Probation Officer (TV series)

Probation Officer
GenreDrama
Written byJulian Bond
Peter Yeldham
Phillip Grenville Mann
Directed byPeter Sasdy
Christopher Morahan
Royston Morley
Josephine Douglas
StarringJohn Paul
John Scott
Jessica Spencer
David Davies
Henry Oscar
A. J. Brown
Jack Stewart
Humphrey Heathcote
Derek Benfield[1]
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series4
No. of episodes109
Production
ProducersAntony Kearey
Rex Firkin
Running time60 minutes
Production companyAssociated Television
Original release
NetworkITV
Release14 September 1959 (1959-09-14) –
14 September 1962 (1962-09-14)

Probation Officer was a British TV series that ran from 1959–1962 about probation officers.[2] It was made by Associated Television and starred John Paul, Jessica Spencer, David Davies and John Scott.[3][4] Other actors who appeared in the series include Henry Oscar, Honor Blackman, Windsor Davies and Billy Milton.[5]

It was created by Julian Bond and was the first ever one-hour TV drama to screen on ITV.[6] Bond spent months researching the show from real life cases.[7]

Cast

  • John Paul as Philip Main (53 episodes, 1959-1961)
  • John Scott as Bert Bellman (33 episodes, 1959-1962)
  • Jessica Spencer as Maggie Weston (32 episodes, 1960-1962)
  • David Davies as Jim Blake (20 episodes, 1959-1960)
  • Henry Oscar as Magistrate (15 episodes, 1960-1961)
  • A.J. Brown as Judge (12 episodes, 1959-1961)
  • Jack Stewart as Andrew Wallace (10 episodes, 1959-1960)
  • Honor Blackman as Iris Cope (9 episodes, 1959)
  • Humphrey Heathcote as Jailer (9 episodes, 1959-1961)
  • Windsor Davies as Bill Morgan (8 episodes, 1962)
  • Bernard Brown as Stephen Ryder (8 episodes, 1961-1962)
  • Betty Hardy as Miss Randell (7 episodes, 1959)
  • John Barrett as Clerk of Court (6 episodes, 1960-1962)
  • Derek Benfield as George Cooper (1 episode, 1960)[8]

Archive status and home media

Like many British TV series of the same vintage, the archive holdings of Probation Officer are incomplete, with approximately three-quarters of the episodes missing.

In 2017, Network released "Volume One" on DVD, containing 12 existing episodes from the first series (Episodes 1-3, 5-8, 13-16 & 22 - Episode 8 is missing one courtroom scene) as a three disc DVD boxset. No further releases followed.

Professional views on the programme

Shortly after the first programmes were aired, concerns were raised by both reviewers[9] and the National Association of Probation Officers (NAPO) who formally disassociated itself from the programme.[10] Later the same year a Home Office spokesperson confirmed that future programmes would be vetted by Mr Seldon Farmer (Principal Probation Officer for Inner London Probation Service) before television broadcast.[11]

Not all press was negative and once professionally moderated the reports appeared to be predominantly about production and contract challenges with some reporting suggesting that an 'Oscar' should be awarded for performance by June Watts.[12]

Production issues and withdrawal of the programme

A number of programmes had production impacts from the Equity strike in 1961-2; however, the future of many programmes became untenable. In April 1962 the return of Probation Officer was still not secured.[13] A change of the lead actor was announced in May 1962 following unsuccessful contract negotiations.[14]

Reports are less certain on the formal cancellation,of the show such as key characters featuring in new shows, but by Late 1962 it seemed to be off the screens.[15][16]

References

  1. ^ "Probation Officer (1959-1962)".
  2. ^ Marcus, Laurence (December 2000). "Probation Officer". Television Heaven.
  3. ^ "Probation Officer[12/09/60] (1960)". BFI. Archived from the original on 2 June 2021.
  4. ^ "Probation Officer[30/11/1959] (1959)". BFI. Archived from the original on 6 April 2020.
  5. ^ "Probation Officer[31/08/62] (1962)". BFI. Archived from the original on 30 November 2020.
  6. ^ "Probation Officer – Series One, Episode Two". 24 December 2016.
  7. ^ Probation Office at UK TV Index Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ "Probation Officer (1959-1962)".
  9. ^ "Probation Officer review". Newspapers.com. The Birmingham Post. 26 October 1959. p. 18. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  10. ^ "Probation Officers Disown ATV Series". Newspapers.com. Nottingham Evening News. 19 October 1959. p. 6. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  11. ^ "TV Probation Officer Vetted". Newspapers.com. The Guardian Journal. 3 December 1959. p. 10. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  12. ^ "Oscar for Jenny". Newspapers.com. Leicester Evening Mail. 16 May 1962. p. 4. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  13. ^ "No date for 'Ward 10' Return". Newspapers.com. Nottingham Evening News. 3 April 1962. p. 20.
  14. ^ "The Costly Probation Officer". Newspapers.com. Liverpool Daily Post (Merseyside ed.). 17 April 1962. p. 9. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  15. ^ "Miss Spencer returns in a new serial". Newspapers.com. Birmingham Evening Mail. 14 June 1963. p. 3. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  16. ^ "Probation Officer". IMDb. Associated Television (ATV). 14 September 1959. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
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