Garry Halliday

Compulsive Saturday evening viewing, Garry Halliday represented the perfect seamless transition from boys own adventures such as 'The Lone Ranger' at 5pm, to the later more adult evening shows such as 'Dixon of Dock Green' and er... The Billy Cotton Band Show'. Halliday was indeed slick, fast paced, suspenseful and an acknowledgement by the BBC that 'kids' TV did not have to be ropey costumed dramas or feature Billy Bunter. I always knew when serious action was about to start on GH when video tape or live transmission changed to film about 10 seconds before a fight commenced. Presumably action sequences had to be prerecorded on film.

The Voice was far more frightening than those later multi handled dustbins called Daleks. I remember the shock and disbelief I felt during the last series when the Voice suddenly changed appearance, Dr Who like, from one actor to another, following the death of Elwyn Brook Jones. The BBC could have handled this much better. The series , for me, lost all credibility at this point and maybe represented the loss off a certain innocence. I still have the Justin Blake book 'Garry Halliday and the Disappearing Diamonds' my Mum gave me at Christmas 1960! Good that Terence Longdon and Bill Kerr are still going strong and God bless Terence Alexander who died in 2009.

Having just seen Elwyn Brook-Jones in 'Odd Man Out' it took my mind back to Gary Halliday, the first UK TV series to make a real impression on my young mind. I've never seen any repeats or articles on the series but the fact that it had an aviation basis and the mysterious 'Voice' was enough to hook me. Perhaps it's best that it remains a vivid, if slightly scary, memory as its production values may not stand up today? Of course Terence Alexander went on to be a television staple whereas Terence Longden and Elwyn Brook-Jones became rarer commodities. Anyway it remains stronger in my memory than all its contemporaries like Ivanhoe, Robin Hood and William Tell.

Over dinner several years ago , I had an argument with some friends that this great boys own adventure ever existed! Well I'm glad to see there are some people like me who never forgot it ! I too remember it starting after Grandstand, but the bit from the start which sticks in my mind was the big radar scanner revolving round and round. Happymemories indeed ! I just wish somebody could find some recordings in the archives so we could relive the memories! I think 'Dodds' the copilot was the guy who played Jim Bergerac's father in law, if I'm not mistaken. I think I read somewhere that an old episode had been found locked away in some vault in Honkong.

The focal point of the week for me and my friends. Bored with Captain Pugwash, we wanted some real drama and Gary delivered. A testament to the impact of this series is that not only do I remember it, more than half a century later I also recall how I took over the family's Saturday routine to ensure I watched it. In 2015 I can still whistle the theme tune. Stellar television. This series represented the first real quality drama written for children and broadcast nationally. Whilst its replacement in Dr Who has developed to cover a generation of televisión, I would compare it to perhaps 'Blakes Seven' in the audience gap it filled.

This series was (I believe) broadcast live during the late 50s and early 60s. It featured a "Biggles" type character who flew into all kinds of excitement with his faithful co pilot played by Terence Alexander. Their sinister adversary "The Voice" was only ever seen from the mouth to the chin and seemed to be in constant radio contact with the flight deck of Halliday's aircraft. As a ten year old watching childrens tv, I found it deeply disturbing but unmissable! I hope some tapes remain so future generations can enjoy this series.