No, surprisingly not Callan this time. Freeview channel 'London Live' (channel 8) has been showing another old, downbeat British 'spy' series from the 70s. Sandbaggers. I don't recall seeing this at the time, probably because it aired between 1978 and 1980 - when I was busy being a teenager. Here's the Wiki page on it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sandbaggers
Whenever I've remembered it's on, I've enjoyed watching it. In Monday's episode (series 1, episode 4) one of the aspirant recruits to the 'Sandbaggers' team turns out to be a wargamer, as are several other possibly compromised security-related public employees. So be careful down at your local club!
PS, the reason for the cancellation of the programme is worth a series in its own right (see the Wiki article).
I remember the series, but only very vaguely.
ReplyDeleteFunny how I can remember older things but not this.
DeleteChris
Very interesting Chris. Amazing where wargamers pop up.
ReplyDeleteI imagine that in the 60s and 70s you would not be able to swing a cat in Britain without hitting someone who had been in the navy 😂
😆 very good Ben.
DeleteA late seventies blast of nostalgia if ever there was one. Never saw it at the time but I’ll give it a Quick Look see today I reckon. Like the look of it!
ReplyDeletePS you might like “Slow Horses” on Apple TV.
DeleteOnce you get used to the way things looked and sounded on British TV of the time, you’ll get sucked into it. And the deadpan humour rings true.
DeleteChris
PS quality cast for Slow Horses. I like the premise.
DeleteI also remember The Sandbaggers - sort of earlier generations version of Spooks I guess - but I don't know if I watched it or not - I just remember it being "on". (If I did watch it, it has not left any lasting impression, that's for sure!)
ReplyDeleteThink more Callan than Spooks, though inter-service rivalry is a feature. It’s funny isn’t it, there were only 3 channels in those days so you think you’d remember most things, but there was another series yesterday on one of those Freeview channels which I can’t remember at all. The Black Arrow (1972-75) which would have been right up my street at the time.
DeleteChris
I am not admitting to watching this for fear of giving away my age! So, I'll only claim to seeing repeats.
ReplyDeleteYou could have seen it as a precocious tot Richard. 😁
DeleteChris
I have fond memories of watch Sandbaggers with my dad when it first aired in North America via American Public Broadcasting, my dad loved all manner of spook shows. I recently found Sandbaggers on a North American cable package called Britbox and its as good as I recall. Roy Marsden went on to better things as Inspector Dalgliesh from the PD James novels and had a very strange guest appearance as a vampire opposite Jeremy Brett's Sherlock Holmes. Amazing the things I recall.
ReplyDeleteExcellent to have someone who remembers it properly. It took me a while to place Marsden when I first saw it the other week. I cannot see him as a vampire though 🧛♂️
DeleteChris