Paul Temple

Having read the other surprisingly positive reviews, I feel someone ought to put the contrary position. I remember the show from its original broadcasts, and was intrigued to discover whether it stood the test of time. It didn't.

In the first place, the resemblance to the Paul Temple world is minimal to say the least. The long-running radio series, usually starring Peter Coke as Paul and the incomparable Marjorie Westbury as his wife Steve, was a brilliantly manufactured set of whodunnits over as many as 8 episodes, where the plot twisted and turned and corpses piled up. Paul and Steve were perfectly at home in a (vanishing) world of martinis and Soho clubs, and weekends away at Maidenhead. Great play was made of Paul and Steve's domestic arrangements - we would hear them discussing the case over breakfast, passing the marmalade while theorising, and much was made of Steve's shopping trips. This trademark Durbridge vibe was often transferred to television, for example in Melissa or The Doll.

This TV series - whose production, incidentally, was the direct cause of the cancellation of the radio show - takes Paul and Steve out of that world, into the world of colour supplement 70s glamour. The whodunnit element is played down, and the 50 minute format makes devious plot twists impossible. The end result is more Alistair MacLean than Francis Durbridge (Durbridge had no input into the scripts).

The ever-reliable Francis Matthews makes a decent stab at Paul, but Steve is turned into a typical dolly bird of the time, clearly 15-20 years younger. This was miscasting of epic proportions - the radio Steve was at least as mature as Paul, and impossibly glamorous (think Audrey Hepburn, or Myrna Loy in the Thin Man films). The relationship worked as one of equals, rather than here where the whiff of sugar daddy is amplified by the fact that Steve gets little to say and less to do, other than marvel at Paul's genius. Poor Ms Drinkwater was somewhat out of her depth, as can be seen by a scan of her previous career, and, at least according to imdb, after this failure never worked in the business again (she moved into photojournalism).

This of course might have worked, despite the failure to transfer the Temples' characters to television, had the programmes been any good. But they weren't. Meagre plotting, dull characters, and (later on), incomprehensible accents from foreign actors managed to make most episodes fall flat. Paul Temple was a major brand for the BBC, and they made a lot of efforts to keep the series going, but it thrived in a different world, and the attempt to give it a 1970s update bombed, and to my knowledge Paul Temple never appeared again in a new English-language production set in the present day; the BBC did produce new versions of missing radio serials in 2006, but these were based on original scripts, using the original scores and sound effects, and set in the 1950s.

Paul Temple wasn't murdered, but his disappearance was down to manslaughter, and this series was largely responsible.

Paul Temple, in my opinion, is the most under-rated television show in history. I used to watch the show when it was first screened (in Australia) in the early 70's and I became a big fan of the show. I wish I could see this again if they ever release this fantastic show on DVD. I would be the first to buy it. Francis Matthews was perfect casting for the part of the lead character Paul Temple. Also, Ros Drinkwater was perfect as his assistant "Steve". The stories were always original and kept you interested and guessing until the very end. The acting from both the lead and supporting cast members was always top-notch. Let's just hope that the BBC releases these fantastic episodes very soon so that everyone might enjoy them as I have.

Paul Temple is a wonderful example of classic British television at its best. Today, it is an overlooked and rare bird. I watched all the series on RTV2 in Hong Kong, and was particularly pleased when Paul Temple and his wife Steve traded in their Hillman Imp for a Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow drophead couple by Mulliner Park Ward. So much more fitting for the character! Francis Matthews was perfectly cast in the lead role, and Ros Drinkwater was a natural for his wife, Steve. The plots, although not always surprising, were engaging, and the guest roles were filled by many top UK actors and actresses of the day. Ron Grainer's superlative theme song is absolutely perfect, and seemingly impossible to find in any recordings.

For old-school Paul Temple fans this is a marmite version of the show i.e. You'll either love it or hate it. If you were a fan of Paul Temple on the radio this will probably not be your cuppa tea. That said, if you don't know the original, and love 60s and 70s British cult TV, you'll love it!

Personally I am in the other camp - for me this is a standalone show which should probably be thought of as its own thing rather than the Temple you know from the radio. This is a fantastic bit of cult British TV with Francis Matthews jetting off to different places, particuarly in series 2 and 3. A must see for fans of similar shows from the period.

Each week Temple end ups in some sort of mystery that needs solving and by pestering around looking for clues, he'll often come up with who did it. For me this is on a par with Columbo, but with the styles and fashions of the 60s in 70s just with better locations. If you like ITC shows from this period you are going to love this one too.

There is a mix of studio and on location filming and unlike many ITC shows from the period, Temple is really in the places he says he is, jetting off to Munich, Amsterdam and Stockholm This is classic cult TV and if you're an ITC show fan, this is definitely for you. RIP Francis Matthews, a super actor.