Detective (TV series)

Detective
GenreAnthology
Crime
Mystery
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series3
No. of episodes45
Production
Running time50 minutes
Original release
NetworkBBC
Release30 March 1964 (1964-03-30) –
9 November 1969 (1969-11-09)

Detective is a British mystery anthology television series adapted from stories by numerous prominent crime fiction writers, with each episode focusing on a particular detective character. Several prominent fictional sleuths were showcased, including Sherlock Holmes, Dr. John Thorndyke, Philip Trent, Sir Henry Merrivale, Roderick Alleyn, Father Brown, Albert Campion, C. Auguste Dupin, Sir John Appleby, Inspector Ghote, Nigel Strangeways and Gervase Fen.

Many of the episodes were introduced by Rupert Davies, in-character as Inspector Maigret, reprising his role from the eponymous BBC series that had aired from 1960 to 1963. Several episodes functioned as Backdoor pilots for potential future series. Of the 45 episodes, only three such shows were produced as a result: Cluff (1964–65) starring Leslie Sands, Thorndyke (1964) starring Peter Copley, and Sherlock Holmes (1965–68) starring Douglas Wilmer, and later, Peter Cushing.

Of the eighteen episodes from the first series twelve are currently known to exist; nine episodes from series two survive; while only one episode from the third series remains in the archive.[1]

Recurring characters

Characters who appeared in more than one episode:

List of episodes

Series One

No. Title Original author(s) Detective(s) Actor(s) who portrayed detective(s) Ref. Status
1.1 The Moving Toyshop Edmund Crispin Gervase Fen, Oxford professor Richard Wordsworth [2] Missing
1.2 The Drawing Gil North Detective Sergeant Caleb Cluff, Yorkshire policeman Leslie Sands [3] Missing, spawned a series
1.3 Trent's Last Case E. C. Bentley Philip Trent, journalist Michael Gwynn [4] Missing
1.4 End of Chapter Nicholas Blake Nigel Strangeways, private detective Glyn Houston [5] Survives
1.5 The Judas Window Carter Dickson Sir Henry Merrivale, amateur detective David Horne [6] Missing
1.6 Dishonoured Bones John Trench Martin Cotterill, archeologist Alan Dobie [7] Survives
1.7 The Man Who Murdered in Public Roy Vickers Detective Inspector Rason, officer of "The Department of Dead Ends" Michael Hordern [8] Missing
1.8 The Speckled Band Arthur Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes, consulting detective Douglas Wilmer [9] Survives, spawned a series
1.9 The Night of the Horns Douglas Sanderson Robert Race, lawyer Frank Lieberman [10] Survives
1.10 Subject: Murder Clifford Witting Inspector Charlton and Peter Bradford Basil Dignam and Mark Eden [11] Survives
1.11 Death in Ecstasy Ngaio Marsh Roderick Alleyn, police inspector Geoffrey Keen [12] Survives
1.12 A Connoisseur's Case Michael Innes Sir John Appleby, police officer Dennis Price [13] Survives
1.13 The Loring Mystery Jeffery Farnol Jasper Shrig, Georgian era hero Patrick Troughton [14] Survives
1.14 The Hungry Spider Selwyn Jepson Eve Gill Jane Merrow [15] Survives
1.15 The Case of Oscar Brodski R. Austin Freeman Dr. John Thorndyke, Forensic sleuth Peter Copley [16] Survives, spawned a series
1.16 The Speaking Eye Clark Smith Nicky Mahoun, accountant Frederick Jaeger [17] Survives
1.17 Death of a Fellow Traveller Delano Ames Dagobert and Jane Brown, married investigators Leslie Randall and Joan Reynolds [18] Survives
1.18 The Quick One G.K. Chesterton Father Brown, Roman Catholic priest Mervyn Johns [19] Missing

Series Two

No. Title Original author(s) Detective(s) Actor(s) who portrayed detective(s) Ref. Status
2.1 The Deadly Climate Ursula Curtiss Robert Carmichael, reporter Dudley Sutton [20] Missing
2.2 Dover and the Deadly Poison Pen Letters Joyce Porter Inspector Wilfred Dover, irascible police officer Paul Dawkins [21] Survives
2.3 A Man and His Mother-In-Law Roy Vickers Detective Inspector Rason, officer of "The Department of Dead Ends" John Welsh [22] Survives
2.4 Lesson in Anatomy Michael Innes Sir John Appleby, police officer Ian Ogilvy [23] Missing
2.5 The German Song H.C. Bailey Reggie Fortune, police consultant Denholm Elliott [24] Survives
2.6 The Beast Must Die Nicholas Blake Nigel Strangeways, private detective Bernard Horsfall [25] Survives
2.7 The Avenging Chance Anthony Berkeley Roger Sheringham, amateur sleuth John Carson [26] Survives
2.8 Born Victim Hillary Waugh Fred Fellows, police officer Lee Montague [27] Missing
2.9 The Unquiet Sleep William Haggard Rachel Borrowdaile and Colonel Charles Russell, government agents Sarah Lawson and Roland Culver [28] Survives
2.10 The High Adventure Jeffery Farnol Jasper Shrig, Georgian era hero Colin Blakely [29] Survives
2.11 Cork on the Water Macdonald Hastings Montague Cork, insurance agent Colin Douglas [30] Survives
2.12 The Case of the Late Pig Margery Allingham Albert Campion, gentleman detective Brian Smith [31] Survives
2.13 The Golden Dart Selwyn Jepson Eve Gill Penelope Horner [32] Survives
2.14 Crime of Passion Colin Morris
(dramatization of the real-life Dr. Crippen case)		 Walter Dew Glynn Edwards [33] Missing
2.15 Artists in Crime Ngaio Marsh Roderick Alleyn, police inspector Michael Allinson [34] Missing
2.16 Deaths on the Champs Elysees Francis Didelot Commissaire Bignon Derek Godfrey [35] Survives
2.17 The Murders in the Rue Morgue Edgar Allan Poe C. Auguste Dupin, French detective Edward Woodward [36] Missing

Series Three

No. Title Original author(s) Detective(s) Actor(s) who portrayed detective(s) Ref. Status
3.1 The Prisoner's Plea Hillary Waugh Fred Fellows, police officer Lee Montague [37] Survives
3.2 The Singing Sands Josephine Tey Inspector Alan Grant, policeman John Carson [38] Missing
3.3 The Public School Murder R.C. Woodthorpe Sir Luke Frinsby Cyril Luckham [39] Missing
3.4 Put Out the Light Ethel Lina White Miss Pye Angela Baddeley [40] Missing
3.5 The Tea-Leaf Edgar Jepson and Robert Eustace Ruth Kelstem Hannah Gordon [41] Missing
3.6 Hunt the Peacock H.R.F. Keating Inspector Ganesh Ghote, Bombay policeman Zia Mohyeddin [42] Missing
3.7 Elimination Round Ludovic Peters Ian Firth and John Smith David Buck and Meredith Edwards [43] Missing
3.8 And So to Murder Carter Dickson Sir Henry Merrivale, amateur detective Martin Wyldeck [44] Missing
3.9 The Poisoners Francis Didelot Commissaire Bignon Edward Woodward [45] Missing
3.10 Mr. Guppy's Tale Charles Dickens William Guppy, law clerk Bill Fraser [46] Missing

References

  1. ^ Detective (TV Series 1964–1969) - Trivia - IMDb[better source needed]
  2. ^ "Detective: The Moving Toyshop". BBC Programme Index. 30 March 1964. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  3. ^ "Detective: The Drawing". BBC Programme Index. 6 April 1964. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  4. ^ "Detective: Trent's Last Case". BBC Programme Index. 13 April 1964. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  5. ^ "Detective: Detective: End of Chapter". BBC Programme Index. 20 April 1964. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  6. ^ "Detective: The Judas Window". BBC Programme Index. 27 April 1964. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  7. ^ "Detective: Dishonoured Bones". BBC Programme Index. 4 May 1964. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  8. ^ "Detective: The Man Who Murdered in Public". BBC Programme Index. 11 May 1964. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  9. ^ "Detective: The Man Who Murdered in Public". BBC Programme Index. 18 May 1964. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  10. ^ "Detective: Sherlock Holmes: The Speckled Band". BBC Programme Index. 25 May 1964. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  11. ^ "Detective: Subject: Murder". BBC Programme Index. June 1964. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  12. ^ "Detective: Death in Ecstasy". BBC Programme Index. 8 June 1964. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  13. ^ "Detective: A Connoisseur's Case". BBC Programme Index. 15 June 1964. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  14. ^ "Detective: The Loring Mystery". BBC Programme Index. 22 June 1964. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  15. ^ "Detective: The Hungry Spider". BBC Programme Index. 29 June 1964. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  16. ^ "Detective: The Case of Oscar Brodski". BBC Programme Index. 6 July 1964. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  17. ^ "Detective: The Case of Oscar Brodski". BBC Programme Index. 6 July 1964. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  18. ^ "Detective: Death of a Fellow Traveller". BBC Programme Index. 20 July 1964. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  19. ^ "Detective: The Quick One". BBC Programme Index. 27 July 1964. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  20. ^ "Detective: The Deadly Climate". BBC Programme Index. 17 May 1968. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  21. ^ "Detective: Dover and the Poison Pen Letters". BBC Programme Index. 24 May 1968. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  22. ^ "Detective: A Man and his Mother-in-Law". BBC Programme Index. 31 May 1968. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  23. ^ "Detective: Lesson in Anatomy". BBC Programme Index. 7 June 1968. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  24. ^ "Detective: The German Song". BBC Programme Index. 14 June 1968. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  25. ^ "Detective: The Beast Must Die". BBC Programme Index. 21 June 1968. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  26. ^ "Detective: The Avenging Chance". BBC Programme Index. 28 June 1968. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  27. ^ "Detective: Born Victim". BBC Programme Index. 5 July 1968. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  28. ^ "Detective: The Unquiet Sleep". BBC Programme Index. 7 July 1968. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  29. ^ "Detective: The High Adventure". BBC Programme Index. 14 July 1968. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  30. ^ "Detective: Cork on the Water". BBC Programme Index. 21 July 1968. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  31. ^ "Detective: The Case of the Late Pig". BBC Programme Index. 28 July 1968. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  32. ^ "Detective: The Golden Dart". BBC Programme Index. 4 August 1968. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  33. ^ "Detective: Crime of Passion". BBC Programme Index. 11 August 1968. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  34. ^ "Detective: Artists in Crime". BBC Programme Index. 18 August 1968. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  35. ^ "Detective: Death on the Champs Elysees". BBC Programme Index. 25 August 1968. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  36. ^ "Detective: The Murders in the Rue Morgue". BBC Programme Index. September 1968. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  37. ^ "Detective: The Prisoner's Plea". BBC Programme Index. 7 September 1969. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  38. ^ "Detective: The Singing Sands". BBC Programme Index. 14 September 1969. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  39. ^ "Detective: The Public School Murder". BBC Programme Index. 21 September 1969. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  40. ^ "Detective: Put Out the Light". BBC Programme Index. 28 September 1969. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  41. ^ "Detective: The Tea-Leaf". BBC Programme Index. 5 October 1969. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  42. ^ "Detective: Hunt the Peacock". BBC Programme Index. 12 October 1969. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  43. ^ "Detective: Elimination Round". BBC Programme Index. 19 October 1969. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  44. ^ "Detective: And so to Murder". BBC Programme Index. 26 October 1969. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  45. ^ "Detective: The Poisoners". BBC Programme Index. 2 November 1969. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  46. ^ "Detective: Mr Guppy's Tale". BBC Programme Index. 9 November 1969. Retrieved June 19, 2023.