Dick Barton - Special Agent: The Complete Series [DVD]

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In a later interview Johnson commented: ‘Barton was a proper character at first. He drank, he smoked and had a girlfriend. As soon as the producers cottoned on to the fact we had a youth audience, they felt they had to become moral guardians.’ And in this 1948 interview he makes the point that Barton is not a crook – he always beats the crook: ‘He should be an inspiration.’ (This clip is third in a short compilation and follows a priceless ‘interview’ with Field Marshal Montgomery.) Within a month the BBC was receiving 200 fan letters a week. Within six months it was 2,000. At its peak, the programme averaged 15million listeners per episode. It was meant for an adult audience, and the unworldly BBC executives were taken by surprise when it caught on with children. In those days children played outside but at 6.44pm every weekday the streets would empty, filling up again at 7.01 as young listeners met to discuss the latest episode. This popularity caused problems. Unfortunately, this twice-weekly 15-minute serial from Southern Television failed to capture the public’s imagination in the same way as the original radio series. Political themes are unpopular as well as being occasionally embarrassing. The man-who-wants-to-control-the-Earth creates little impact and is best left out of the Barton world.

In 1972 as part of the BBC's Golden Jubilee, the BBC broadcast a new, abridged, 10-episode version of the first Barton serial - "The Secret Weapon". The cast included many members of the original cast, including Noel Johnson, John Mann, William Fox, Alex McCrindle, and Margaret Robertson. [1]The nanny state killed the show off after five years in the belief that it was damaging to the dear young children. By this time, however, the show was a nationwide phenomenon, spawning a behind-the-scenes book, another volume of short stories and three films from Hammer Studios (at the time, best known for making thrillers, not horrors). The BBC then replaced it with a rustic drama named The Archers, the theme tune of which must have made every red-blooded adventurer used to Barton's buccaneering wish for another war. Horrific effects in general must be closely watched. Supernatural or pseudo-supernatural sequences are to be avoided – ghosts, night-prowling, gorillas or vampires. (Ed: What’s wrong with gorillas?) Barton’s enemies have more latitude in their behaviour, but they may not indulge in actually giving an injury or punishment which is basically sadistic.

Contributors include Gareth Johnson, son of the first actor to play Barton, award winning playwright Phil Wilmott and Barton fan John Mundy. The programme also reveals Barton's various reincarnations on film, television and most recently a stage musical.The BBC made a pretty faithful revival of the first series for its 1972 Golden Jubilee in which many of the original cast, including Johnson, Mann and McCrindle, reprised their roles. You can hear it here.) Heralded by an iconic signature tune - Devil's Galop by Charles Williams - each gripping episode left listeners with a torrid cliff-hanger.

In January 1948 the BBC bowed to pressure and published a code of conduct which the characters had to abide by. The series was replaced from time to time by one about the adventures of an explorer. One episode was entitled "Plague on the Plateau". Adventure One written by Clive Exton, in ten parts. Demobbed after six years in the army, old friend Sir Richard Marley asks Barton to look into the disappearance of his daughter Virginia ( Fiona Fullerton) and son Rex (Kevan Sheehan). They come up against master criminal, Melganik played by John G. Heller. Horrific effects in general must be closely watched. Supernatural or pseudo supernatural sequences are to be avoided – ghosts, night prowling, gorillas, vampires. This was a bit rich since Gielgud was a prolific writer of detective novels and thrillers, including one called Death at Broadcasting House featuring a murder.This is mostly apparent in the sometimes dodgy direction work, though it can only be imagined that the director was doing his best with the little he had. Originally running on the BBC Light Programme between 1946 and 1951, few of the BBC’s original recordings still survive. However, in 1949 a number of early Barton tales were re-recorded for transmission overseas starring Douglas Kelly. This collection contains 12 of the most recognisable dramas, as well as live performances, a profile of the character and interviews with the stars. Like the original, it ran in 15-minute segments and was again accompanied by the familiar theme tune, the titles playing against an animated dagger and target motif. The production was blighted by financial troubles, though, and some critics said it was a mistake to try to resurrect the character. If it's another someone wanting another job, I'm tearing it up," says Barton as Snowy passes it to him. Archive interviews include Producer Neil Tuson and various cast members including Thora Hird who played various female roles in the first few series

The location work - usually one of the most costly features of scripted television - is plentiful and the acting is more or less solid throughout. As you would expect from such a short serial, the whole thing runs like the clappers and the scripts - mostly by Clive Exton, who would later bring Poirot and Jeeves & Wooster to television - wisely play it straight throughout. There is, of course, the odd bit of wince-inducing dialogue, but all such things can be waved away as attempts at period authenticity. Barton’s audience continued to grow, boasting anywhere between 15 to 20 million listeners at its peak While most of the ITV networks showed it on Saturdays and Sundays (giving it a weekend omnibus edition, the same as the radio series), the episodes were broadcast in the early evening slot on Southern, Mondays through to Thursday in the radio series' original timeslot of 6.45 to 7.00pm, but unlike the radio series, it failed to capture the imagination. Allegedly there were budgetary issues with the filming and instead of being shot on film it was shot on video, a format that tends to make programmes look cheaper than they are. This was quite popular at the time and although a process was available to bring the picture up to quality it does not appear to have been utilised here. Certainly no expense was spared on location work which is plentiful and there indeed might be the crux of the productions problems. The Morning Star claimed that the show was ‘so bad as to be beyond most criticism’, before dubbing Barton as a ‘ crypto-facist.’ Some older listeners wrote to the National Newspapers of the time to complain about the programme’s possible harmful effects on children but The Times newspaper were moved to write an editorial – in the show’s defence:To be honest its not perfect, the film can be a tad static and stiff when things aren't in motion, however its never long before some is getting shot at or chased, so the flaws are really minor annoyances and quibbles. Barton never commits an offence in the criminal code, no matter how desirable the means may be argued to justify the end. Barton and his friends do not wittingly involve innocent members of the public in situations which would cause them to be distressed. For example, a motor car cannot be requisitioned for the purpose of chasing bandits, without the owner’s permission.