Cult TV Episode Guides

5 hours ago, gingerjon said:

Many of the settings for Star Cops were based on real plans for orbiting stations that were in development at the time.

The way the above-mentioned murder victim was targeted with threatening messages while incommunicado herself had me pondering the state of electronic communications back in 1987. Would the Fax machine have been the closest contemporary approximation to the domestic paraphernalia in Star Cops?

Similar frightening isolation nowadays if someone is bombarded with minatory malevolence from unknown sources over the net.

I still feel slightly creeped out by any unsolicited direct message. Technological ignorance plays a part. Science is not my forte. Never understood how 70s American TV cops could have a phone in their car.

6 hours ago, unapologetic pedant said:

The way the above-mentioned murder victim was targeted with threatening messages while incommunicado herself had me pondering the state of electronic communications back in 1987. Would the Fax machine have been the closest contemporary approximation to the domestic paraphernalia in Star Cops?

They had pagers and bleeps when it was made.

6 hours ago, unapologetic pedant said:

Never understood how 70s American TV cops could have a phone in their car.

The Invention of the Car PhoneThe car phone was first introduced in America by Motorola in 1946 with limited service in Chicago provided by the Bell System which used radio technology to connect a phone installed in the vehicle to landlines across the country.

Continuing with Space 1999;

S2 E15. Space Warp.
Commander John Koenig and Security Officer Tony Verdeschi investigate a derelict spaceship in the third quadrant, but they are separated by light years from Moonbase Alpha when it's sucked into a space warp. Meanwhile, Maya, the shape-shifting science officer, is stricken with a fever that causes her to transform into a repulsive space monster that rampages throughout the base.

Excellent space warping fx,  but little in the way of a story.

 

  

S2 E16. A Matter Of Balance.
Several crew members explore the planet Sunin, including botanist Shermeen Williams, who appears to have visionary gifts. She links up with an alien, called Vindrus, who wants her help in transferring his body and that of his race, into solid matter, giving them proper human form so that they can join the universe as real matter. However, for every one of his race made flesh, an Alphan must lose their matter. An interesting story let down by stupid costumes and the Shermeen conundrum, she is 17 so must have been 13 when The Moon left Earth!

 

 

 

 

 

 

S2 E20. The Seance Spectre.
The moon is discovered to be on a collision course with a huge "dust cloud" within a solar system, possibly containing a planet. The leader of one of Alpha's lunar surface exploration teams (who Helena believes is suffering psychological issues), Sanderson, becomes a mutineer, posing a threat to the entire base by attempting to undermine the Alphan's anti-collision plans. Sanderson and his team are suffering from a psychological sickness caused by a longing to leave this claustrophobic existence on the moon and believe they have visions of paradise on the approaching planet.

A look at The Sandbaggers, late 70's ITV spy series, regarded as pretty damn good. A rough run through of the episodes, will contain spoilers.

S1 E1 FIRST PRINCIPLES 

Opening episode of a show that is a must for any Callan fans.
The Director of Operations of the S.I.S. has to mount a rescue operation of Norwegian scientists who have crashed 30 miles inside Russia. Neil Burnside the director (D-ops) fails to convince his masters that this mission is madness. The British government want S.I.S. to carry out the operation for political reasons. The Norwegians have promised to buy the British missile Nemesis thus creating lots of jobs.
Herr Torvik (Olaf Pooley) head of Norwegian intelligence has provided details of where the plane is, and reluctantly Burnside sends his two top sandbaggers (agents) into Russia.
An RAF plane lifts off, not on the mission, but doing a reconnaissance flight down the line where the plane is, to spot it, see if the scientists are still there, and see if there's any Russian activity.
Torvik " that could have been the rescue plane"
Burnside" all in good time, we want to plan a route out for the sandbaggers, avoid military installations"
T " seems like your more anxious about your men then the scientists"
B " you bet I am. All being well we'll fly in tomorrow to get them , weather permitting"
T ( sighing) "okay Mr Burnside I know you're doing your best?"
The next day Torvik sends a message to abort the mission, Burnside's close friend Geoff Ross, head of CIA London dashes to Burnside's Whitehall office to tell him the Norwegians have offered to buy the American missile War Bonnet in exchange for doing the rescue.
Ross " I'm sorry Neil, it was a decision taken by those above me., Torvik apparently told Langley (CIA HQ) that you were dragging your feet, just didn't want to do the job. So a bright spark at HQ decided to do the rescue in exchange for the Norwegians buying war bonnet. Went straight in , briefed on the plane"
It's too late for S.I.S. to abort.
A tense conclusion as Burnside realises that the Americans have a half hour start on SIS and will mine the plane to explode in thirty minutes, just as Sandbaggers 1and 2 , Caine and Landy turn up.
B "if those explosives can destroy the plane, they won't have any problem splattering my men all over Russia"

Good first episode dealing with how governments can manipulate secret services for political ends. Burnside is a great character wonderfully played by Roy Marsden. Bob Sherman as the dishevelled CIA man Ross is also good.
Other regulars include Deputy Chief Peele played by Jerome Willis , Stevens in Dr Who The Green Death, and the chief played by Richard " Slartibartfast" Vernon. In the operations room Willie Caine,sandbagger #1 and Jake Landy #2 are briefed. Maps showing potential military bases that need avoiding etc.
In Burnside 's office Caine explodes in anger,
C " God why should I risk my life for some Norwegian.."
Burnside " if you've got mission twitch"
C " I'd be bloody silly not to have mission twitch on this one"
B " Wellingham at the Foreign Office says this country needs Nemesis"
C " yeah, create a lot of jobs, I'll remember that when I'm digging salt in Siberia"
Olaf Pooley was good as the distressed and agitated Torvik, anxious that the SIS don't waste time with silly planning, and get a move on and rescue his nationals. Eventually he went to the Americans , but in vain as the American rescue was a #### up due to lack of planning. Caine and Landy arrive at the plane, it's deserted, the scientists have gone.

Then BOOM. The plane explodes, The two agents very lucky being just out of range. Caine realises the Russians would have wanted the plane intact. The CIA of course!. Burnside told Ross, as a friend, and he blabbed to Washington D.C., The Pentagon, and indeed the Norwegians and Americans made a deal to buy the US missile War Bonnet in exchange for the rescue.
Caine and Landy track the scientists and quickly dive for cover as the Russian army comes into sight. Tough luck for the scientists and the CIA men as they're led away. The two sandbaggers escape over countryside and end up in Norway safe.
Sir Geoffrey Wellingham, permanent under secretary at the foreign office, and Burnsides' ex father in law, discuss the situation.
Wellingham " we're in a good position with the Norwegians , if they had stuck with us.....now if we get back to them about Nemesis"
Burnside. " Is that all you care about!!? What about the scientists"
W: " that's was what it was all about, jobs, let's not lose sight of first principles"
Burnside flies to Oslo to meet Torvik.
At the airport;
B " I've come for an explanation"
T " I couldn't stand by while you did nothing"
B " when will you learn, special operations need special planning. If you want James Bond go to a library. Our battles aren't won at the end of a parachute, but in drab offices in London and hopefully Oslo"
T " I understand, thank you for being so restrained. Can I buy you a drink?"
B " I've nothing to celebrate"
T " even so..."
B " if I had a glass in my hand Torvik, I'd stuff it down your throat"
With that Burnside turns and leaves.

S1 E2 A PROPER FUNCTION OF GOVERNMENT 
Burnside has to report that Donald Hopkins, close friend of the Prime Minister and Cabinet Science Adviser is in Vienna, when he should be on a fishing holiday in Scotland. Could he defecting?
Meantime President Lutara, an African leader has executed a British journalist and kidnapped his family which includes a 15 year old girl. Nasty.
The Prime Minister refuses permission to assassinate Lutara, for pacifist ideological reasons. But when KGB agent Boonin, a specialist in picking up defectors is reported in Vienna, it's panic at Downing Street. Hopkins must be returned or assassinated. The chief of SIS is puzzled,
Greenlee (codenamed C) " I don't understand the PM assured me violence is totally against his nature"
Burnside " perhaps you've not understood sir, a murderous lunatic we can't touch, but someone who threatens the government and their perks, instant permission to assassinate"
It's a race to get to Hopkins before Boonin. 

A solid second episode again showing how SIS is manipulated for government expediency. We meet Wellingham, as we did briefly in episode 1, played by Alan McNaughton, who is Burnside's ex father in law, and the top civil servant in the foreign office. Burnside is desperate to bump off Lutara, he has a deep hatred because Lutara murdered a former SIS sandbagger when Burnside was in the field. Wellingham can fix it to allow him to personally carry out the assassination. Burnside is a guy so obsessed with his job, that he buys ex wife Belinda a bracelet and gives it to Wellingham and suggests he'll give the marriage another go if he's allowed to carry out the job.
Wellingham takes the gift and tacitly agrees Burnside can carry out the assassination.
Later in C's office, Wellingham asks Burnside to go to Vienna to supervise the Hopkins operation. Burnside refuses stating that would undermine Caine's position.
Alone in Burnside's office Wellingham lets rip. The KGB was using Boonin , out of retirement for the Hopkins pickup, Wellingham was backing Neil to do the same, and improve his promotion prospects and he refused.
Wellingham " I want this operation to succeed, I don't want this government to fall. I did you a favour over Lutara. You were prepared to do a mission for your benefit but not mine"
Burnside " I'm not undermining Willie in the field. He deserves better than that"
W " and what do I deserve? I warn you, you lose Hopkins and I'll have you out of that job in 24 hours"
Wellingham is the sort of civil servant who thinks he can control when governments stay or fall.

 The Sandbaggers, Willie Caine and Alan Denson, Sandbaggers #1+#3, have a car chase and Boonin ends up going through the windscreen. Hopkins is cornered in a Vienna park by Caine .
C " please don't run Sir Donald I am a lot fitter and quicker than you"
SD " you can't make me go back, I won't go"
C " I do have alternate instructions, if you won't come I am to kill you"
A shocked Hopkins realises the game is up.

The final exchange between Burnside and Wellingham is noteworthy, as they walk along London Embankment.
Burnside " shame about Hopkins"
Wellingham " yes , his nervous breakdown and institutionalization will be reported in due course"
What will really happen to Hopkins we can only guess.
Wellingham hands back the bracelet, still gift wrapped.
Burnside " you didn't give it to her?"
W'ham " Belinda wouldn't like to be bought and sold for favours to SIS. Perhaps you can give it to her"
B " don't count on it"
W " I won't"

S1 E3 IS YOUR JOURNEY REALLY NECESSARY 
A sandbagger mission behind the Iron Curtain goes badly wrong. Sandbagger #2 Jake Landly is killed at the border with the West. In an emotional scene, it was Sandbagger #3 Alan Denson that shot him, to prevent capture and interrogation by the Russians.
Denson deeply troubled as he waits to shoot his pal Jake.

In HQ in the Ops room;

Denson is deeply affected and wants to quit the S.I.S. to get married. Burnside in his office warmly congratulates Denson, but when he leaves, Burnside turns to Sandbagger #1 Willie Caine, " I'm not letting him go Willie, I can't cover the globe with one sandbagger"
C " you haven't spoken to him I have boss."
B " so"
C " well the marriage could all be an excuse. He now knows the cavalry doesn't always come over the hill. He didn't expect the mission could end up with him shooting his pal"
B " exactly, get rid of the girl get rid of the excuse. Find out all you can about this Sally "
C " oh boss, do you really want a digging job on Sally Graham"
B " I want you to follow orders. Follow her, I'll do her flat"
Burnside breaks into her flat and going through her diary finds the name Mick Manley mentioned.
Willie follows her, she goes to a restaurant and meets a guy called Mick. Later she goes back to his place and stays the night. Next morning Willie reports to Burnside.
B " sounds promising"
C " it's probably all innocent. We can't prove anything"
B " I'm not interested in proof, suspicion will do me"
C " oh boss boss, let him go"
Willie Caine realises Burnside is going too far.
Burnside intercepts Sally in Hyde park.

B " Miss Graham I'm Neil Burnside, Alan's boss. I've something to show you"
He hands her an envelope with photos of her from her night out with Manley.
S " why are you spying on me?"
B " you're Alan's excuse for quitting his job. You know Alan's work is governmental"
S " yes of course"
B " I want you to give him up. If not I'll tell him about Mick Manley. That you stayed overnight at his place"
S " I got drunk that's all, I couldn't drive back to my place"
B " Alan doesn't like Manley does he?"
S " no he doesn't. He doesn't get that we're just friends"
B " he won't understand when we tell him you had an overnight bag packed"
S " I didn't"
B " the way we tell it you did"
S " leave me alone"
B " or I can have you arrested for soliciting, stripped and drugged in bed with a number of guys"
S " you may have to Mr Burnside, I'm not giving him up, for you or your service"
B " I'm sorry, but you really won't know what'll hit you"
If that wasn't enough there's also a side plot about a government minister's gay brother being indiscreet in Paris and Wellingham, the Foreign Secretary aide and ex father in law of Burnside, wanting SIS to stop it.

Denson and Willie Caine are in the " hutch", the Sandbaggers office clearing out Jake's desk. Denson clearly upset,
D " Jake made it easy for me, at the border, turned toward me, made the shot easier"
W " well I hope I'd do the same of it ever came to it "

Sally Graham is so traumatized by her meeting with Burnside that she goes onto Valium tablets. Denson realising he may be using the married idea to come to terms with having to kill Jake, decides to phone Sally to postpone the wedding.
D " look darling, I've been thinking, the last job I had was a bad one, very bad. But I've had time to think and I'm going to stay. Perhaps we should postpone the wedding"
S " of course it was all an excuse wasn't it"
D " no darling it wasn't. I'm off to Germany now, I'll see you tomorrow afternoon"
S " I'll be at the doctors"
D " doctor!, you're not pregnant are you. I know I said I didn't want children, not yet not until I'm finished with the service. I'm sorry but they really need me, and I don't want to let them down"
S " no mustn't let them down they are so nice people. After all you've never let me down"
D " I'm not letting you down darling just asking to delay things"
S " I don't think I can wait any longer"
D " you are pregnant aren't you"
S " no I'm not, what would be the point, you don't want children and YOU DON'T WANT ME"
She slams the phone down.
Meantime Wellingham assures Burnside that with his contacts in the Paris embassy he'll warn the gay Charles Romney to be discreet and not embarrass his brother Minister Andrew Romney by cavorting around the fleshpots of Paris.
Wellingham reports that Charles will not stop his behavior. He asks SIS to get photos of the sordid behavior. But Wellingham lied , he never warned Charles and instead used the photos to force Andrew to resign which was Wellingham's game all along. He didn't like the guys policies and used SIS to force him out. Burnside naturally is furious.
In Berlin Alan is on a surveillance job, crosses the street.....
Burnside and Willie in Burnside's flat.
B " Wellingham putting the squeeze on using S.I.S. to oust Romney, that's a new one. We'll remind him next time he wants a favour"
The phone rings,
B " yes, Burnside, WHAT! okay I'm coming in ( puts phone down), Denson is dead"
C " dead!"
B " got killed crossing the street"
C " something else on his mind no doubt"
Burnside and Caine go to Sally with the news, but entering her flat find her dead, with an empty pill bottle next to her.
Burnside " damn, I didn't push her that hard. "
C " hard enough obviously. She was just a kid, became scared of every car coming down the street, every knock on the door. So she took to sleeping pills and drink"
B " if Denson had lived there would be a point to it all"
Caine " IS THAT IT!? YOUR EPITAPH  FOR SALLY GRAHAM. YOU SHOULD HAVE LET DENSON GO."
B " I thought I saw so much of myself in him"
C " hope it's a comfort to you, you're the one who has got to live with it"
The final scene has Burnside picking up Sally 's suicide letter addressed to Denson. The question is did she kill herself because of pressure from Burnside or Denson cancelling the wedding. If the latter, it wouldn't justify Burnside 's actions, but it would confirm to him what the audience know, and that is Denson was using his fiancee to come to terms with Jake's death and didn't really want to leave the service.

5 hours ago, gingerjon said:

They had pagers and bleeps when it was made.

The device in Star Cops printed messages on a big screen in the home.

In real life, there was apparently such a thing as a one-way pager. New Labour lobby fodder MPs were notoriously assailable slaves to their pagers in the 90s.

5 hours ago, HawkMan said:

The Invention of the Car PhoneThe car phone was first introduced in America by Motorola in 1946 with limited service in Chicago provided by the Bell System which used radio technology to connect a phone installed in the vehicle to landlines across the country.

If this technology was freely available in the 70s, why did some people go nuts for CB radio?

I associate Space 1999 with the Sunday afternoon slot just before the regional football programme. Hence it has an unfortunate curtain raiser status similar to Tomorrow's World vis-a-vis Top of the Pops. That wouldn't have been the original run.

I've seen screenshots of old TV Times pages where UFO is on Saturday around 5:15. Again, wouldn't have been the original run. An early evening niche seems optimal for Sci-Fi series that appeal to children and adults alike.

25 minutes ago, unapologetic pedant said:

If this technology was freely available in the 70s, why did some people go nuts for CB radio?

Car telephones are just that,  CB radio is something different,  lorry drivers keeping in touch   a sort of walky talky network.

THE SANDBAGGERS-cont.

S1 E4 THE MOST SUITABLE PERSON 
Burnside now has to find two replacement Sandbaggers after Denson and Landy getting killed.
The finishing school can only recommend Laura Dickens (Diane Keen) as ready for the job.
Reluctantly Burnside interviews her, but she turns out to be a cold person who tells Neil to his face that his department is silly boys playing at cowboys and Indians and that she'd rather be in an enemy country permanently working at a SIS "station" gathering data.
B " what exactly is your objection to Special Ops ?"
D " I can't help feeling they exist to give each other work. The KGB move their men, so you move yours, and I've never been good at cowboys and Indians. All very exciting but does it get anywhere "
B " well some time ago I tried to change the name of Special Ops to something less evocative. As far as I'm concerned they're special only in the sense that very few people are capable of that sort of work, you could be one of them"

Reluctantly she agrees to a temporary promotion to Sandbagger.
Dickens and Willie Caine are sent to discover why an SIS officer called Yardley is dead with a bullet wound , and dumped in a back street of Gibraltar. Caine goes to Gib, Dickens to Tangiers where Yardley was stationed.
Why did he suddenly get on a plane to Gib?
Meantime, big big trouble, Geoff Ross , London CIA man tells Burnside that one of his mission planners, Colin Groves, is seeing a Dr Sturdee, a shrink on Harley Street. CIA have a file on Sturdee documenting him as a recruiter for the KGB. Could Groves be passing secrets from under Burnside's very nose ?

In his hotel in Gibraltar Willie gets a visit from a MI5 officer wanting to know why he's here, when Gib is a British colony and counts as British territory for Intelligence Service purposes,  ie it's 5's territory and not SIS.

Willie reveals why he's here, but is disbelieved and the MI5 man threatens to report back to his bosses Willie's non cooperation.

Groves is seeing Sturdee ostensibly as an alcoholic in need of treatment, but Burnside knows that's a load of cr..., he must be passing on info about SIS.
Caine teams up with Michael Gomez the police chief in Gibraltar.

Laura goes to Tangiers to find out why Yardley left in such a hurry. Working with the SIS man in his office we see her cold personality.
While working through Yardley's file looking for clues , she is offered dinner at the home of senior SIS man in the Tangier office, the head of station is his title.
He says "I have to go now, it's a long standing dinner arrangement. Would you like to come?"
Laura replies. " no you go I'll stay and work here, after all if Yardley gave up his life I should give up a dinner engagement"

The SIS man was quiet after that and stayed and helped her.
Meanwhile the Tangier /Gibraltar link is a Ahmed Boutaleb, a Moroccan agitator recently released from ten years in jail and vowing revenge against the British government for putting him there. Yardley spotted Boutaleb going to Gib and followed him , where he was shot. Dickens, Caine and Burnside piece together the plot, and deduce the Gibraltar governor's plane , due to take off tomorrow could be hit by a portable rocket mortar. Caine and Michael Gomez (Stephen Greif), have to track Boutaleb down.
Ross and Burnside realise that if Groves has compromised even half of the SIS secrets he knows, the West will have to seriously alter their defence policy. It's that bad.
Groves is hauled into Burnside's office and accused. Groves just grins! A bad move in front of Burnside.
Groves is a member of a board war games club as is Sturdee, and all the members seem to be intelligence people. Groves realised that Sturdee was using the club to recruit for the KGB, so he pretended he was an alcoholic and would do anything to be cured even sell out. Groves hands proof of his story, names of those recruited etc, his reward? Burnside sacks him on the spot!
B " I almost put this place under a microscope because of you. A plane load of people could be blown out of the sky at any moment. I couldn't concentrate on that, I was too worried about you. Why didn't you tell me what you were doing? Get Out of my directorate. Now"
Willie and the Gib police swarm onto beach just in time to thwart Boutaleb.

Burnside shows his two faced character when he tells the deputy chief of SIS Matthew Peele that it's wonderful that an SIS officer discovered a spy ring under the noses of MI5, so if 5 want to gripe that SIS usurped their jurisdiction in Gibraltar, a British colony, they can keep their mouths shut as they owe SIS big time over Sturdee. There's no forgiveness however for Groves.

Episode 1

S1 E5 ALWAYS GLAD TO HELP

Burnside has a meeting with the Chief of the Admiralty who wants him to use The Special Projects Team (SPT) to check on a Russian ship, The Karaganda, at port in Brest, to see if it has an underwater hatch that might be used by divers on espionage missions.. The SPT are not agents as such , but are used to do things in enemy countries like start riots or blow up bridges or check ships.
Burnside refuses the request as there is insufficient evidence.
Meanwhile Wellingham has lunched with a rich sheikh, Hamed, who fancies a coup to topple his Dad, the ruler of Al Jaladah. Hamed (Peter Miles) wants the SIS to organise it, with SAS involvement , and Wellingham can see the good it can do Britain to remove the Russian loving Ruler. Hamed promises if successfully installed as ruler he'll turn the Kingdom pro West.
Burnside thinks the whole scheme is madness, but Wellingham, the chief of SIS, 'C' and the deputy chief all see knighthoods in the future for themselves if this works. Burnside wants rigorous checks to find out if Hamed is on the level, he could promise to be pro West but once installed could turn pro China, or whatever else he fancies.
Deputy chief Peele says "what does it matter if he reneges on the deal, there's an anti West regime in there now?"
Burnside " yes, but we would have engineered a coup, look stupid, and turn our allies against us"
P " we are going to support this coup
Neil"
B " only after proper checks"
P " I think we better see C"
C the chief suggests a compromise, Neil and his team check Hamed to his satisfaction, and Peele makes arrangements in readiness for British involvement in the coup. Burnside must stop this foolhardiness.

for SIS ends.

Meanwhile deputy chief Peele (Jerome Willis) meets the Navy and RAF chiefs to plot the potential coup. But the Navy won't play ball, their own back for Burnside refusing the Karaganda job. Peele is shocked, Burnside of course never told him about it.
Peele " Burnside thinks he runs SIS , but I control him" yeah sure! Burnside and Peele have a full on shouting match, with Burnside ordered to write a draft letter approving of the Karaganda job and sign it, which he reluctantly does.
Peele bends the rules himself, and instructs his secretary to add to the letter when typing out the copy that will go to the Foreign Office, phrases as, "urgently needed approval required" and " vital for security". Investigations into Hamed are troubled, the evidence from intelligence sources are contradictory. Reports indicate he loves his father, others say he doesn't, the people of Al Jalada would back him, but another report says they wouldn't even recognise him. Laura reveals that Hamed has fallen for her, proposes and wants to live outside the country in the West.
So why does he want a coup?. But Laura has discovered he is fanatically pro Arab.
Burnside peaces it together, knows what Hamed's game is.
Hamed's father has the country so pro Russian it has angered the Arab world, if Hamed gets the dumb British to come into the country, he can ambush them and drive them out, knowing in advance when and where they'll be obviously having pretended to work on the coup with the British , also Hamed will use neighbouring Arab states to repel the Brits. His grateful father slinks back to the Arab fold, reverses his pro Moscow alliance and as a bonus the British are humiliated. Luckily when Burnside tells this to Wellingham, the coup is cancelled. The Karaganda job is done and the ship does indeed have a hatch for secret divers..Wellingham tells Burnside how he chuckled at the SIS letter to the F.O.
W " phrases like , of vital security, how immodest of you Neil"
Burnside realises what Peele did to the letter.
B " I was against the mission "
W " I don't understand "
B " just a little internal disagreement sir"
Peele and Burnside meet leaving HQ on the way home.
Peele " you were right on the coup, I was right on the Karaganda, one all"
Burnside " I was lucky, you were very lucky, don't try that again"
P" perhaps in the morning you'll be more amenable and polite"
B" don't count on it sir"
An interesting story, showing the men in power both in SIS, and the government were prepared to start a coup, and kill to get Hamed in power, for personal career gains.
 

Electronic books get a mention in Star Cops episode 3.

Main Cast
Roy Marsden.......Neil Burnside
Ray Lonnen......Willie Caine
Diane Keen........Laura Dickens (series1)

Richard Vernon......'C' James Greenlee (series1+2)

Alan McNaughton........Wellingham

Jerome Willis.......Matthew Peele

Bob Sherman........Geoff Ross

Michael Cashman.( right)......Mike Wallace ( series2 +3), Ray Lonnen as Willie Caine

Peter Laird.......Edward Tyler(series2+3)

Denis Burgess...'.C'John Tower-Gibbs ( series 3)

S1 E6 A FEASIBLE SOLUTION 
A British scientist, Colby, a specialist in rocket guidance, and a Russian, Yugarov, a specialist in missile propulsion are kidnapped in Cyprus.
Someone wants to be build a missile or two but who? Considering the huge problem in smuggling missiles out of anywhere Burnside thinks it may be the Cypriots themselves.
Number 1 suspects are the Greek/Cypriot National Front who would love to drive the Turks out of Cyprus, a guy codenamed Apollo runs this terrorist organization.
Burnside wasn't really sure about this theory, until SIS number 2 man in Nicosia is gunned down in broad daylight outside his home.
Burnside. " it's a crazy thing to do, points us squarely in the direction of Cyprus, but they've done it"
Willie Caine is sent and at Nicosia airport meets the new SIS officer who'll replace the gunned down guy. She is pretty brunette Jill Ferris.
Local intelligence suggests NF might be using a sanatorium in the hills as a base. It's an old fort, hard to access, has guards, and is a private clinic, and would make an ideal cover for the NF.
Willie and Jill while driving close by the sanatorium /fort come under sniper fire. They dive for cover and some nifty shooting by Jill kills one sniper and injures the other. Caine is impressed by Jill, a novice straight out of training school. Interrogation of the injured man reveals Colby and Yugarov are indeed in the fort. Next day they plan to get them out, but first they must work out how.

Back in their apartment Willie makes a private call to Burnside, something isn't right, this Jill is too good for a novice.
Burnside checks the file , and gives a description of Jill Ferris, it doesn't match.
Burnside. " it makes sense. The Russians want Yugarov, and want you Willie to help them get him. They kill the Cypriot SIS number 2, to be sure we know where to go, and put their agent with you. We're running a joint operation with the KGB"
W" And our Jill Ferris?"
B" dead in a ditch somewhere . Be careful Willie"

In a restaurant, Burnside and Laura talk, he trying to persuade her that she should make her temporary Sandbagger role a permanent one. He reassures her that even he has doubts and worries and bad dreams about the job. He is worried about Willie now and the mission in Cyprus.
Laura " thank you for telling me, it must have been difficult for you "
B " I told you because I want you in Special Ops"
After a coffee at Burnside's flat Laura reveals why she is so cold and not altogether an amenable person. A difficult divorce and frigidity regarding sex. The two find solace in these revelations told to each other, a romance may be beginning.

Burnside would love to send Willie some help, official SAS help maybe, but this vetoed by the powers that be. It's up to Willie and *Jill* or whoever she really is.

They machine gun their way in to the sanatorium, terrorists returning fire. Jill gives Willie cover as he searches for Colby and Yugarov. He finds them locked up, but quite safe.
There's an ambulance parked in the grounds, Jill drives off , a dummy run fooling the terrorists who chase it firing, Jill leaps out and hot wires a car and picks up Willie and the scientists and heads for Willie's car. Willie and Colby get out.
Willie " okay , back to Moscow you go"
Jill " when did you know?"
W " almost from the beginning"
J " my orders were to get Yugarov, he wasn't kidnapped, he sold out . Goodbye Willie good luck"
Respect there between two agents. She drives off, and then we hear a gunshot.
Colby " what was that?"
Willie " I think the lady saved on an air fare"
Back in Burnside's office in walks a bedraggled Caine, bruised , cut and tired. But Burnside rips into him!
Burnside " Your report says she left you alone while she did a dummy run with the ambulance?"
 "yep"
B " you didn't think of putting a bullet into Yugarov and blaming the terrorists?"
C " er..no"
B " then you should have. She would have been forced to maintain her cover and we could have fed her false information"
C " didn't think of it. In a life and death situation I just didn't think of it. Anyway I felt I owed her.."
B (shouting) " YOU OWE HER NOTHING ! YOU'RE S.I.S SHE'S KGB."
C " and never the twain shall meet"
B " don't forget it again"
What a charming boss Burnside is! 

S1 E7 SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP 
Unexpected changes have taken place in recent months concerning Burnside and Laura Dickens, walks hand in hand in the park have become the norm.

An SIS agent in East Berlin has smuggled out of his workplace 10by 8 photos of great importance to SIS ,detailed maps of hitherto unknown missile sites. They must be got hold of. Someone must go into Berlin and fetch them, hidden in the agent's flat, rolled up and put down a plughole. But who? Checking Laura's file, Burnside realises that Laura has a special qualification, the ability to understand totally was it's like to live in communist East Berlin. He ignores her suitability and plumps for the SIS man already in West Berlin, Bob Clements, but he isn't a Sandbagger. This comes to nothing as Clements unfortunately breaks a leg in a car accident. Burnside really has no choice now. Caine knows only too well what's going on.
Caine volunteers.
Burnside " you know don't you?"
Caine " well it was me who got her out of field school. I'll go though"
B: " don't be daft, for this job you must be Berlin orientated, the ability to be an East Berliner. Laura is the only one qualified"
C " are you sleeping with her?"
B: " sleeping yes, anything else, no, she has a hang up about sex"
C" I guessed let me go, save you worrying"
B: " thanks but no , she's a sandbagger. Get her briefed"
Laura is briefed on the mission and heads to East Berlin. She's quite relieved to go, having spent recent days learning all about the SIS Hungarian network of spies. Very dull, but necessary homework.
But it's a trap, as soon as she enters the apartment block, soldiers surround her, the SIS agent is there, bruised, beaten up and made to talk. Laura is in the hands of the infamous STASI.
Panic back at SIS HQ, Burnside realises under interrogation Laura will crack, and the first thing she'll reveal is what's recently been learnt by her , the whole of the Hungarian network, names addresses the lot! She must be rescued and pronto. On top of this Wellingham pesters Burnside at a meeting , wanting him to give the marriage to his daughter Belinda another go.
Burnside " sorry no, it wouldn't work"
W: " try just for my sake"
B: " I'd help if I could, but the price is too high"
W: " I'll remember that remark and this conversation", he says coldly.

The only possibility is a swap, but SIS is holding no one of importance..But the French are holding a Deryabin, a KGB officer who the Russians and by association the East Germans, want back. There's no time to lose. Burnside flies to Paris to meet Beaumel, head of French intelligence.
Beaumel " I can appreciate the problem Neil. Nasty, particularly as it involves a girl. We will release Deryabin to you , but we want something in return. All that top secret UK/US eyes only material that you get. I want access to it for one year"
Burnside" ARE YOU CRAZY I daren't"
B'mel " sorry Neil, those are my terms"
Burnside reluctantly agrees.
B'mel " to insure no leak, you personally will bring the material to me once a month here, I will extract what I want and hand you back the files"
B: " okay I agree, when can you have Deryabin in Berlin?"
B'mel " not so fast Neil. I want guarantees. We could release Deryabin and then you not keep your end of the bargain. You will put the agreement in writing, signed by Sir Geoffrey Wellingham and your 'C' James Greenlee. They will authenticate it with their thumb print, which we have on record, and if the material doesn't arrive I will show the agreement to the Americans"

Burnside is caught between a rock and a hard place. He has no choice.
Back at HQ,
Caine " the Americans will find out as soon as the French use the info. God what a disaster. The special relationship with the CIA , we can kiss that goodbye. Are you sure there's no other way?"
Burnside " sure "
C " lets hope Wellingham's in a good mood!"

"C" reluctantly signs the agreement.
C " I was hoping not to end my career in disgrace, but we have no choice"
Wellingham is a different story.
At the F.O.

Wellingham : " Absolutely no! I have no intention of resigning, I want to end up as Baron Wellingham, let me see if I've got this right, I'd help if I could but the price is too high"
Burnside. " we must sir, if we don't the Hungarian network is finished..and I love Laura Dickens"
W: " you're a liar Neil. Lying as always , cheating ,double crossing to get your own way"
B: " not this time"
W: " so are you asking this as a personal or professional favour?"
B: " both"
W: " only you could pull a trick like that. You're saying if I don't sign you'll never have the woman of your dreams"
B: " what I'm saying is if you don't sign, dozens of our Hungarian agents will die!"
Wellingham dabs his thumb with ink from his fountain pen presses down on the paper, and signs.
W: " you've had your last favour from me Neil. You may proceed with the swap"

Burnside and Geoff Ross meet in Hyde Park. Burnside hands his CIA buddy the letter.

Ross " oh my God , Neil are you out of your mind?"
B: " I think I must be..let's talk"
The next evening in Berlin at checkpoint Charlie in a building on the western side, Burnside nervously paces the room when Willie enters.
Caine " I've just seen Ross here, and Beaumel., how come?"
B " Ross wanted to help, Beaumel wanted to supervise Deryabin's handover"
Later at the checkpoint, on the western side is Deryabin flanked by Burnside, Willie Caine and Ross, on the eastern side, Laura flanked by armed soldiers.

Burnside to Ross, " get ready to get Deryabin back to The West."

Caine is alarmed  " what's going on?"

B" shut up."

The two parties move forward,Laura just metres from Neil. A shot rings out, hits Laura in the back,she dies instantly. Deryabin is grabbed by Burnside and Ross and dragged back to the west. A tearful Neil looks back at Laura's dead body.

Back in the building overlooking the scene.
Caine " YOU B@STARD! WHY DIDN'T YOU SWAP !?"
Burnside " I couldn't go through with it. The CIA would never trust us again. It would have been the end of the special relationship"
C " It is, at least Laura thought it was special"
B: " I couldn't swap her and I couldn't let her talk. Please Willie, you must see that"
Beaumel runs in,
B: " the agreement is void Beaumel so get out!"
BL " we had an agreement I delivered my part of it"
B: " read it properly, it says ' thereby effecting the release of Laura Dickens' she was never released"
BL " I will still tell the Americans"
B: " you're too late. I told Ross , ask him yourself. NOW GET OUT"
Caine is still bemused shaking his head
B: " I had to get her in the open to save the Hungarians"
C " so who shot her?"
B " someone Ross brought over from the East. No one will ever know"
C" I know"
B: " but I trust you Willie"
C " I don't trust you. Do you realise I'm the last one left (shouting) AND YOU'RE NOT KILLING ME ! (calmly walking out) , do you want my resignation now or in the morning?"

B( to himself bitterly) " you won't resign, neither will I, however much I want to."

SERIES TWO

S2 E1 AT ALL COSTS
A year on from the disaster in Berlin, Burnside arrives late into the office, causing Willie Caine to question his whereabouts.
Burnside " don't worry, I've not been to Berlin to lay flowers. We have two new sandbaggers now that need my undivided attention and support"
The new guys are Tom Elliot and Mike Wallace (Michael Cashman).
An unexpected offer to SIS comes from the head of the Bulgarian secret service, a man named Gulabov , who wants to meet sandbagger #2 Tom in a Sofia square with an offer for SIS.
Another new character, Edward Tyler, the Intelligence Director who works down the corridor to Neil, suggests the skids may be under Gulabov after a number of bungles and he might genuinely want to defect, or more likely hand SIS some top secret papers as a sign of good intentions, if he asks at a later date to be picked up.
Neil is unhappy with the risks involved but Wellingham has provided a positive assessment to the PM and it's approved.
In deputy chief Peele's office Burnside states,. " I've got the CIA checking Gulabov to see if he really is in trouble and not just setting up Tom, and if their assessment differs from Tyler's I'll abort the mission"
Peele " it's unlikely to differ, and our report takes precedence"
B " that's like denying you're standing in a blizzard because the weather report forecasts sun, anyway if they differ I'll abort"
Peele " you mean you'd like to abort it"
B: " no sir I have a private arrangement with our people in Sofia, that I won't divulge, a code I'll send to abort the mission"
P: " you DON'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO ABORT"
B: " No but I have the means"
P: " Neil, you are very close to getting fired"
But as it turns out,the CIA agree with the assessment.
Tom is sent, and meets Gulabov in a dingy square at midnight. Suddenly floodlights come on, soldiers pounce, and arrest Gulabov, who was genuine, Tom runs for it and is hit in the back by gunfire but escapes and heads for a " safe house". The watching SIS Bulgarian agent reports to Burnside, and a rescue mission is discussed.
'C' and Wellingham categorically refuse Neil's request to go himself into Bulgaria.
C " we can't have the director of operations, with all the knowledge you have in a live field of operations, if you get captured...."
Burnside" I'm going, as the director of Operations, or the former director."
Will they find Tom Elliot in time?
Tom Elliott

Mike Wallace ( right)

Wellingham rules that Neil can go to Sofia.

Burnside is desperate not to lose another sandbagger, after talking Caine out of resigning, he realises that another death might just do it.
In Sofia, Burnside and Caine meet Ross, who is really a great ally to have, to collect weapons. Ross has drawn them from CIA Sofia ' station ', he hands them gratefully to the two of them.
Ross " I felt like Billy the Kid wandering around Sofia armed to the teeth"
Caine finds Tom in the safehouse, a bedsit, lying on the bed paralysed from the waist down, bleeding and in pain.

Tom " the bullet must have clipped the spine. I can't move. I've hidden the papers Galabov gave me under the mattress"
Caine gets them, " they look genuine".
Tom " yes I think he was buying insurance, and his masters were giving him enough rope to hang himself"
Caine" ok, lets get you cleaned up"
T: " no don't move me,I'm paralyzed except for my right arm..if you move me I'm dead. Leave the gun Willie, by my right side.
Caine " Don't be daft!! We'll get you home. Burnside and Ross are here. I'll be back"
Caine meets Burnside outside .
C " it's hopeless boss, he can't move, he's lying in his own excrement and urine, begging for me to finish him off"
B: " I'm not leaving him. We can ask the Bulgarians for help"
C" what for? Even if they save him, he'll go through a show trial and be shot. Best we can do is end it quick and clean. And get these papers to the embassy diplomatic pouch and home"
Burnside goes to the flat, Tom has pulled himself off the bed, thereby killing himself instantly with the spine exposed. Neil searches the body removing any incriminating evidence, such as Tom's smart watch, indicating Western origin.
Burnside and Caine slowly sadly leave. Another sandbagger dead, and Willie will now seriously question his future as we'll see in the next episode.

S2 E2 ENOUGH OF GHOSTS

We start with Willie Caine having to visit Tom Elliott's parents with the news of his death. For security reasons, the truth can't be revealed, so Willie has to say Tom died in a plane crash while delivering papers for the government, all hush-hush, top secret, and they can be very proud of him.
Back at HQ, Caine believes his time must surely be up soon, and tells Burnside he's quitting.
C " you should have heard me lying to them, not a word of truth in it"
Burnside " what did you want to say? Sorry your son died in agony, in a flat in Bulgaria, after begging for death"
Caine " nah, but my number must be up sometime"
Caine says he'll do one more job, give SIS time to find a replacement.
In Brussels, Wellingham, foreign office top brass, and the second most loved character in the show, is kidnapped by fake chauffeurs after he leaves an important meeting.

He ends up being driven to an isolated country house outside Brussels, and in the company of some rather well spoken armed men.
The terrorist group " the Boolan Organization" claim responsibility and demand NATO suspends all support to Israel or Wellingham dies. The Boolan group operate in Germany and have carried out atrocities along with the Beider Mein Hoff terrorists. They further say they will kidnap other NATO officials and kill them too.
It's bad news for Wellingham alright.
Burnside sends Willie and Mike Wallace Sandbagger#2 to Brussels where they link up with a German anti terrorist hit squad led by Herr Linke a blond tough German.
Two possible clues to this plot,
1. The Belgian Government were reluctant to go after the Boolan group at first, as they commited crimes in Germany, not Belgium and there is no evidence of Boolan group even being in their country and, 2. The Boolan group via a message to a newspaper deny kidnapping Wellingham. The plot thickens.

Willie and Mike at their hotel get out the maps and try and work out where the kidnappers may have taken Wellingham. Using their field training, likely escape routes,quickest way out of the city etc. Mike is surprised they are staying at the Hilton but Willie wants some luxury as it's his last job.
Meanwhile Edward Tyler, Intelligence Director eases Burnside's worries by telling him the anti terrorist squad working in Brussels that the sandbaggers are linking up with are great, top team, called GSG9-finger squad, who though have no jurisdiction outside Germany they liaise with local police and finger the terrorists for the police who then move in.
Herr Linker after initial failure convinces the Belgian authorities to move against Boolan.
Wellingham meantime is being treated well, fed properly by the terrorists in the country house, even allowed to get on with work from his briefcase.
Linke contacts Willie, the Boolan group have been found, the police are moving in.