English version
under
CRITIQUE: Le coffret absolument
intéressant, très bien fait et comporte l'ensemble des
épisodes de la série très populaire dans les années
60. Techniquement, les plus hautes normes de conversion vers le DVD
ont été respectées et quant au matériel,
rien à reprocher. La série fait plaisir à revoir
et on se souviendra tous des pouvoirs mystérieux que possédaient
les héros de ces aventures de science-fiction des années
60 dont la plupart des acteurs sont devenus des stars dans d'autres
séries par la suite, comme dans Queer as Folks pour Alexandra
Bastedo. Aucun reproche à faire au produit, à voir absolument...
(D'après Wikipedia)
Les Champions (The Champions) est une série télévisée
britannique en 30 épisodes de 50 minutes, créée
par Monty Berman et Dennis Spooner et diffusée entre le 25 septembre
1968 et le 30 avril 1969 sur le réseau ITC Entertainment. En
France, la série a été diffusée à
partir du 17 juillet 1971 sur la deuxième chaîne de l'ORTF
et rediffusée en 1993 sur M6.
Synopsis
Craig, Richard et Sharon, trois agents secrets appartenant à
une organisation appelée Nemesis, s'écrasent en avion
dans l'Himalaya lors d'une mission. Recueillis par des moines tibétains,
qui sont en réalité des êtres issus d'une civilisation
très avancée, les trois héros se retrouvent dotés
de pouvoirs surhumains qu'ils vont mettre au service du renseignement
britannique et, ainsi, affronter des ennemis hors du commun.
Distribution
* Stuart Damon : Craig Stirling
* William Gaunt : Richard Barrett
* Alexandra Bastedo : Sharon MacReady
Épisodes
1. Le Départ (The Begining)
2. L'Homme invisible (The Invisible Man)
3. Boîte postale 666 (Reply Box No. 666)
4. L'Expérience (The Experiment)
5. Tout peut arriver (Happening)
6. Opération Antarctique (Operation Deep Freeze)
7. Les Survivants (The Survivors)
8. L'Appât (To Trap a Rat)
9. L'Homme de fer (The Iron Man)
10. L'Avion fantôme (The Ghost Plane)
11. L'Île noire (The Dark Island)
12. Les Fanatiques (The Fanatics)
13. Douze heures à vivre (Twelve Hours)
14. Le Recherché (The Search)
15. La Cage dorée (The Gilded Cage)
16. L'Ombre de la panthère (Shadow of the Panther)
17. Le Poison (Case of Lemmings)
18. La Question (The Interrogation)
19. Le Nouveau Visage d'Émile Boder (The Mission)
20. L'Ennemi silencieux (The Silent Enemy)
21. Voleurs de cadavres (The Body Snatchers)
22. L'Évasion (Get Me Out of Here)
23. Sorcellerie (The Night People)
24. Plan zéro (Project Zero)
25. La Traversée du désert (Desert Journey)
26. L'Espion (Full Circle)
27. Qui est le traître ? (The Nutcracker)
28. La Bombe (The Final Countdown)
29. Trafic d'armes (The Gunrunners)
30. Nemesis (Autokill)
Commentaires
Cette série, qui connut un très vif succès en Grande-Bretagne
à la fin des années 60, a expérimenté un
certain nombre d'effets (caméra subjective, effets de zoom, ralentis...)
qui seront repris dans les séries américaines L'homme
qui valait trois milliards et Super Jaimie, quelques années plus
tard.
VERSION ANGLAISE (d'après
Wikipedia)
The Champions was a British espionage/science fiction
adventure series consisting of 30 episodes broadcast on the UK network
ITV during 1968–1969, produced by Lew Grade's ITC Entertainment
production company.[1] The series was broadcast in the US on NBC, starting
in summer 1968.[2]
Contents
[hide]
* 1 Overview and premise
* 2 Production
* 3 Further broadcasts and releases
* 4 Adaptations
o 4.1 Films
o 4.2 Books
* 5 Episode guide
* 6 References
* 7 External links
[edit] Overview and premise
The series starred Stuart Damon as Craig Stirling, Alexandra Bastedo
as Sharron Macready and William Gaunt as Richard Barrett. The characters
are agents for a United Nations law enforcement organization called
"Nemesis", based in Geneva. The three have different backgrounds:
Barrett is a code breaker, Stirling a pilot, and Macready a recently
widowed scientist and doctor.
During their first mission as a team, their plane crashes in the Himalayas.
They are rescued by an advanced civilization living secretly in the
mountains, who save their lives, granting them superhuman abilities.
The powers include the ability to communicate with one another over
distances by ESP (telepathy), and to foresee events (precognition);
they also have enhanced senses and reasoning power, and physical abilities
up to the extent of human limits.[2][3]
Many stories featured unusual villains, such as fascist regimes from
unspecified South American countries, neo-Nazis or the Chinese. The
villains' schemes often threaten world peace — Nemesis's brief
is international, so the agents deal with threats transcending national
interests. The main characters had to learn the use of their new powers
as they went along — keeping what they discover secret from friends
and foe alike.
The only other series regular, Anthony Nicholls, played the Champions'
boss, Tremayne. Tremayne does not openly acknowledge that his agents
have special abilities, though he does ask mock innocent questions about
how they have carried out tasks on missions.
[edit] Production
The series was created by Dennis Spooner and its episodes were written
by veterans of popular British spy series, including The Avengers and
Danger Man. The series used an unfilmed script written for Danger Man.
The series was produced by Monty Berman who had co-produced, with Robert
S. Baker, The Saint, The Baron and numerous B-movies of the 1950s. Berman
went on to produce, working with many of the writers, directors and
crew, other ITC series including Department S, Jason King, Randall and
Hopkirk (Deceased) and The Adventurer.
Because of budget constraints, many sets were reused: three episodes
were set on a submarine and three set in the arctic. Stock footage was
used. Like most such ITC series much of the exterior action took place
in and around the studio lot - usually, as was the case with The Champions,
Elstree Studios in Borehamwood, Herts. For at least one episode, Desert
Journey, foreign filming did take place, but with a second unit, and
extras standing in for the main cast.
The theme music to the series was written by Tony Hatch, with Albert
Elms supplying incidental music.
[edit] Further broadcasts and releases
Although short-lived, the series is fondly remembered and has seen several
repeats in the UK, for example on ITV's digital channel ITV4.[4]
The Champions was broadcast on BBC2 in 1995, at about the time Gaunt
was appearing in the sitcom Next of Kin.
Episodes were released on DVD in North America,[5] and in the UK, where
the full series has been released twice, with the most recent edition
seeing Stuart Damon, Alexandra Bastedo and William Gaunt reunite to
provide a commentary for several episodes (Damon's continuing role on
US series General Hospital meant that Bastedo and Gaunt had to be flown
to America for this to occur).[6][7]
[edit] Adaptations
[edit] Films
In the 1980s, ITC edited episodes "The Beginning" and "The
Interrogation" into Legends of the Champions, a feature length
film intended for overseas markets.[7]
In November 2007, it was reported that Guillermo del Toro would produce,
write and direct a film adaptation of The Champions for United Artists.[8]
[edit] Books
Paperbacks based on the TV series include:
* The Sixth Sense is Death. By John Garforth. London: Hodder Paperbacks,
1969 (a novelisation of the episodes "The Beginning" and "The
Experiment")[9]
* Lavage de Cerveau. By Pierre Salva. Paris: Presses de la Cité,
1977[10]
[edit] Episode guide
# Title Writer Director Guest actors UK airdate
01 "The Beginning" Dennis Spooner Cyril Frankel Felix Aylmer,
Burt Kwouk, Joseph Furst 25 September 1968
The three Nemesis agents recover from a plane crash in the Tibetan mountains
to find their injuries healed. In the course of the episode, they learn
they have new abilities bestowed on them by their rescuers, people from
an ancient civilisation, and have to evade capture from the Chinese
military.
02 "The Invisible Man" Donald James Cyril Frankel Peter Wyngarde,
Aubrey Morris, Basil Dignam, James Culliford, Steve Plytas, David Prowse
2 October 1968
The agents investigate a plot to steal the gold reserves of a bank in
the City of London.
03 "Reply Box No. 666" Philip Broadley Cyril Frankel Anton
Rodgers, George Murcell, George Roubicek 9 October 1968
The agents are sent to the Caribbean to investigate a newspaper advert
asking for "a parrot that speaks Greek", which Tremayne has
worked out is a signal for participants in an undercover operation.
04 "The Experiment" Philip Broadley Cyril Frankel David Bauer,
Nicholas Courtney, Philip Bond 16 October 1968
Sharron is sent undercover to a training establishment in which a scientist
is using new techniques to produce agents who have the same level of
abilities as the Champions. Nemesis is interested in the organisation
because one of its graduates has tried to break into a military establishment
and steal secrets.
05 "Happening" Brian Clemens Cyril Frankel Jack MacGowran,
Michael Gough 23 October 1968
Sharron, Craig and Tremayne are in Australia observing a nuclear test.
Meanwhile Richard is trapped at ground zero with amnesia, trying to
stop the men who are attempting to sabotage the test.
06 "Operation Deep Freeze" Gerald Kelsey Paul Dickson Patrick
Wymark, Robert Urquhart, Peter Arne, Walter Gotell, George Pastell,
Michael Godfrey, Derek Sydney, Martin Boddey, Alan White, Dallas Cavell
30 October 1968
Craig and Richard are sent to Antarctica to investigate an unexplained
nuclear explosion and discover that an unnamed South America country
is using the territory to develop its own nuclear weapon.
07 "The Survivors" Donald James Cyril Frankel Clifford Evans,
Donald Houston, Bernard Kay, Stephen Yardley, John Tate 6 November 1968
The trio are sent to investigate the possibility that caches of guns
have been left in Austria by the SS and end up discovering a secret
Nazi hide out in the local iron mines, complete with surviving Nazis.
08 "To Trap a Rat" Ralph Smart Sam Wanamaker Kate O'Mara,
Michael Guest, John Lee 13 November 1968
Using Sharron as a decoy, the agents investigate a drug running racket
in London.
09 "The Iron Man" Philip Broadley John Moxey George Murcell,
Patrick Magee, Steven Berkoff 20 November 1968
This was one of the more comedic episodes. The trio are detailed to
guard the former dictator of a small South American country, La Revada,
who is living in exile in the South of France. This is because some
of his political opponents are planning to assassinate him, which would
destabilise the political situation in the region. El Caudillo (as the
former dictator insists on being called) turns out to be a vainglorious,
not very intelligent womaniser who likes to prove that he is superior
to everyone around him. However, the trio, who are posing as members
of his household staff (Barrett as a chef, Macready as a secretary and
Stirling as his head of security) manage to save him from the assassins,
though their cover is blown in the process and they are revealed as
agents of Nemesis.
10 "The Ghost Plane" Donald James John Gilling Andrew Keir,
Dennis Chinnery, Tony Steedman, John Bryans, Paul Grist, Derek Murcott
27 November 1968
The champions investigate a mysterious 'ghost plane' which is both faster
than anything else in the air and of unknown origin.
11 "The Dark Island" Tony Williamson Cyril Frankel Brandon
Brady, Vladek Sheybal, Alan Gifford, Andy Ho, Bill Nagy, Ben Carruthers,
Richard Bond 4 December 1968
The champions are sent to investigate a tropical island where visitors
have a history of disappearing. Coming on shore in two parties, they
discover and thwart an international conspiracy to threaten world peace.
12 "The Fanatics" Terry Nation John Gilling Donald Pickering,
Julian Glover, Gerald Harper, Barry Stanton 11 December 1968
An unknown organisation is assassinating international leaders. Richard,
posing as a convicted traitor, is sent to infiltrate the organisation
and try and bring it down from within.
13 "Twelve Hours" Donald James Paul Dickson Mike Pratt, Peter
Howell, Henry Gilbert, Rio Fanning 18 December 1968
The Champions are assigned to escort an Eastern European head of state,
Dubrovnik, on his visit to Britain. During a dive in a Scottish loch,
their submarine is sabotaged and Dubrovnik is injured. Richard and Sharron
are forced to face down a mutiny within the crew, who want to surface
and save their lives; the submarine cannot be allowed to surface if
Dubrovnik is to survive the surgery, which Sharron has performed. Once
Dubrovnik is out of danger, Craig conveys instructions to Richard and
Sharron on how to work the submarine via the scrambled phone link, which
with their abilities, they can decipher.
14 "The Search" Dennis Spooner Leslie Norman Joseph Furst,
John Woodvine, Reginald Marsh, Gábor Baraker 1 January 1969
After a nuclear submarine is stolen by ex Nazis who are determined to
use it to continue the war the champions are tasked with hunting it
down.
15 "The Gilded Cage" Philip Broadley Cyril Frankel John Carson,
Jennie Linden, Tony Caunter, Clinton Greyn, Vernon Dobtcheff, Sebastian
Breaks 8 January 1969
After burglars break into Nemesis headquarters to access information
on Richard, Craig is assigned to monitor him. Richard, however, allows
himself to be abducted, leaving a message for his colleague. He finds
himself imprisoned in a luxurious room (the "gilded cage"
of the title), where his captor (John Carson) threatens him that, unless
Richard can decipher a code, a young woman, Samantha (Jennie Linden),
will be killed.
16 "Shadow of the Panther" Tony Williamson Freddie Francis
Zia Mohyeddin, Donald Sutherland 15 January 1969
While on holiday in Haiti Sharron investigates a plot to brainwash important
figures in the worlds of politics, science and business, apparently
orchestrated by a local sorcerer, Damballa. Richard and Craig become
involved later, only to discover that Sharron has apparently been discovered
by the plotters and brainwashed herself.
17 "A Case of Lemmings" Philip Broadley Paul Dickson Edward
Brayshaw, John Bailey 22 January 1969
The trio are sent to investigate when several Interpol agents commit
motiveless suicide. They discover that an Italian American gangster
forms the only connection between the agents and set up a sting in which
Craig threatens him, so as to discover his methodology. This proves
almost too successful when Craig is slipped the "suicide drug"
responsible and the others have to race against time to find him before
he kills himself.
18 "The Interrogation" Dennis Spooner Cyril Frankel Colin
Blakely 29 January 1969
Craig is captured after a mission in Hong Kong, and held in a cell where
he is subject to interrogation by various cruel means. The unnamed interrogator
(Colin Blakely) wants information about Craig's last mission. Despite
nearing breaking point, Craig escapes the room, only to find he is at
Nemesis headquarters; the interrogator is a member of Nemesis internal
security, charged with finding out how Craig completed his last mission.
Tremayne ends the investigation against the interrogator's protests,
but the episode ends with Craig expressing bitterness towards his colleagues
for their failure to intervene.
This episode was unusual for featuring only one extra set (though it
included flashbacks to earlier episodes) and for focusing mostly on
one character.
19 "The Mission" Donald James Robert Asher Harry Towb, Robert
Russell 5 February 1969
The trio investigate an operation run by an ex-Nazi doctor who is providing
plastic surgery, and hence future anonymity, for international criminals.
Craig and Sharron go undercover as an Italian gangster and his moll
but Richard is forced to move in and masquerade as a vagrant, in order
to provide a matching blood group for them (because vagrants provide
the raw biological material for the operation).
20 "The Silent Enemy" Donald James Robert Asher Paul Maxwell,
Marne Maitland, Esmond Knight, Rio Fanning, David Blake Kelly 12 February
1969
The champions are sent on a mission to recreate the journey of a submarine,
which came into port with all of its crew dead from unknown causes.
21 "The Body Snatchers" Terry Nation Paul Dickson Bernard
Lee, Philip Locke 19 February 1969
Barrett, tipped off by a journalist contact, investigates a project
in the Welsh countryside which is experimenting with freezing people
at the point of death so that they can be revived once medical technology
is advanced enough to help them. Luckily for him (since he is captured
by the people running the project and placed in cryogenic storage himself
before he manages to escape) Craig and Sharron have been placed on his
trail by Tremayne and help him to close the project down.
22 "Get Me Out of Here!" Ralph Smart Cyril Frankel Philip
Madoc, Eric Pohlmann, Godfrey Quigley 26 February 1969
The agents rescue an eminent female scientist who has returned to her
home country and been detained against her will by the dictatorship,
which runs it. The government want her to do her work there, in order
to gain reflected prestige from her medical discoveries. This episode
featured a performance from Philip Madoc, as the scientist's sleazy
estranged husband, and a sequence where Stirling and Barrett rescue
the scientist from a blacked out police station (not a problem for them,
as they can see in the dark).
23 "The Night People" Donald James Robert Asher Terence Alexander,
Adrienne Corri, Walter Sparrow, Michael Bilton, Jerold Wells 5 March
1969
Richard and Craig investigate Sharron's disappearance while on holiday
in Cornwall and come across rumours of witchcraft. This turns out to
be a cover for an entirely different undertaking.
24 "Project Zero" Tony Williamson Don Sharp Rupert Davies,
Peter Copley, Maurice Browning, Reginald Jessup, Donald Morley, Geoffrey
Chater, Nicholas Smith, Jill Curzon 12 March 1969
The agents are sent to investigate the disappearance of several eminent
scientists - the only link is that all of them have theoretically been
seconded to a non-existent "Project Zero". Richard goes undercover
as an electronics expert and makes it to the underground base, but is
discovered and has to pose as a journalist looking for a story. Craig
and Sharron are forced to follow him in. Once they get to the base they
free Richard, who has been fitted with an explosive collar, and lead
the scientists in an attack on the control room. However, they do not
succeed in catching the people running the base and they escape with
the super weapon the scientists have been developing. However, Sharron,
who escaped earlier to get help, has sabotaged the weapon and the villains
are destroyed when it explodes and vaporises their plane as they attempt
to destroy the base.
25 "Desert Journey" Ian Stuart Black Paul Dickson Jeremy Brett,
Roger Delgado, Reg Lye 19 March 1969
In order to restore stability to a small Middle Eastern principality,
the agents kidnap the son of the former Bey (played by Jeremy Brett),
who is leading a dissolute life as an exile in Rome. Craig and Sharron
fly him into the area but are forced to land due to a sand storm and
have to cross the desert (the "journey" of the tile) to get
him to his destination. Meanwhile Richard deals with the politicians
in the principality, though it is Craig who saves the new Bey's life
when an assassination attempt is made. This episode features Roger Delgado
in a role as the Prime Minister/Vizier of the principality.
26 "Full Circle" Donald James John Gilling Patrick Allen,
Jack Gwillim, Martin Benson, Gabrielle Drake, John Nettleton 26 March
1969
A spy is captured at a foreign embassy but manages to dispose of the
film, hiding what he was doing there. Craig is placed undercover as
his cellmate so that he can arrange an escape, take the man with him,
and find out who is employing him.
27 "The Nutcracker" Philip Broadley Roy Ward Baker Michael
Barrington, John Franklyn-Robbins, William Squire 2 April 1969
After a senior figure in British Intelligence is brainwashed into breaking
in to his own secure vault (located underneath a tailor's shop) the
champions are sent to test its security and find out what happened.
28 "The Final Countdown" Gerald Kelsey John Gilling Hannah
Gordon, Norman Jones, Morris Perry, Derek Newark, Alan MacNaughtan,
Basil Henson 16 April 1969
Tracking an unrepentant Nazi who has been released after years in prison
in East Germany, the champions become involved in an attempt to stop
him from obtaining an ex Nazi atom bomb.
29 "The Gun Runners" Gerald Kelsey John Gilling William Franklyn,
Wolfe Morris 23 April 1969
This was one of the few episodes, which did not feature two stories
running side by side. The three agents work on bringing a gunrunner
to justice and recovering a consignment of World War 2 Japanese rifles.
30 "Autokill" Brian Clemens Roy Ward Baker Paul Eddington,
Eric Pohlmann, Harold Innocent, Bruce Boa 30 April 1969
Barka (Eric Pohlmann) is using a lethal hallucinogenic drug to brainwash
Nemesis agents and use them as assassins. Tremayne is its latest target,
leading Craig, Richard and Sharron to work against time to find an antidote.
During the course of their investigations, Richard is captured by Barka
and subjected to the same treatment; the target he is given to eliminate
is Craig. Although Richard's colleagues track down the villains and
seize a sample of the drug from which an antidote can be created, the
ensuing fight between them and Richard teaches Craig "a lesson
in equality".
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