Mogul aka The Troubleshooters (BBC-1 1965-1972, Geoffrey Keen, Ray Barrett)

Highly popular 1960’s and early 1970’s drama series Mogul (which was retitled The Troubleshooters from series 2 onward) took us onto the board of a major oil company (The Mogul of the title, rumoured to be based on BP). The company had offices all over the world and was always looking to expand it’s empire.

Heading up the company is managing director Brian Stead and his head of finance Willy Izard whilst heading up the troubleshooting side of things was Peter Thornton. These three remained constant throughout the series, other characters came and went around them.

The first season was very much boardroom based but from the renaming onwards there was definitely a broader base for the stories.

A really good mix of the business and the personal made for strong story lines. Like most every other show of the day The Troubleshooters, no matter where the stories were set, never strayed too far from the studios but there were some forays further afield for location shooting. Especially for Peter Thornton whose remit took him from Africa to Venezuela and everywhere in between.

One season four episode, The Dispossessed, led to a spin-off of sorts. Ronald Fraser played Wallace Nichols in this with the character later appearing in a series called The Misfit created by Dennis Vance and Roy Clarke (who wrote the Dispossessed).

Season five episode You’re Not Going To Believe This But… was remade with a completely different cast as part of a BBC test into a new using synchronised 35mm film cameras. The process was called Electronicam. Funnily enough given the fact that so many episodes of the show have been lost, this episode, despite never being transmitted, does still exist. Trevor Bannister played the part of Peter Thornton in place of Ray Barrett and Anna Palk from The Main Chance also appeared in the remake.

PRODUCTION DETAILS
UK / BBC One / 136×50 minute episodes / Broadcast 7 July 1965 – 3 January 1972

Creator: John Elliott / Theme Music: Tom Sringfield / Producers: Peter Graham Scott (seasons 1-4), Anthony Read (season 5-7)

cast
Geoffrey Keen as Brian Stead
Ray Barrett as Peter Thornton
Philip Latham as Willy Izard
Barry Foster as Driscoll (season 1)
Ronald Hines as Prentice (season 1
Justine Lord as Steve Thornton (semi-regular seasons 1, 2)
Robert Hardy as Stewart (season 2, 3, 5)
Phillippa Gail as Jane Webb (season 2)
Jayne Sofiano as Ginny Vickers (season 5)
Jennifer Wright as Mrs George (season 6)
John Carson as James Langley (season 7)

SEASON ONE 7 July – 29 September 1965
Officially called Mogul for this first season.
1. KELLY’S EYE (7 Jul 65)
2. YOUNG TURK (14 Jul 65)
3. SAFETY MAN (21 Jul 65)
4. WILDCAT (28 Jul 65)
5. TOSH AND NORA (4 Aug 65)
6. THE SCHLOSS BELT (11 Aug 65)
7. OUT OF RANGE (18 Aug 65)
8. THE WAY IT CRUMBLES (25 Aug 65)
9. A JOB FOR WILLY (1 Sep 65)
10. MEET MISS MOGUL (8 Sep 65)
11. STONEFACE (15 Sep 65)
12. DRIVER OF THE YEAR (22 Sep 65)
13. BORROWED TIME (29 Sep 65)

SEASON TWO 30 April – 22 October 1966
The series has now been renamed The Troubleshooters
1. IS THAT TIGER, MAN (30 Ap 66)
2. WHEN YOU GOTTA GO (7 May 66)
3. THEA (14 May 66)
4. IF YOU CAN’T LICK ‘EM (21 May 66)
5. THIS IS WHERE I CAME IN (28 May 66)
6. BIRDSTRIKE (4 June 66)
7. THE FIRES OF HELL (11 June 66)
8. WINGLESS WONDER (18 June 66)
9. CABLEGRAMS COME EXPENSIVE (25 May 66)
10. OPERATION SAIGON (2 Jul 66)
11. BAPTISM OF FIRE (9 Jul 66)
12. JOIN THE CLUB (16 Jul 66)
13. DO YOUR BEST FOR THE LADS (23 Jul 66)
14. SOMEONE’S HEAD HAS TO ROLL (30 Jul 66)
15. TROUBLED WATERS (6 Aug 66)
16. WHAT’S YOURS IS MINE (13 Aug 66)
17. THE BIGGER THEY ARE (20 Aug 66)
18. SOME WET NIGHT IN SAUCHIEHALL STREET (27 Aug 66)
19. ERROR OF JUDGEMENT (3 Sep 66)
20. THEY’RE PROBABLY DRILLING FOR OIL (10 Sep 66)
21. A RUN FOR THEIR MONEY (17 Sep 66)
22. HAPPY LANDINGS (24 Sep 66)
23. THERE’S NOTHING LIKE THE GREAT OUTDOORS (1 Oct 66)
24. OUT OF YOUR EVIL DREAM (8 Oct 66)
25. FOUR CHEERS FOR GEOFFREY (15 Oct 66)
26. NO SUCH THING AS LUCK (22 Oct 66)

SEASON THREE 30 January – 1 May 1967
1. WORDS ARE SOFTER THAN OIL (30 Jan 67)
2. A DAMN GREAT LUMP OF IRON (6 Feb 67)
3. MY DAUGHTER KNOWS HER WAY AROUND (20 Feb 67)
4. HOME AND DRY (27 Feb 67)
5. WE’RE NONE OF US PERFECT (6 Mar 67)
6. THINK BIG (13 Mar 67)
7. SOME DAYS YOU JUST CAN’T WIN (20 Mar 67)
8. NOTHING TO DO WITH MOGUL (27 Mat 67)
9. NO SENTIMENT IN BUSINESS? (3 Apr 67)
10. JOURNEY FROM THE INTERIOR (10 Apr 67)
11. LONG KNIVES CUT DEEP (17 Apr 67)
12. WOMEN AND BUSINESS NEVER DID MIX (24 Apr 67)
13. THERE’S ALWAYS A NEXT TIME (1 May 67)

SEASON FOUR 13 October 1967 – 3 May 1968
1. DRAGON BY THE TAIL (13 Oct 67)
2. THE DARING YOUNG MEN (20 Oct 67)
3. WHERE THE CARPET ENS (27 Oct 67)
4. WINNER LOSE ALL (10 Nov 67)
5. A NICE WHITE GIRL – IS SHE FOR SALE? (17 Nov 67)
6. MR KNOW HOW (24 Nov 11)
7. AND THE WALLS CAME TUMBLING DOWN (1 Dec 67)
8. GOOD LORD NO, IT’S ILLEGAL (8 Dec 67)
9. THANKS FOR NOTHING (15 Dec 67)
10. REST YOU MERRY (22 Dec 67)
11. WHO BUYS WHO? (29 Dec 67)
12. THE DEEPER YOU DIG (5 Jan 68)
13. KITCHENER KNEW IT ALL (12 Jan 68)
14. THE SHARP END OF THE WEDGE (19 Jan 68)
15. JUST A BUNCH OF ARABS IN KILTS (26 Jan 68)
16. NOT FOR MY FRIEND – HE’S DRIVING (9 Feb 68)
17. STOP IT, YOU’RE BREAKING MY HEART (16 Feb 68)
18. A GIRL TO WARM YOUR FEET ON (23 Feb 68)
19. GIVE ME THE SIMPLE LIFE (1 Mar 68)
20. A SLIGHT PROBLEM WITH THE PRESS (8 Mar 68)
21. NEVER THE TWAIN (15 Mar 68)
22. CUT OFF WHOSE NOSE (22 Mar 68)
23. THE DAY THE SEA CAUGHT FIRE (29 Mar 68)
24. THE DISPOSSESSED (5 Apr 68)
25. THE WRECKING OF THE SIERRA NEVADA (19 Apr 68)
26. THE MINISTER OF THE CROWN… AND THE VERY COMPROMISING PHOTOGRAPH (3 May 68)

SEASON FIVE 6 January – 14 July 1969
1. A DIRTY OLD MAN AND A RARE BIRD (6 Jan 69)
2. TWENTY YEARS IS NO TIME AT ALL (13 Jan 69)
3. HOW MUCH IS ONE MAN WORTH? (20 Jan 69)
4. IF HE HOLLERS – LET HIM GO (27 Jan 69)
5. A VERY SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP (3 Feb 69)
6. THERE’S A NASTY WORD – LOVE (10 Feb 69)
7. YOU’RE NOT GOING TO BELIEVE THIS BUT…(17 Feb 69)
8. TAKE-OVER IS TWO FOUR-LETTER WORDS (24 Feb 69)
9. EVERYBODY IS THAT KIND OF MAN (3 Mar 69)
10. SO YOU THINK YOU’RE ONE OF US (10 Mar 69)
11. THEY’VE MORE THAN THEIR ASSETS FROZEN (17 Mar 69)
12. THERE’S THIS BIRD, SEE.. (24 Mar 69)
13. YOU WANT A CLOCKWORK NIGHTINGALE (31 Mar 69)
14. DON’T ASK, TAKE (14 Apr 69)
15. DR. LIEBLING, I PRESUME (21 Apr 69)
16. YOU CAN’T TRUST WOMEN (28 Apr 69)
17. REALLY. SHE DID, SHE REALLY DID (5 May 69)
18. SOME OF THE MUD IS BOUND TO STICK (12 May 69)
19. LORD, WHAT A TANGLED WEB (19 May 69)
20. AND ONE WISE MAN CAME OUT FROM THE EAST (2 Jun 69)
21. LET’S ALL DROP OUT TOGETHER (9 Jun 69)
22. SHE’LL BE RIGHT MATE (16 Jun 69)
23. IT’S A VERY BAD DAY FOR TRAVELLING (23 Jun 69)
24. THIS PLACE IS A PARADISE, MISTER (30 Jun 69)
25. THEY CALL ME ISRAEL (7 Jul 69)
26. OVER THE HILL (14 Jul 69)

SEASON SIX 18 May – 7 September 1970
1. THE SLICK AND THE DEAD ( 18 May 70)
2. A PIG IN A PIPE (25 May 70)
3. CAMELOT ON A CLEAR DAY (1 Jun 70)
4. WHO DID YOU SAY INHERITS THE EARTH (8 Jun 70)
5. THE PRICE OF A BRIDE (15 Jun 70)
6. OPERATION BLACK GOLD (22 Jun 70)
7. WE ALSO NEED EXPERTS (29 Jun 70)
8. I’M GLAD I’M JUST AN OILMAN (6 Jul 70)
9. BOYS AND GIRLS COME OUT TO PLAY (13 Jul 70)
10. THE DANGEROUS GREEN IMPALA (20 Jul 70)
11. A TRULY EXOTIC DEVELOPMENT (27 Jul 70)
12. THAT’S AFRICA BABY (3 Aug 70)
13. THEY SHALL NOT PASS (10 Aug 70)
14. LET’S SEE THE COLOUR OF YOUR MONEY (17 Aug 70)
15. HEY WE’VE GOT A PROBLEM HERE (24 Aug 70)
16. THE ORDER OF THE GOOD TIME (31 Aug 70)
17. INJURY TO THE NATION (7 Sep 70)

SEASON SEVEN 19 September 1971 – 3 January 1972
1. PIE IN THE SEA EPISODE ONE (13 Sep 71)
2. PIE IN THE SEA EPISODE TWO (20 Sep 71)
3. IT’S THUMBS DOWN FOR YOU PIZARRO! (27 Sep 71)
4. IN THE SHADE OF THE OLD OAK TREE (11 Oct 71)
5. THE BENT BONANZA (18 Oct 71)
6. A TOUCH OF THE NELSONS (25 Oct 71)
7. THE ONE WITH THE WAGGLY TAIL (1 Nov 71)
8. SHANGRI-LA AND ALL THAT JAZZ (8 Nov 71)
9. MONOPOLY WITH REAL MONEY (15 Nov 71)
10. PERSONALLY I THINK HE LOOKS LIKE ME (22 Nov 71)
11. PRETEND IT NEVER HAPPENED (29 Nov 71)
12. WEEKENDS ARE FOR TAKING OFF (6 Dec 71)
13. TAPU (13 Dec 71)
14. WE AND THEM (20 Dec 71)
15. WHATEVER BECAME OF THE YEAR 2000? (3 Jan 72)