Joining The Prisoner and Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons in this season of 50th anniversary events, Spy Vibers can also look forward to celebrating the dark, classic series Callan on November 25th at the BFI. From the press release from Dick Fiddy: "We will screen an episode from Callan, the gritty, down-to-earth story of a professional killer working for a British espionage agency. It is followed by a panel discussion about the downbeat spy and his dangerous world. Joining us will be Peter Mitchell, son of Callan creator James Mitchell, and current ‘keeper of the flame." Tickets available at the BFI. Callan, starring Edward Woodward (The Equalizer, Breaker Morant, The Wicker Man), was first broadcast on February 4th, 1967. Read Spy Vibe's interview with the authors of The Callan File. Other related posts: New Callan Book, Callan Documentary. In other news, check out my episodes of the Cocktail Nation radio show, where I introduce classic spy films/TV series and play soundtracks and rare cuts: Episode #1 (Danger Man) and Episode #2 (The 10th Victim), Epsiode #3 (On Her Majesty's Secret Service), Episode #4 (Roger Moore/The Saint), andEpisode #5 (The Avengers). Episode #6 (The Prisoner), and Episode #7 (The Ipcress File). Enjoy!
New release: UK distributor Network has announced an exciting new box set that will appeal to fans of Edward Woodward (Callan, The Equalizer, Breaker Morant). Callan: This Man Alone is a 3-DVD celebration of Woodward's signature role as a government assassin and agent. The set contains a new feature-length documentary film about the Callan series narrated by Peter Woodward, as well as a number of remastered episodes, rare TV appearances, trailers, galleries, and PDF archive. From the press release: "Nearly ten years in the making, This Man Alone is a brand-new feature-length documentary on one of television's highest-rated series. Featuring a remarkable central performance by Edward Woodward, Callan grew from a cult favourite into one of Britain's favourite shows, and this documentary tells the story of its creation and development, its success on television and extended life in film and books. Narrated by Peter Woodward, This Man Alone features contributions from Peter Mitchell, Reginald Collin, Mike Vardy, James Goddard, Piers Haggard, Patrick Mower, Trevor Preston and more. It also contains a wealth of special features." Network is currently offering the set at a pre-order price of £25 (down from its release price of £30). Details here. See the trailer below. In addition, the behind-the-scenes book about the series, Callan: Under the Red File, by Andrew Pixley is available exclusively through Network here. In honor of these releases, Network is also offering a bundle called Five From Callan. From the press release: "To celebrate the release of Network’s brand new documentary Callan: This Man Alone, we have put together the Five from Callan compilation. Featuring a vast array of content across 14 discs and 371 pages, it includes the brand new Callan: This Man Alone and also The Monochrome Years, The Colour Years, Wet Job and Network’s exclusive Andrew Pixley’s Under the Red File. Save more than £20 from its combined original price for a very limited period of time." Details here. Enjoy!
New release: UK distributor Network announced an exciting book today that will appeal to Spy Vibers. Callan: Under the Red File is an in-depth look at the Cold War series starring Edward Woodward (The Equalizer). Andrew Pixley has completed a 371-page history that will be a must-read for spy fans. From the press release: "Nearly ten years in the writing, Callan: Under the Red File
has been a labour of love for both Network and the book's author, Andrew
Pixley. Anyone familiar with Network's releases will know our history with
Andrew is a long one and he has done some excellent work for us over the years- with his books on The Prisoner, Danger Man, Public Eye and The Professionals
all raising the bar for this type of archive research. Ahead of our upcoming Callan
documentary, you can now buy Andrew's new book exclusively from
networkonair.com. Initially a cult success before becoming one of British television's
most watched programmes, Callan brought the gritty, downbeat angle of Cold War
espionage to 1960s British television. In stark contrast to the glamour of
James Bond and the stylized capers of The Avengers, the man known as David
Callan was a highly skilled killer, tasked by the Government to eliminate
threats to national security. This reluctant, conscience-wracked assassin was
brought to life in a remarkable performance by Edward Woodward, cementing his
popularity as an actor many years before he achieved major international
success in both Breaker Morant and The Equalizer. This exhaustive book is the
definitive look at the creation, production, broadcast and reception of all
four series. From its conception as a one-off BBC play, through its development
by ABC Television, its success as one of Thames Television's highest-rated
programmes, its subsequent ATV revival and its expansion into novels, short
stories and movies- this single volume covers every aspect of James Mitchell's
most successful creation." Callan (1967-1972) stood out for its serious tone in a sea of stylish (and sometimes comedic) spies in the 1960s. I'm curious to learn more about the show through Pixley's research. And I very much look forward to Network's own Callan documentary in the future! Callan: Under the Red File is priced at $17.58 (12 pounds) and is only available through Network here. Enjoy!
