International Detective
starring Arthur Fleming as Burns Detective Agent Ken Franklin
Executive Producer was Eddie Sutherland, who also directed some stories.
Others involved in the show were Guy Morgan (script editor), Jeremy Summers (assistant director), Fraser Foulsham (Production Manager), Angela Dunsford (Production Secretary) and Stewart Lyons (ABC's casting director). And a bouquet from Eddie Sutherland - "In all my long experience in films, this is the best unit I have ever worked with."
39 stories were made. Our reviews will follow.
File 9112: The Rose Bowl Case
File 9113: The Brenner Case
File 9114: The Raffael Case
File 9116: The Whitley Case
File 9118: The Marlowe Case
File 9120: The Carrington Case
File 9123: The Daniels Case
File 9124: The Conway Case
File 9127: The Madison Case
File 9132: The Santino Case
File 9140: The Prescott Case
The date: Thursday 7th January 1960.
The place: Television House Manchester, home of ABC.
The occasion: a buffet luncheon for the press after a showing of a story in the new series International Detective. Also in attendance are the executive producer, Manchester's Chief Constable and their CID chief! Three stars who appear in the series also attend- Paul Carpenter (Kempton Case), Louise Collins (Prescott Case) and Jennifer Browne (Orlando Case). Oddly however, no mention of Mr Fleming or others who appear on more than a one-off basis!
After two pilots had been made, the first episode of the series proper, #9114 The Raffael Case, was shot starting 11th May 1959. Actual shooting of the entire series was completed by the end of that November.
The programme was first broadcast in October 1959 on WPIN, New York. English transmission began on 26th December that year with The Conway Case on ABC.
Best moment: Undoubtedly Edwin Astley's atmospheric opening and closing music, perhaps his best tv theme of all!
Dud episode: Perhaps the duddest of many is The Brenner Case. Even Julia Arnall's presence can't save this. Maybe the only slight excuse is that this might have been one of the pilots, but I'm clutching at straws to find much good to say for a lot of the stories.