network imprint on 19 September 2011. This contained the episode "A Small War of Nerves", which features Anthony Hopkins.

Volume-by-volume release of the entire series in new high-definition transfers on Blu-ray began in 2017, with the first available on 27 February.[3] There are six volumes in total; the first two each contain four episodes, the next four contain five episodes each.

A complete box set of the entire series was released in Blu-ray on 2 October 2017, coded for all three regions.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ Dates from ITC Episode guide issued with the Network DVD
  2. ^ History of ITV
  3. ^ "Department S: Volume 1 Blu-ray (United Kingdom)".
  4. ^ "Department S: The Complete Series Blu-ray (United Kingdom)".

External links

  • Department S at IMDb
  • British Film Institute Screen Online

department, series, this, article, about, series, band, department, band, department, british, adventure, series, produced, entertainment, consists, episodes, which, originally, aired, 1969, 1970, stars, peter, wyngarde, author, jason, king, later, featured, s. This article is about the TV series For the band see Department S band Department S is a British spy fi adventure series produced by ITC Entertainment It consists of 28 episodes which originally aired in 1969 and 1970 It stars Peter Wyngarde as author Jason King later featured in spin off series Jason King Joel Fabiani as Stewart Sullivan and Rosemary Nicols as computer expert Annabelle Hurst These three are agents for a fictional special department the S of the title of Interpol The head of Department S is Sir Curtis Seretse Dennis Alaba Peters Department SGenreSpy fiAction adventureCreated byDennis SpoonerMonty BermanDeveloped byDennis SpoonerStarringPeter WyngardeJoel FabianiRosemary NicolsDennis Alaba PetersTheme music composerEdwin AstleyComposerEdwin AstleyCountry of originUnited KingdomOriginal languageEnglishNo of series1No of episodes28 list of episodes ProductionProducerMonty BermanCinematographyFrank Watts Brian ElvinRunning time49 minsProduction companyITC productionDistributorIncorporated Television CompanyReleaseOriginal networkITV ATV Picture format35 mm film 4 3 ColourAudio formatMonoOriginal release9 March 1969 1969 03 09 4 March 1970 1970 03 04 ChronologyFollowed byJason King Contents 1 Production 2 Synopsis 3 Cast 4 Episodes 5 Re runs 6 Home media 7 See also 8 References 9 External linksProduction Edit When a case proves too baffling for the minds of Interpol they turn to the talents of Department S from the ITC trailer for the series The series was created by Dennis Spooner and Monty Berman although neither wrote any of the episodes which were instead scripted by ITC regulars such as Terry Nation and Philip Broadley Many of the directors on the show had also worked on other ITC shows such as The Saint Danger Man and Randall and Hopkirk Deceased The series was shot on 35mm film and designed like all ITC s film productions to fit the United States commercial format Although episodes begin with a cold open after the S logo is shown unusually the episode title writer and director credits appear on screen before the opening title sequence though after the theme tune has started With a few exceptions the principal cast is always studio bound Some exteriors are represented by studio buildings while the rest are mainly shown in second unit footage using doubles where necessary Outside locations were in common with similar series largely restricted to the Hertfordshire countryside in the vicinity of Borehamwood At least one foreign location was used featuring Peter Wyngarde on the streets of Vienna Otherwise foreign locations are usually established by the use of stock footage To further cut costs the series was produced back to back with Randall and Hopkirk Deceased Synopsis EditDepartment S is a division of Interpol headed by international bureaucrat Sir Curtis Seretse Dennis Alaba Peters Its headquarters is in Paris and its members investigate international cases that other crime agencies cannot solve The team itself is led by American and former FBI agent Stewart Sullivan Joel Fabiani who takes direction from Seretse Outside of his FBI experience little is known about Sullivan except that he is pragmatic and hands on and does much of the leg work confronting the criminals Jason King Peter Wyngarde is the ideas man but also helps in the field He is an adventure novelist who uses details from their cases to write his novels The living he makes writing novels affords him a hedonistic lifestyle and he is often seen with beautiful women though he has no permanent love interest in the series in one episode he mentions he is a widower whose wife was killed in a plane crash King also serves as comic relief in the series especially in scenes of hand to hand combat where he winds up being subdued as often as he prevails Annabelle Hurst Rosemary Nicols is a computer expert and analyst as well as a field investigator A very attractive woman Hurst sometimes appears in seductive glamorous disguises as well as her underwear in the first episode There are ongoing hints of romantic interest between Sullivan and Hurst during the series Cast EditPeter Wyngarde as Jason King Joel Fabiani as Stewart Sullivan Rosemary Nicols as Annabelle Hurst Dennis Alaba Peters as Sir Curtis SeretseEpisodes EditFilming took place between April 1968 and June 1969 The air dates 1 are for ATV Midlands ITV 2 regions varied date and order The production numbers here refer to ITC synopsis guide numbers and the sequence in the Network DVD booklet No TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd code1 Six Days Cyril FrankelGerald Kelsey9 March 1969 1969 03 09 4006When an aircraft goes missing for six days and the crew members and passengers including Seretse have no recollection of events Department S investigates 2 The Trojan Tanker Ray AustinPhilip Broadley16 March 1969 1969 03 16 4004A crashed tanker has had a room built inside which contains an unconscious girl she disappears before help arrives 3 A Cellar Full of Silence John GillingTerry Nation23 March 1969 1969 03 23 4003Department S is called in after four dead men are found in a cellar wearing fancy dress 4 The Pied Piper of Hambledown Roy Ward BakerDonald James30 March 1969 1969 03 30 4002When an entire village disappears overnight except for one girl Department S is called in 5 One of Our Aircraft Is Empty Paul DicksonTony Williamson6 April 1969 1969 04 06 4007An airliner lands at Heathrow but the crew and passengers are missing Made back to back with Six Days 6 The Man in the Elegant Room Cyril FrankelTerry Nation13 April 1969 1969 04 13 4001When a dead girl and a demented man are found in a room constructed inside a disused factory Department S investigates 7 Handicap Dead John GillingPhilip Broadley20 April 1969 1969 04 20 4005When a tournament golfer is found dead on a nearby beach Sullivan investigates 8 A Ticket to Nowhere Cyril FrankelTony Williamson27 April 1969 1969 04 27 4017A disappearing scientist and the death of a financier are linked but Jason and Stewart keep forgetting about the case to the despair of Annabelle 9 Black Out Ray AustinPhilip Broadley17 September 1969 1969 09 17 4009A chef and food critic is found unconscious in the Mexican desert and cannot recall the last three days Is there a connection to the American space programme 10 The Double Death of Charlie Crippen John GillingLeslie Darbon24 September 1969 1969 09 24 4010An assassination attempt leaves only a dummy as the victim Department S has to discover who the real target is 11 Who Plays the Dummy John GillingTony Williamson1 October 1969 1969 10 01 4013When a car crashes and the sole occupant is a dummy in the driving seat Department S follows the trail to an imminent attack on NATO senior officers 12 The Treasure of the Costa del Sol John GillingPhilip Broadley8 October 1969 1969 10 08 4008Two dead fisherman and a haul of plastic fish containing 100 000 lead to a painter and engraver 13 The Man Who Got a New Face Cyril FrankelPhilip Broadley15 October 1969 1969 10 15 4011Department S investigates when a man is found dead with a clown s mask glued to his face and the trail leads to a vicious vendetta 14 Les Fleurs du Mal Cyril FrankelPhilip Broadley22 October 1969 1969 10 22 4014Three plastic flowers contain a coded message that will lead to the proceeds of a bank robbery but there are interested parties ready to kill for the flowers 15 The Shift That Never Was John GillingDonald James25 October 1969 1969 10 25 4012With one exception every member of staff of a chemical factory takes a day off The one man who went to work is murdered the trail leads to a beauty parlour and a nuclear power station 16 The Man from X Gil TaylorTony Williamson5 November 1969 1969 11 05 4019A man clad in a spacesuit staggers in a London street unable to remove the jammed helmet he suffocates Department S investigates the only clue is the man has slight radiation burns and had been in a vacuum 17 Dead Men Die Twice Ray AustinPhilip Broadley12 November 1969 1969 11 12 4016Department S finds that a dead man can die twice when a man is murdered twice three years after his double had been murdered 18 The Perfect Operation Cyril FrankelLeslie Darbon26 November 1969 1969 11 26 4021A surgeon performing a delicate brain operation on a senior British civil servant is forcibly removed another surgeon enters and completes the operation saving the man s life Department S investigates the only surgeon capable of doing the operation but he is Russian and too old 19 The Duplicated Man Paul DicksonHarry W Junkin3 December 1969 1969 12 03 4022A double agent is killed but is he really dead after he has spent ten years cultivating a second identity to escape from his masters Department S investigates closely followed by enemy agents 20 The Mysterious Man in the Flying Machine Cyril FrankelPhilip Broadley10 December 1969 1969 12 10 4023A man is found murdered in a mock up aircraft in a warehouse The team wonder why anybody should go to so much trouble A message left scrawled on their car is the only clue 21 Death on Reflection Ray AustinPhilip Broadley17 December 1969 1969 12 17 4020Sir Curtis Seretse head of Department S is astonished to see a mirror sell at auction for four times its value when the buyer is murdered he asks the team to investigate 22 Last Train to Redbridge John GillingGerald Kelsey14 January 1970 1970 01 14 4015Multiple murders on a tube train lead Department S to criminal speculators attempting to tap the hot line between the US President and the UK Prime Minister 23 A Small War of Nerves Leslie NormanHarry W Junkin21 January 1970 1970 01 21 4026A fanatical scientist who has developed a deadly nerve gas threatens to wipe out London unless governments take notice and agree to live in peace 24 The Bones of Byrom Blain Paul DicksonTony Williamson28 January 1970 1970 01 28 4027A chauffeur arrives at his destination only to discover his passenger has disappeared leaving only his skeleton behind Department S investigates and discovers the chauffeur s skeleton the same fate awaits Sir Curtis Seretse and Jason King 25 Spencer Bodily is 60 Years Old Leslie NormanHarry W Junkin11 February 1970 1970 02 11 4024Spencer Bodily is dead he looks 20 but must be at least 60 and there is no record he ever existed The body disappears and Department S suspects there could be more cases of eternal youth 26 The Ghost of Mary Burnham Cyril FrankelHarry W Junkin18 February 1970 1970 02 18 4018John Burnham is tormented by the ghost of his wife shortly after she is shot and killed He is a brilliant economist and someone is trying to unbalance him to prevent him taking an important job Department S has to find out why before he is driven insane 27 A Fish Out of Water Cyril FrankelPhilip Broadley25 February 1970 1970 02 25 4025When an Interpol agent is found dead Jason King is sent to take over his mission to crack an international drug ring Jason realises he has been identified and his life is in danger Stewart and Annabelle are sent to back him up 28 The Soup of the Day Leslie NormanLeslie Darbon4 March 1970 1970 03 04 4028When a crate of soup is stolen from a bonded warehouse Department S suspects smuggling but when the team locates the stolen soup cans all are intact and contain only soup Is it a case of double cross Re runs EditA repeat run of Department S began on ITV4 in November 2005 alongside others of a large number of similar ITC productions Episodes of Department S screened on London Live TV channel in the London area in March April 2022 Home media EditThe first two episodes of Department S were released on DVD in Britain by Carlton Television now part of ITV plc Department S was released on DVD in Australia by Umbrella Entertainment in a box set This version is in PAL with no region code Network released the series on DVD in the United Kingdom 1 featuring many exclusive extras including commentaries and part of a documentary series also covering Jason King Wanna Watch a Television Series Chapter One Variations on a Theme Department S first appeared in high definition on Blu ray as a single episode on Retro Action Volume 1 released by the Network imprint on 19 September 2011 This contained the episode A Small War of Nerves which features Anthony Hopkins Volume by volume release of the entire series in new high definition transfers on Blu ray began in 2017 with the first available on 27 February 3 There are six volumes in total the first two each contain four episodes the next four contain five episodes each A complete box set of the entire series was released in Blu ray on 2 October 2017 coded for all three regions 4 See also EditGrim s Dyke house amp filming locationReferences Edit Dates from ITC Episode guide issued with the Network DVD History of ITV Department S Volume 1 Blu ray United Kingdom Department S The Complete Series Blu ray United Kingdom External links EditDepartment S at IMDb British Film Institute Screen Online Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Department S TV series amp oldid 1110331922, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.