Marty Hopkirk
Encyclopedia
Marty Hopkirk is a fictional ghost
played by English
actor Kenneth Cope
in the television private detective series Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)
from 1969 to early 1970. In the remake of 2000 and 2001 he was played by English actor and comedian Vic Reeves
.
travelling at high speed. Hopkirk dies instantly, but returns as a ghost
selecting Jeff Randall
as the only man who can see and hear him as he returns to the world of the living. Staying out in the daylight to help Jeff solve an early case, he is cursed to roam the Earth for 100 years. Marty is a highly persistent character clad in an all white suit to mimic that of a ghost
. At times his pressuring of Jeff to pursue cases and follow up leads that he has witnessed nearly puts Jeff at breaking point and haunts Jeff almost as much as he aids him in fighting crime.
As a ghost
Marty travels by teleporting
from one place to the other although he can seemingly walk as a human would in whatever location he is in. Although he cannot physically touch people or things (leaning against walls excepted) he can manipulate objects such as vase
s and furniture
which prove crucial in many cases in putting attackers of Jeff at bay. In one case ("Just for the Record
") Marty saves the trapped Jeff from a burning warehouse by using his concentration to shatter the fire alarm glass
. Marty can also generate remarkably powerful wind squall
s by simply blowing.
However, Hopkirk can also be a highly jealous character and is often quick to jump to conclusions. In the episodes "Never Trust a Ghost
" and "Murder Ain't What it Used to Be
" he becomes enraged when it appears that his widow Jeannie has been unfaithful. It also appears that while Marty can move from place to place by teleporting and has certain extra sensory abilities, his capability to understand situations where he is not present are as limited as a humans. In the episode "The House on Haunted Hill
" Marty appears terrified of the ghostly noises in the attic
of a deserted house, more so than even Jeff, and he doesn't appear to have any sense of other paranormal phenomenon when he can not physically see them. He also shows a subservience to the 1920s American gangster
ghost of Bugsy in the eighth episode "Murder Ain't What it Used to Be".
. On this occasion however the scenario is more dramatic: the denouement has Marty toppling over a cliff with the vehicle.
As before, Marty is able to generate gale forces of winds by blowing, shatter glass with sufficient concentration- although this power was primarily triggered by Marty's jealousy of Jeff's new relationship with Jeanie-, topple and levitate small objects, make lights flicker, mimic voices, and enter computer systems. He also demonstrated the ability to possess people and animals, but strong-willed individuals such as Jeff could resist his possession, and it left them fatigued and often unconscious afterwards. His powers grow increasingly limited the further he goes from Jeff.
In contrast to the old series, which had Jeff as the womaniser, here Marty is the flirtatious one, with Jeff once commenting that he would have thought Marty's obsession with sex would have ended due to his lack of a body (Much like Al Calavicci
in Quantum Leap, who spent much of his time watching the attractive women encountered during the Leaps despite their inability to see him). Another Quantum Leap analogy is drawn when it is mentioned that Marty can be seen not only by Jeff and various mediums, but also by animals, the mentally ill, and on one occasion, a baby.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
played by English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
actor Kenneth Cope
Kenneth Cope
Kenneth Cope is an English actor. He is most famous for his roles as Marty Hopkirk in Randall and Hopkirk , Jed Stone in Coronation Street and Ray Hilton in Brookside.- Career :...
in the television private detective series Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)
Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)
Randall and Hopkirk , first transmitted during 1969-70, is a British private detective television series starring Mike Pratt and Kenneth Cope as the private detectives Jeff Randall and Marty Hopkirk, respectively. The series was originally created by Dennis Spooner and produced by Monty Berman...
from 1969 to early 1970. In the remake of 2000 and 2001 he was played by English actor and comedian Vic Reeves
Vic Reeves
James Roderick Moir , better known by the stage name Vic Reeves, is an English comedian, best known for his double act with Bob Mortimer . He is known for his surreal and non sequitur sense of humour....
.
Original Series
In the original series Hopkirk was murdered in the line of duty as he was run down by a carAutomobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
travelling at high speed. Hopkirk dies instantly, but returns as a ghost
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
selecting Jeff Randall
Jeff Randall
Jeff Randall is a fictional character played by Mike Pratt in the original private detective series, Randall and Hopkirk from 1969 to 1971 and by Bob Mortimer in the BBC remake...
as the only man who can see and hear him as he returns to the world of the living. Staying out in the daylight to help Jeff solve an early case, he is cursed to roam the Earth for 100 years. Marty is a highly persistent character clad in an all white suit to mimic that of a ghost
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
. At times his pressuring of Jeff to pursue cases and follow up leads that he has witnessed nearly puts Jeff at breaking point and haunts Jeff almost as much as he aids him in fighting crime.
As a ghost
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
Marty travels by teleporting
Teleportation
Teleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
from one place to the other although he can seemingly walk as a human would in whatever location he is in. Although he cannot physically touch people or things (leaning against walls excepted) he can manipulate objects such as vase
Vase
The vase is an open container, often used to hold cut flowers. It can be made from a number of materials including ceramics and glass. The vase is often decorated and thus used to extend the beauty of its contents....
s and furniture
Furniture
Furniture is the mass noun for the movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating and sleeping in beds, to hold objects at a convenient height for work using horizontal surfaces above the ground, or to store things...
which prove crucial in many cases in putting attackers of Jeff at bay. In one case ("Just for the Record
Just for the Record
Just for the record is the sixth episode of the popular 1969 ITC British television series Randall and Hopkirk starring Mike Pratt, Kenneth Cope and Annette Andre. The episode was first broadcast on 25 October 1969 on ITV...
") Marty saves the trapped Jeff from a burning warehouse by using his concentration to shatter the fire alarm glass
Fire alarm pull station
Manual fire alarm activation is done by using a pull station or call point.- Fire alarm pull station :A fire alarm pull station is an active fire protection device, usually wall-mounted, that, when activated, initiates an alarm on a fire alarm system...
. Marty can also generate remarkably powerful wind squall
Squall
A squall is a sudden, sharp increase in wind speed which is usually associated with active weather, such as rain showers, thunderstorms, or heavy snow. Squalls refer to an increase in the sustained winds over a short time interval, as there may be higher gusts during a squall event...
s by simply blowing.
However, Hopkirk can also be a highly jealous character and is often quick to jump to conclusions. In the episodes "Never Trust a Ghost
Never Trust a Ghost
"Never Trust a Ghost" is the fourth episode of the popular 1969 ITC British television series Randall and Hopkirk starring Mike Pratt, Kenneth Cope and Annette Andre. The episode was first broadcast on 12 October 1969 on ITV. Directed by Jeremy Summers.-Synopsis:While out on a late-night stroll...
" and "Murder Ain't What it Used to Be
Murder Ain't What it Used to Be
Murder Ain't What it Used to Be is the seventh episode of the popular 1969 ITC British television series Randall and Hopkirk starring Mike Pratt, Kenneth Cope and Annette Andre. The episode was first broadcast on 2 November 1969 on ITV. Directed by Jeremy Summers.-Synopsis:Crime boss Paul Kirstner...
" he becomes enraged when it appears that his widow Jeannie has been unfaithful. It also appears that while Marty can move from place to place by teleporting and has certain extra sensory abilities, his capability to understand situations where he is not present are as limited as a humans. In the episode "The House on Haunted Hill
The House on Haunted Hill
The House on Haunted Hill is the ninth episode of the popular 1969 ITC British television series Randall and Hopkirk starring Mike Pratt, Kenneth Cope and Annette Andre. The episode was first broadcast on 16 November 1969 on the ITV...
" Marty appears terrified of the ghostly noises in the attic
Attic
An attic is a space found directly below the pitched roof of a house or other building . Attic is generally the American/Canadian reference to it...
of a deserted house, more so than even Jeff, and he doesn't appear to have any sense of other paranormal phenomenon when he can not physically see them. He also shows a subservience to the 1920s American gangster
Gangster
A gangster is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Some gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from mob and the suffix -ster....
ghost of Bugsy in the eighth episode "Murder Ain't What it Used to Be".
Remake
In the remake the situation is similar; his murderer tries to run him down with his vehicle, this time a jeepJeep
Jeep is an automobile marque of Chrysler . The first Willys Jeeps were produced in 1941 with the first civilian models in 1945, making it the oldest off-road vehicle and sport utility vehicle brand. It inspired a number of other light utility vehicles, such as the Land Rover which is the second...
. On this occasion however the scenario is more dramatic: the denouement has Marty toppling over a cliff with the vehicle.
As before, Marty is able to generate gale forces of winds by blowing, shatter glass with sufficient concentration- although this power was primarily triggered by Marty's jealousy of Jeff's new relationship with Jeanie-, topple and levitate small objects, make lights flicker, mimic voices, and enter computer systems. He also demonstrated the ability to possess people and animals, but strong-willed individuals such as Jeff could resist his possession, and it left them fatigued and often unconscious afterwards. His powers grow increasingly limited the further he goes from Jeff.
In contrast to the old series, which had Jeff as the womaniser, here Marty is the flirtatious one, with Jeff once commenting that he would have thought Marty's obsession with sex would have ended due to his lack of a body (Much like Al Calavicci
Al Calavicci
Rear Admiral Upper Half Albert “Al” Calavicci USN is a fictional character on the science fiction drama Quantum Leap, created by Donald P. Bellisario and played by Dean Stockwell.-Biography:...
in Quantum Leap, who spent much of his time watching the attractive women encountered during the Leaps despite their inability to see him). Another Quantum Leap analogy is drawn when it is mentioned that Marty can be seen not only by Jeff and various mediums, but also by animals, the mentally ill, and on one occasion, a baby.