|  UK
/ ITV Network-ITC / 30x30m-e / 1965
Creator/Producer: Monty Berman, Robert Baker /
Script Editor: Terry Nation / Theme Music:Edwin Astley
Action adventure series.
Back in the
1960's the ITC action adventure series were the most glamorous shows on TV, shot
on film, in colour and usually with a well known American in the lead they were
definitely a cut above your run of the mill plays and kitchen sink dramas that
were clogging up the airwaves. The Baron, made in 1966, is no exception,
starring red haired yank Steve Forrest as John Mannering , supposedly an
intiques expert with shops in London, Washington and Paris but in reality an
agent working for the secret service specialising in crimes involving valuable
antiquities. Mannering was known as The Baron thanks to a huge family ranch back
in Texas (The character was created by crime novelist John Creasey although in
his stories Mannering is English). Like all good crime drama shows of the
sixties (bar The Saint) Mannering needed a glamorous sidekick, here played by
Crossroads alumni Sue Lloyd, she played Cordelia Winfield (named after the
Aussie cigarette brand of course ;-) who was on secondment from Special Branch's
Diplomatic Service. Rewatching the 30 episodes that made up the series again in
this awesome and very attractively put together 8 disc set from Umbrella now the
real star of the show would have to be The Baron's awesome Jenson (number plate
BAR 1).
It's a nicely
entertaining series though and watch out for some famous names in guest roles
including the likes of John Thaw, Peter Wyngarde, Peter Bowles, George Baker,
Jeremy Brett and Edward Woodward.
With:- STEVE FORREST as John Mannering / SUE
LLOYD as Cordelia Winfield / COLIN GORDON as Templeton-Green / PAUL FERRIS as
David Marlowe
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