Quick Before They Catch Us
Encyclopedia
Quick Before They Catch Us was a 1966
British action/adventure
children's television series
. It starred then child actors Pamela Franklin
, Teddy Green and David Griffin as three teenagers who become amateur detectives in Swinging London
during the mid-1960s. Although the series was short-lived, all three stars went on to have long and successful television careers in both the United Kingdom
and the United States
. Its theme song, written and performed by Brian Epstein
's Paddy, Klaus and Gibson, later became a popular tune and one of the group's first hits after releasing it as a single.
suspects. Johnny was a technology student and often built surveillance equipment and other inventive gadgets. Mark (David Griffin) was the "nerd
y" bookworm
of the group, arguably the most intelligent of the three, and was the photographer.
While waiting to attend art school, Kate begins working as a part-time waitress at Andrew Lane's café. She is soon approached by several suspicious men who express in interest in renting her attic room. The men offer to pay her to rent out the room, then later intimidate her, to which Kate reluctantly agrees. During this time, she is also befriended by Johnny Martin, a mechanic who works at a nearby garage, and photography student Mark Dennison. Kate remains suspicious of their motives however and, with the help of her new friends, the three expose a real estate agent who was using the camera obscura
in the attic room to spy on local tenants and blackmail them.
Their second adventure (Mark Of Distinction), involved Mark stopping a purse snatcher
and inadvertently led them to uncover a plan to steal an extremely valuable stamp collection. While vacationing on the southern coast of England
, the three are drawn into a naval plot after Mark captures an odd-looking photograph from his camera. Their last adventure saw them start a band together. Performing at the opening night of the "Big A" nightclub, they find out that someone is planning to steal a picture from the club as part of an art fraud
scheme.
commissioned a replacement series to fill in for Dixon of Dock Green
. The BBC wished to keep the younger viewers who had been following the popular Dixon of Dock Green, now going into hiatus during the summer months, and hoped they might be able to maintain their large audience until the fall. Five writers, N. J. Crisp, George F. Kerr, Jack Trevor Story
, Margot Bennett
and John Gray, were hired to create an action serial for children and teenagers, or the so-called "younger generation". Pamela Franklin
, Teddy Green and David Griffin were cast in the roles of the three characters. Both Green and Griffin had previously guest starred on Dixon of Dock Green.
Each screenwriter wrote 5 separate adventures, in 4-part episodes, which followed three London teenagers and the various adventures they become involved in during the course of their daily lives. The first four-part story was written by successful television writer N.J. Crisp who, at the time of the series, had written over a dozen original television plays as well as being a regular contributor for Doctor Finlay's Casebook and Dixon Of Dock Green.
A number of the production crew included Richard Martin, Derek Martinus
, Morris Barry
and Paddy Russell
, all of whom would later go on to work on Doctor Who
. Barry Newbery, Peter Kindred and Oliver Bayldon also worked on the series as set designers.
promoted the show during the first few weeks on the air and, with an interesting mix of interests and personalities between the three characters, the series proved to appeal to the younger audiences of the 1960s. Although the series was successful in keeping audiences tuned in, indeed receiving high ratings throughout its run, the series was not renewed. Its final episode was aired on September 24, 1966, and turned over its time-slot to the returning Dixon Of Dock Green.
The series popular theme song was performed by Paddy, Klaus and Gibson, a Liverpool
-based group managed by Brian Epstein
, which they released as one of their first singles. Ironically, while the song became a hit in the UK, the group had broken up before the series had begun.
All three stars went on to have successful film and television careers. Franklin later moved to the United States where she guest starred in numerous American television series such as Hawaii Five-O
, Police Woman
, Fantasy Island
and Vega$
. Griffin remained in the UK where he became a regular on Hi-De-Hi!
as Squadron Leader Clive Dempster as Emmet Hawksworth
in Keeping Up Appearances
. Green would become a visible character actor
in both the United Kingdom and the United States, most notably, in the series Holby City
.
Quick Before They Catch US heavily influenced Gerry Anderson
's 1970s television series The Protectors
. The series has never been commercially released and no longer exists in the BBC archives.
1966 in television
The year 1966 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1966.For the American TV schedule, see: 1966-67 American network television schedule.-Events:...
British action/adventure
Adventure (genre)
The adventure genre, in the context of a narrative, is typically applied to works in which the protagonist or other major characters are consistently placed in dangerous situations...
children's television series
Children's television series
Children's television series, are commercial television programs designed for, and marketed to children, normally scheduled for broadcast during the morning and afternoon when children are awake. They can sometimes run in the early evening, for the children that go to school...
. It starred then child actors Pamela Franklin
Pamela Franklin
Pamela Franklin is a British actress who appeared in feature films from 1961 until 1976, and on American television throughout the 1970s.-Early life and career as a child actress:...
, Teddy Green and David Griffin as three teenagers who become amateur detectives in Swinging London
Swinging London
Swinging London is a catch-all term applied to the fashion and cultural scene that flourished in London, in the 1960s.It was a youth-oriented phenomenon that emphasised the new and modern. It was a period of optimism and hedonism, and a cultural revolution. One catalyst was the recovery of the...
during the mid-1960s. Although the series was short-lived, all three stars went on to have long and successful television careers in both the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Its theme song, written and performed by Brian Epstein
Brian Epstein
Brian Samuel Epstein , was an English music entrepreneur, and is best known for being the manager of The Beatles up until his death. He also managed several other musical artists such as Gerry & the Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, Cilla Black, The Remo Four & The Cyrkle...
's Paddy, Klaus and Gibson, later became a popular tune and one of the group's first hits after releasing it as a single.
Plot
The series is based around three London teenagers, Kate (Pamela Franklin), Johnny Martin (Teddy Green) and Mark Dennison (David Griffin), who use each of their unique talents to solve crimes in their neighbourhood. Kate, the youngest of the three, possessed a photographic memory and was a talented artist; as well as a sketch artist, she most often trailedFollow
Follow is the third album by Pakho Chau, comprising four new tracks and nine previously-released tracks. It was released in Hong Kong on July 10, 2009.-Track listing:#"Lovin' You"#"Reporting to Commander-In-Chief" #"Mr. Chan" #"Time's Up"...
suspects. Johnny was a technology student and often built surveillance equipment and other inventive gadgets. Mark (David Griffin) was the "nerd
Nerd
Nerd is a derogatory slang term for an intelligent but socially awkward and obsessive person who spends time on unpopular or obscure pursuits, to the exclusion of more mainstream activities. Nerds are considered to be awkward, shy, and unattractive...
y" bookworm
Bookworm
Bookworm may refer to:* Bibliophile or bookworm, an avid reader and lover of books* Bookworm , a popular generalization for any insect which supposedly bores through books...
of the group, arguably the most intelligent of the three, and was the photographer.
While waiting to attend art school, Kate begins working as a part-time waitress at Andrew Lane's café. She is soon approached by several suspicious men who express in interest in renting her attic room. The men offer to pay her to rent out the room, then later intimidate her, to which Kate reluctantly agrees. During this time, she is also befriended by Johnny Martin, a mechanic who works at a nearby garage, and photography student Mark Dennison. Kate remains suspicious of their motives however and, with the help of her new friends, the three expose a real estate agent who was using the camera obscura
Camera obscura
The camera obscura is an optical device that projects an image of its surroundings on a screen. It is used in drawing and for entertainment, and was one of the inventions that led to photography. The device consists of a box or room with a hole in one side...
in the attic room to spy on local tenants and blackmail them.
Their second adventure (Mark Of Distinction), involved Mark stopping a purse snatcher
Robbery
Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat of force or by putting the victim in fear. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear....
and inadvertently led them to uncover a plan to steal an extremely valuable stamp collection. While vacationing on the southern coast of England
Southern England
Southern England, the South and the South of England are imprecise terms used to refer to the southern counties of England bordering the English Midlands. It has a number of different interpretations of its geographic extents. The South is considered by many to be a cultural region with a distinct...
, the three are drawn into a naval plot after Mark captures an odd-looking photograph from his camera. Their last adventure saw them start a band together. Performing at the opening night of the "Big A" nightclub, they find out that someone is planning to steal a picture from the club as part of an art fraud
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
scheme.
History
In the summer of 1966, BBC TelevisionBBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
commissioned a replacement series to fill in for Dixon of Dock Green
Dixon of Dock Green
Dixon of Dock Green was a popular BBC television series that ran from 1955 to 1976, and later a radio series. Despite being a drama series, it was initially produced by the BBC's light entertainment department.-Overview:...
. The BBC wished to keep the younger viewers who had been following the popular Dixon of Dock Green, now going into hiatus during the summer months, and hoped they might be able to maintain their large audience until the fall. Five writers, N. J. Crisp, George F. Kerr, Jack Trevor Story
Jack Trevor Story
Jack Trevor Story was a British novelist, publishing prolifically from the 1940s to the 1970s. His best-known work is the story for Alfred Hitchcock's comedy The Trouble With Harry, the Albert Argyle trilogy , and his Horace Spurgeon novels Jack Trevor Story (30 March 1917 - 5 December 1991) was a...
, Margot Bennett
Margot Bennett
Margot Bennett was a writer of crime and thriller novels. She was educated in Scotland and Australia. Worked as a copywriter in Sydney and London, and as a nurse during the Spanish Civil War...
and John Gray, were hired to create an action serial for children and teenagers, or the so-called "younger generation". Pamela Franklin
Pamela Franklin
Pamela Franklin is a British actress who appeared in feature films from 1961 until 1976, and on American television throughout the 1970s.-Early life and career as a child actress:...
, Teddy Green and David Griffin were cast in the roles of the three characters. Both Green and Griffin had previously guest starred on Dixon of Dock Green.
Each screenwriter wrote 5 separate adventures, in 4-part episodes, which followed three London teenagers and the various adventures they become involved in during the course of their daily lives. The first four-part story was written by successful television writer N.J. Crisp who, at the time of the series, had written over a dozen original television plays as well as being a regular contributor for Doctor Finlay's Casebook and Dixon Of Dock Green.
A number of the production crew included Richard Martin, Derek Martinus
Derek Martinus
Derek Martinus was a Director working in British Television in the 1960s and 1970s. He directed a number of Doctor Who stories including Galaxy 4, Mission to the Unknown, The Tenth Planet, The Evil of the Daleks, The Ice Warriors and Spearhead from Space.-External links:...
, Morris Barry
Morris Barry
Morris Barry was born in Northampton and was a noticeable figure on the production side of the BBC in the 1960s and 1970s....
and Paddy Russell
Paddy Russell
Patricia "Paddy" Russell is a British television director.She directed several television programmes between 1962 and 1981 and her work includes Out of the Unknown , Late Night Horror , Pere Goriot , Little Women , The Moonstone and The Omega Factor .Before becoming a director herself, during the...
, all of whom would later go on to work on 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...
. Barry Newbery, Peter Kindred and Oliver Bayldon also worked on the series as set designers.
Reception
The series aired its first episode on May 7, 1966, shown on an early Saturday evening timeslot and very much pre-watershed. The Radio TimesRadio Times
Radio Times is a UK weekly television and radio programme listings magazine, owned by the BBC. It has been published since 1923 by BBC Magazines, which also provides an on-line listings service under the same title...
promoted the show during the first few weeks on the air and, with an interesting mix of interests and personalities between the three characters, the series proved to appeal to the younger audiences of the 1960s. Although the series was successful in keeping audiences tuned in, indeed receiving high ratings throughout its run, the series was not renewed. Its final episode was aired on September 24, 1966, and turned over its time-slot to the returning Dixon Of Dock Green.
The series popular theme song was performed by Paddy, Klaus and Gibson, a Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
-based group managed by Brian Epstein
Brian Epstein
Brian Samuel Epstein , was an English music entrepreneur, and is best known for being the manager of The Beatles up until his death. He also managed several other musical artists such as Gerry & the Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, Cilla Black, The Remo Four & The Cyrkle...
, which they released as one of their first singles. Ironically, while the song became a hit in the UK, the group had broken up before the series had begun.
All three stars went on to have successful film and television careers. Franklin later moved to the United States where she guest starred in numerous American television series such as Hawaii Five-O
Hawaii Five-O
Hawaii Five-O is an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productions and Leonard Freeman. Set in Hawaii, the show originally aired for twelve seasons from 1968 to 1980, and continues in reruns. The show featured a fictional state police unit run by Detective Steve McGarrett,...
, Police Woman
Police Woman (TV series)
Police Woman is an American television police drama starring Angie Dickinson that ran on NBC for four seasons, from September 13, 1974, to March 29, 1978.-Synopsis:...
, Fantasy Island
Fantasy Island
Fantasy Island is the title of two separate but related American fantasy television series, both originally airing on the ABC television network.-Original series:...
and Vega$
Vega$
Vega$ is an American detective television drama series that aired on ABC between 1978 and 1981. It was produced by Aaron Spelling. The series, was filmed in its entirety in Las Vegas, Nevada, which is believed to be the first television series produced entirely in Las Vegas...
. Griffin remained in the UK where he became a regular on Hi-De-Hi!
Hi-de-Hi!
Hi-de-Hi! is a British sitcom that aired on the BBC from 1980-1988. It was set in a holiday camp during the 1950s and 1960s and was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, who had written Dad's Army and It Ain't Half Hot Mum. The title was the phrase used to greet the campers and in early episodes...
as Squadron Leader Clive Dempster as Emmet Hawksworth
Emmet Hawksworth
Emmet Hawksworth is a fictional character in the British comedy series Keeping Up Appearances portrayed by actor David Griffin, and introduced into the series at the beginning of series two...
in Keeping Up Appearances
Keeping Up Appearances
Keeping Up Appearances is a British sitcom created and written by Roy Clarke for the BBC. Centred on the life of eccentric, social-climbing snob Hyacinth Bucket , the sitcom portrays a social hierarchy-ruled British society...
. Green would become a visible character actor
Character actor
A character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...
in both the United Kingdom and the United States, most notably, in the series Holby City
Holby City
Holby City, stylised as Holby Ci+y, is a British medical drama television series that airs weekly on BBC One.The series was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama Casualty, and premiered on 12 January 1999...
.
Quick Before They Catch US heavily influenced Gerry Anderson
Gerry Anderson
Gerry Anderson MBE is a British publisher, producer, director and writer, famous for his futuristic television programmes, particularly those involving specially modified marionettes, a process called "Supermarionation"....
's 1970s television series The Protectors
The Protectors
The Protectors is a British television series, an action thriller created by Gerry Anderson. It is Anderson's second TV series using live actors as opposed to electronic marionettes, and also his second to be firmly set in the present day...
. The series has never been commercially released and no longer exists in the BBC archives.
Characters
- Kate (Pamela FranklinPamela FranklinPamela Franklin is a British actress who appeared in feature films from 1961 until 1976, and on American television throughout the 1970s.-Early life and career as a child actress:...
) - the youngest of the three, she is a typical carefree teenage girl who has unconventional tastes in clothes and pets. She works part-time in a local café while waiting to go to art school. - Johnny Martin (Teddy Green) - a technological student, Johnny works part-time in a nearby garage also waiting to attend school. He has an exceptional skill for electronics and has, for example, assembled a fully working walkie-talkieWalkie-talkieA walkie-talkie is a hand-held, portable, two-way radio transceiver. Its development during the Second World War has been variously credited to Donald L. Hings, radio engineer Alfred J. Gross, and engineering teams at Motorola...
from a box of assorted wires, plugs and transistors. - Mark Dennison (David Griffin) - son of a well-known photographer, Mark also intends to become a photographer as well. He is extremely intelligent and well-read with an encyclopaedic knowledge on a wide number of subjects. He is often referred to in the series as the "brains" of the operation.
- Don (Colin Bell) -
Episodes
| # | Title | Writers | Original airdate | Series No. |
|---|
Further reading
- Butler, David. Time and Relative Dissertations in Space: Critical Perspectives on Doctor Who. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2007. ISBN 0-7190-7682-X
- Docherty, Mark J. and Alistair D. McGown. The Hill and Beyond: Children's Television Drama - An Encyclopedia. London: British Film Institute, 2003. ISBN 0-85170-878-1
- Parish, James Robert. Film Actors Guide: Western Europe. Metuchen, New Jersey and London: Scarecrow Press, 1977. ISBN 0-8108-1044-1