Garry Halliday
Encyclopedia
Garry Halliday is a British television
series for children that ran on the BBC
from 1959 to 1962. The show starred Terence Longdon
as airman Garry Halliday. The episodes were closely based on the books by Justin Blake.
, Halliday was a pilot for a commercial airline company, the Halliday Charter Company, and flew to his various adventures in an aircraft with the callsign Golf Alpha Oboe Roger George. He was assisted by co-pilot Bill Dodds, played by Terence Alexander
, who was later better known for his role of Charlie in "Bergerac
." The Airline's control base station was Lima Foxtrot.
Their arch-enemy was a character known as The Voice, played by Elwyn Brook-Jones
, so called because he was never seen, so that at the end of each series he could escape, and reappear in the next. Invisible even to his own gang, The Voice always shone a powerful light in their faces to disguise his identity thereby remaining anonymous.
Series three hit various difficulties, as actor Bill Kerr
playing co-pilot Eddie Robbins replaced Terence Alexander; while Brook-Jones died half way through filming, and was replaced (without his scenes being refilmed) with a different actor who looked and sounded rather different. Maurice Kaufmann
played one of The Voice's henchmen in series three.
Filming was undertaken at Ferryfield Airport
in Lydd
, Kent
, with the offices and planes of real airline Silver City Airways transformed for all three series of the productions.
The programme was transmitted in the Saturday afternoon teatime slot that was subsequently occupied by Doctor Who
, which started on BBC in November 1963. It was a popular slot to present shows that might attract a family audience. In early 1963, it was used for another adventure series targeting children, The Chem. Lab. Mystery. After the success of the first series of the futuristic Doctor Who, with its modern sci-fi themed content, there appeared to be no great interest in returning to the more traditional Biggles-style Garry Halliday stories and the show was dropped. Only one episode survives in the BBC Archives.
British television
Public television broadcasting started in the United Kingdom in 1936, and now has a collection of free and subscription services over a variety of distribution media, through which there are over 480 channelsTaking the base Sky EPG TV Channels. A breakdown is impossible due to a) the number of...
series for children that ran on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
from 1959 to 1962. The show starred Terence Longdon
Terence Longdon
Terence Longdon was an English actor. Longdon, born in Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire was best known for his lead role in the 1950s-1960s British TV series Garry Halliday where he played a Biggles-like pilot who flew into various adventure situations. In film he was Drusus, Messala's personal...
as airman Garry Halliday. The episodes were closely based on the books by Justin Blake.
Plot
Somewhat reminiscent of BigglesBiggles
"Biggles" , a pilot and adventurer, is the title character and main hero of the Biggles series of youth-oriented adventure books written by W. E. Johns....
, Halliday was a pilot for a commercial airline company, the Halliday Charter Company, and flew to his various adventures in an aircraft with the callsign Golf Alpha Oboe Roger George. He was assisted by co-pilot Bill Dodds, played by Terence Alexander
Terence Alexander
Terence Joseph Alexander was an English film and television actor, best known for his role as Charlie Hungerford in the British TV drama Bergerac.-Early life and career:...
, who was later better known for his role of Charlie in "Bergerac
Bergerac (TV series)
Bergerac was a British television show set on Jersey. Produced by the BBC in association with the Seven Network, and screened on BBC1, it starred John Nettles as the title character Detective Sergeant Jim Bergerac, a detective in "Le Bureau des Étrangers" Bergerac was a British television show...
." The Airline's control base station was Lima Foxtrot.
Their arch-enemy was a character known as The Voice, played by Elwyn Brook-Jones
Elwyn Brook-Jones
Elwyn Brook-Jones was a British film and television actor.-Life:Brook-Jones was born in Sarawak on the island of Borneo. After a private education, he attended Jesus College, Oxford. His public debut was in Australia, aged 11, as a concert pianist; he later made cabaret appearances in America...
, so called because he was never seen, so that at the end of each series he could escape, and reappear in the next. Invisible even to his own gang, The Voice always shone a powerful light in their faces to disguise his identity thereby remaining anonymous.
Production
Based on the books by Justin Blake, one trailer special and two series were produced. Each episode lasted 25 minutes:- Garry Halliday - 1 episode
- Garry Halliday and the Gun-Runners - 16 episodes
- Garry Halliday and the Secret of Omar Khayyam - 33 episodes
Series three hit various difficulties, as actor Bill Kerr
Bill Kerr
William 'Bill' Kerr is an Australian film and television actor. He was born into a performing arts family in Cape Town, South Africa, but grew up in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia....
playing co-pilot Eddie Robbins replaced Terence Alexander; while Brook-Jones died half way through filming, and was replaced (without his scenes being refilmed) with a different actor who looked and sounded rather different. Maurice Kaufmann
Maurice Kaufmann
Maurice Harington Kaufmann was a British actor of stage, TV and film, particularly well-utilized in whodunnits and horrors who acted from 1954 to 1981, when he retired....
played one of The Voice's henchmen in series three.
Filming was undertaken at Ferryfield Airport
London Ashford Airport
-Accidents and incidents:*On 17 August 1978, Douglas C-47B G-AMSM of Skyways Cargo Airline was damaged beyond economic repair in a take-off accident.-External links:******...
in Lydd
Lydd
Lydd is a town in Kent, England, lying on the Romney Marsh. It is one of the larger towns on the Marsh, and the most southerly town in Kent. Actually located on Denge Marsh, Lydd was one of the first sandy islands to form as the bay evolved into what is now called the Romney Marsh...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, with the offices and planes of real airline Silver City Airways transformed for all three series of the productions.
The programme was transmitted in the Saturday afternoon teatime slot that was subsequently occupied by Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
, which started on BBC in November 1963. It was a popular slot to present shows that might attract a family audience. In early 1963, it was used for another adventure series targeting children, The Chem. Lab. Mystery. After the success of the first series of the futuristic Doctor Who, with its modern sci-fi themed content, there appeared to be no great interest in returning to the more traditional Biggles-style Garry Halliday stories and the show was dropped. Only one episode survives in the BBC Archives.