Callan

Callan was a very dark series which has never been given the credit it deserved. I'm glad to see the series on DVD here in England because it is a series I would recommend to anyone who wasn't born when it first aired.

A pre-Equalizer Edward Woodward played Callan who was an agent for British Intelligence. He was no James Bond however; Callan's was a dark world where everyone had their own agenda and no-one could be trusted. Things were not black and white; there were plenty of shades of grey. Unlike James Bond, Callan didn't have a posh car, plenty of beautiful women and he didn't get to jet off to sunny locations. Callan hated his job, he had no choice but to work for British Intelligence (watch the first episodes to see why that is). He was a good man deep down and cared about people but he was constantly required to lie and deceive people and cheat. He was given the dirty jobs no-one else wanted and whilst his superior (a man called Hunter, played by various actors)knew that Callan was good at his job, he also didn't care about Callan at all. Callan was a loner.

The premise was very interesting indeed. Callan was reluctantly doing a dirty job and his emotions came into conflict with his job at times. It was fascinating viewing.

Over the years there have been many dark series where you can never be sure who is good and who is bad. In a way, I guess it is indicative of the times we are living in. However, I think it is important to remember that Callan was the benchmark for many of the dark and pessimistic shows we see today and without Callan, many of them would not have arisen.

Staggering how the plots are reflected in current international situations now in 21st century. Plus sa change. Edward Woodward superb as is Anthony Valentine as Meres gorgeously and menacing. Taught writing and gutsy dialogue love this. No better spy intelligence drama does not date at all. Get the DVD you won't be disappointed.

I as addicted to this series when it was first shown. Seeing it again in recent years confirmed to me just how good it was. Far better than most modern fare.

Callan was a reluctant killer who somehow always ended up doing what he knew was right but also what was morally grubby. The other characters were all superb and strongly drawn in their own right. Hunter, the leader of the section, Lonely the criminal low life friend, Toby the upper class psychotic who ends up his friend. The only drawback is the lack of strong women characters, apart from a few occasional guests.

This was a spy drama that made you think, that made you question your own side.

Modern writers could well learn from this series.

The other reviews will tell you that this is one of the best TV series ever, much under-appreciated, and worth your time. They are mainly right, with a few exceptions. First the genesis of the series is odd. Callan was originally a successful novel (younger readers, this would be in the days of paper and ink, not portable devices) and a solid action-thriller. The original Callan, as written, did indeed have a conscience but always preferred a quick and reliable solution (guns and bullets) to soul-searching. When the author, Mitchell, was approached to turn the story into a TV series, he did something very unusual. Where other authors will usually blame someone else for interfering with their work, Mitchell re-imagined Callan entirely on his own initiative, turning a man of action into man of conflict. With hindsight it was a brilliant decision. While we may never know what the British public would have thought of Callan as originally conceived (remember that TV violence was very stylized at the time, look at the Avengers, or Batman in the US) they simply fell in love with the re-imagined Callan as a soul-searching and reluctant spy. The show was #1 for several years and ultimately a much pudgier Woodward shuffled off to America to attempt to re-create the Callan persona for US tastes. With mixed success.

Callan was a series I discovered after being laid up with a heavy cold a couple of years back. Taughtly written, gritty, with an extraordinary air of oppression. David Challan worked for a secretive government department with a grim mission...

All I could say I was hooked.

This was espionage for adults, the perfect antidote to the CGI and exaggerated heroics of Bond and Bourne; Edward Woodward's David Callan - an angry, cynical, insubordinate ex- con/ ex- soldier - could have done them a nasty (and a half) without blinking. Prior to Callan, the closest we had to 'real' spies was Alex Le Mass or Harry Palmer...and like them Challan knew he was in a dirty business.

Good turns too from Russell Hunter, William Squire, Liz Langdon and Patrick Mower (staggers me he made Carry On England at this time!). Harold Wilson said he liked the show too... while I admire his tastes - bearing in mind the climate of the Seventies - I have to ask what was going through his head when he watched it?

Highly recommended.