The Secret Service facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Secret Service |
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| Genre | Science fiction |
| Created by | Gerry and Sylvia Anderson |
| Voices of |
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| Composer(s) | Barry Gray |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 13 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Reg Hill |
| Producer(s) | David Lane |
| Running time | 25 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Century 21 Television Productions |
| Distributor | ITC Entertainment |
| Release | |
| Original network | ATV |
| Picture format | 35mm film |
| Audio format | Mono |
| Original release | 21 September – 14 December 1969 |
| Chronology | |
| Preceded by | Joe 90 |
The Secret Service is a 1969 British science-fiction television series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and filmed by their production company, Century 21, for ITC Entertainment. It follows the exploits of Father Stanley Unwin, a puppet character voiced by (and modelled on) the comedian of the same name. Outwardly an eccentric Christian vicar, Unwin is secretly an agent of BISHOP, a division of British Intelligence countering criminal and terrorist threats. Assisted by fellow agent Matthew Harding, Unwin's missions involve frequent use of the Minimiser, a device capable of shrinking people and objects to facilitate covert operations. In hostile situations, the Father spouts a form of gibberish (based on the real Unwin's nonsense "Unwinese") to distract the enemy.
The Secret Service was the last Anderson series to be made using a form of electronic marionette puppetry called "Supermarionation". This technique is combined with scale model effects sequences and – uniquely for an Anderson puppet series – extensive footage of live actors in long shot. The move towards non-puppet live action was influenced by Gerry Anderson, who wanted to increase the realism of Supermarionation. Filming began in August 1968 and ended with the completion of the 13th episode the following January after Century 21's financial backer Lew Grade responded negatively to a test screening, believing that the inclusion of Unwinese had made it impossible to sell the series to the American market.
Critical response has been mixed, with verdicts ranging from the Andersons' "forgotten gem" to their "one flop". Commentators have questioned the wisdom of hiring Unwin, suggesting that his gibberish had too little comic value to sustain viewer interest. However, the series has been praised for the writing of its supporting characters. The Secret Service was Gerry Anderson's final puppet series until Terrahawks in the 1980s.
Contents
Premise
The Secret Service follows the exploits of Father Stanley Unwin, the parish priest of an English village. Outwardly an eccentric middle-aged vicar, Unwin moonlights as an operative of the intelligence agency BISHOP ("British Intelligence Service Headquarters, Operation Priest"). He is stationed at his vicarage with fellow BISHOP agent Matthew Harding, who when not assisting Unwin on missions affects a country accent and serves as the Father's verger and gardener. Supporting characters include The Bishop, head of BISHOP and Unwin's superior, Blake, a junior BISHOP operative, and Mrs Appleby, Unwin's housekeeper, who is unaware of Unwin and Matthew's double life as spies.
Prior to the events of the series, the scientist Professor Humbert invented the Minimiser, a device capable of shrinking people or objects to one third of normal size. When Humbert died it was inherited by Unwin, who conceals it inside a large book. The device is regularly used on Matthew, who is reduced to a height of two feet (0.61 m) to enable him to carry out covert reconnaissance where any normal-sized person would be noticed. (In this manner, the puppet is shown to interact with life-sized sets and live actors whose faces are kept out of shot.) On occasion it is also used to shrink enemy agents, literally bringing them down to Matthew's size. Unwin carries the miniaturised Matthew around in a specially-adapted briefcase that can open from the inside and contains field equipment such as a periscope. During missions, the agents communicate via earpiece transceivers (with Unwin's disguised as his hearing aid). Their primary mode of transport is a revamped 1917-issue Ford Model T called Gabriel, which is capable of speeds exceeding 50 miles per hour (80 km/h). If challenged by law enforcement or enemy agents, Unwin spouts a form of gibberish to confuse the opposition and cover for Matthew.
While most of the Supermarionation series are set in the future, the events of The Secret Service take place in the then-present day. The episodes "Errand of Mercy" and "The Deadly Whisper" are respectively set on 3 February 1969 and 24 May 1969. Gerry Anderson biographers Simon Archer and Marcus Hearn argue that the setting is ambiguous: they believe it to be "sometime in the near future" but note that the world of The Secret Service sees "Morris Minors negotiate leafy country roads while space-age helijets patrol the skies", ultimately concluding that the series is so fantastic that it "isn't set in the real world at all."
Episode list
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "A Case for the Bishop" | Alan Perry | Gerry and Sylvia Anderson | 21 September 1969 | 1 |
| Agents of the rogue state of Dreisenberg raid the Healey Automation plant and steal the revolutionary KX20 computer. British Intelligence fear that the Dreisenberg ambassador will invoke his diplomatic immunity in order to smuggle the device out of the country. Father Unwin and Matthew set off in Gabriel to recapture the KX20. | |||||
| 2 | "A Question of Miracles" | Leo Eaton | Donald James | 28 September 1969 | 2 |
| Explosions at desalination plants in Africa and Burgossa point to sabotage. Rushing to the last surviving facility in Port Trennick, Unwin and Matthew find themselves in a race against time to prevent its destruction. | |||||
| 3 | "To Catch A Spy" | Brian Heard | Pat Dunlop | 5 October 1969 | 4 |
| Convict George Gray breaks out of prison and makes contact with Sir Humphrey Burton, who has promised him passage out of Britain aboard a submarine. Unwin is assigned to intercept the pair at Kew Gardens and capture them with the aid of the Minimiser. | |||||
| 4 | "The Feathered Spies" | Ian Spurrier | Tony Barwick | 12 October 1969 | 3 |
| The development of the new XK4 fighter plane has been jeopardised by industrial spy De Groot, who has blackmailed ornithologist John Masden into fitting cameras to his domesticated pigeons to carry out illicit surveillance. Investigating, Unwin and Matthew learn that De Groot plans to use the pigeons to bomb Crayfield Airbase. | |||||
| 5 | "Last Train to Bufflers Halt" | Alan Perry | Tony Barwick | 19 October 1969 | 5 |
| As part of a criminal operation to seize £1 million in bank notes en route to London, the train carrying the shipment is diverted to the disused Buffler's Halt Station. Unwin and Matthew help to subdue the gang responsible. However, on the way back up the line, stationmaster Albert Hobson realises that he cannot stop the train, which is travelling at 80 miles per hour (130 km/h). | |||||
| 6 | "Hole in One" | Brian Heard | Shane Rimmer | 26 October 1969 | 8 |
| When the G9 orbital satellite warning system is sabotaged, the evidence points to General Brompton, to whom Unwin relays false intelligence during a golf match. Spying on Brompton's henchmen Kromer and Blake, Unwin learns that the golf balls contain miniature recording devices. The fate of the satellites rests on Unwin's success in scoring a hole in one. | |||||
| 7 | "Recall to Service" | Peter Anderson | Pat Dunlop | 2 November 1969 | 7 |
| Unwin and Matthew investigate what appears to be a case of sabotage when the AquaTank, a new military robot of the World Army, develops a mechanical fault. As NATO officials attend a demonstration of the AquaTank's capabilities, suspicion falls on Captain Mitchell when he instructs computer expert Professor Graham to program the tank to fire on the officials' bunker. | |||||
| 8 | "Errand of Mercy" | Leo Eaton | Tony Barwick | 9 November 1969 | 6 |
| Unwin falls ill from heatstroke and recovers at his vicarage. After reading a newspaper article about an epidemic in Africa, he has a surreal dream in which he and Matthew are tasked with ferrying medical supplies to Bishopsville in a flying Gabriel. When they are captured by native tribesmen for human sacrifice, Unwin must save himself and Matthew with the help of his gobbledygook. | |||||
| 9 | "The Deadly Whisper" | Leo Eaton | Donald James | 16 November 1969 | 11 |
| Professor Soames has invented an ultrasonic vibrational rifle capable of destroying armoured vehicles. Plotting to use the weapon to shoot down an experimental aircraft, criminal Mark Slater and his gang kidnap Soames' daughter, Anne. With the professor's help, Unwin and Matthew rescue Anne and then set out to foil Slater. | |||||
| 10 | "The Cure" | Leo Eaton | Pat Dunlop | 23 November 1969 | 10 |
| While racing to apprehend a foreign assassin called Sakov, who has checked in to Greenways health clinic on the pretext of receiving experimental therapy, Unwin is unaware that his target has designs on the new additive chemical GK2, which when mixed with water produces a lethal compound as combustible as high-octane fuel. | |||||
| 11 | "School for Spies" | Ken Turner | Donald James | 30 November 1969 | 9 |
| The Bishop orders Unwin and Matthew to investigate the sabotage of several military installations. After tracking down Brother Gregory, a Christian layman who was involved in a car accident near the scene of the latest attack, Unwin slips the miniaturised Matthew into a briefcase belonging to Gregory's associate Brother Thomas. Arriving at Pennydridge Seminary, Harding discovers that the brothers are actually mercenaries who answer to their own Archdeacon. | |||||
| 12 | "May-Day, May-Day!" | Alan Perry | Bob Kesten | 7 December 1969 | 12 |
| Unwin and Harding are assigned to protect the King of Muldovia, who is in London to sign an oil rights treaty. The Muldovian Prince wants the throne for himself, but his attempt to have the King assassinated is foiled when his hitman is startled by the miniaturised Matthew and falls to his death from an open window. The Prince then hides a bomb inside a toy bear intended for the King's son. | |||||
| 13 | "More Haste Less Speed" | Ken Turner | Tony Barwick | 14 December 1969 | 13 |
| Lord and Lady Hazlewell, their associate Spiker and ex-convict Mullins meet at Hazlewell Manor in a conspiracy to print forged US dollar bills. The Hazlewells inherited one of two counterfeiting plates from their late father; when the second plate is revealed to be hidden at Greenacre Farm, the Hazlewells, Spiker and Mullins turn on each other in a race to claim the prize. Unwin and Matthew set out to beat them to it. | |||||
Broadcast
The Secret Service had a very limited distribution compared to earlier Anderson productions. It was originally transmitted on the ITV regional franchises ATV, Granada and Southern, airing on Sundays at the regular time of 5.30 p.m. ATV and Southern showed re-runs until 1972 and Granada until 1975. Since then, the series has never been repeated in the UK.
DVDs
The Secret Service was released on Region 1 DVD in December 2003 by A&E Home Video. This featured digitally-remastered picture and sound as well as bonus materials including an audio commentary by producer David Lane on the first episode, "A Case for the Bishop". The AllMovie website gives the release a feature rating of three-and-a-half stars out of five.
Network DVD followed with a Region 2 DVD in June 2005. Special features on this release included audio commentaries by Gerry Anderson and PDF transfers of original production documents.
Other media
Two novels based on the series – The Destroyer and The VIP – were written by John William Jennison (using the pseudonym "John Theydon") and published in 1969.
Several stories appeared in the weekly comic Countdown including an origin story.
