Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)

The last time I've seen this show was on re-runs in the 70's, approximately 1977. Hard to forget the show. Great theme song, beautiful girl, fabulous 60's, and a unique situation. To others who couldn't see Marty, Jeff was often seen talking to himself, making for some hilarious moments. I would love to see, or own, the series again.

As a child of the 60's and 70's, I was a complete sucker for all the ABC fantasy / thriller programmes which were so much in abundance at the time. I guess it started with "The Avengers" and "The Saint", continued with "The Baron", "Man in a Suitcase" and "The Prisoner" but for me it really kicked in with the more "out-there" shows - "Department S", "The Champions" and of course this, the great "Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased)". I remember having to watch it on re-runs very late at night but always thrilling to the outlandish mis-en-scene, and slightly tongue-in-cheek lead acting of hangdog Jeff Pratt and chirpy Kenneth Cope. Each episode was not unnaturally a variation on a theme, with down on his luck private eye Randall invariably taking on a case which got him into hot water and required the assistance of his partner the ghost. The plotting was always inventive, the acting engaging and looking back now of course you get the extra benefit of seeing vintage exteriors, cars and fashions - and yes, Annette Andre was a visual delight to my 10 year-old eyes. I'm so pleased to own this and many of the other series mentioned above. Haven't got round to watching them all yet (the curse of the DVD boxed set!) but as I write this, somewhere there's a voice coming through the ether saying "Only you, Jeff, only you" and I know that I will sit down one day in my dotage and view them all wall-to-wall and I know I'll forgive the continuity errors, low-budget sets and corny special effects as I happily regress again to age 10.

Private Investigator Geoff Randall (Mike Pratt) is aided in his investigations by the ghost of his partner Marty Hopkirk (Kenneth Cope). The latter was murdered during an investigation in the first episode, "My Late Lamented Friend And Partner". Additional characters who appear are Annette Andre as Jean Hopkirk, Marty's wife and Geoff's friend and secretary and Ivor Dean as Inspector Large, who disliked Randall when he appeared to be leading him on a wild goose chase, but Randall always came out on top in the end.

The original series ran for twenty-six hour long episodes between the autumn of 1969 and through part of 1970, it was successful enough in Britain but failed to take on across the Atlantic. The fact that it was transmitted in America under the inept title, "My Partner The Ghost" probably didn't help matters. It was the creation of writer Dennis Spooner and has gained cult status in Britain. Enough so that it was remade in the year 2000 with Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer in the Mike Pratt and Kenneth Cope roles, but the less said about this the better! The original may have laughable special effects by todays standards (i.e very visible wires on objects apparently moved by ghosts), but at least you had a good story and fine acting. In the remake it's quite the reverse, all special effects, rubbishy acting and no comprehensible storyline.

The original series has a very special place in my heart because I used to look forward to watching the re-runs on BBC Two every Friday evening. This would of been around 1994 when I was eleven, so even though I wasn't around when it was first aired, I still have the distinction of seeing the original before the so called remake three years ago!

The premise is so absurd (a detective solves cases with the help of the ghost of his deceased business partner) and the special effects so primitive, that it's very surprising how well it works.

The atmosphere is almost Hitchcockian in the first episodes, with some comedy added. But the grittiness is such that an alternative interpretation is possible: that there's no ghost and the cases actually happen only in the confused mind of the surviving partner. In the latter episodes the tone is mellower and more comical -- personally I prefer the early ones, but I know that opinions differ on that.

The actors are all fantastic, especially Mike Pratt -- a Bogart in minor mode, with his perma-ciggie, elegance and the battered look of someone who has seen too much of the world.

Unlike other commentators, I saw this series for the first time as an adult, and I was surprised that it has a moderate reputation for being a children's show: it's way too scary for kids. Still, it totally deserves to be rediscovered.

I was 9 when Randall And Hopkirk was fist shown on T.V, and never thought much about it at the time, it was just another crime series, then I grew up, and couldn't belive what I'd missed all those years ago, now Re-released on DVD this is a real must see, must buy.