Cheaters, The (ITV 1960-1962, John Ireland, Robert Ayres)

Crime drama series The Cheaters followed the cases of tough insurance investigator John Hunter who worked for the Eastern Insurance Company working out whether insurance claims were truly genuine or someone out to pull a fast one, obviously being an action/crime led series Hunter couldn’t help getting just a little too personally involved with the people he was investigating. Walter Allen was Hunter’s boss at Eastern.

Cases ran from the usual criminal variety to such fare as a libel claim against a newspaper to a famous playwright suspected of faking his own death. Guest stars included some well known names of the time including the likes of Howard Marion Crawford, Jennifer Jayne (from The Invisible Man), the fab Valentine Dyall (who popped up a few times as a detective inspector) and Jack May.

cast
JOHN IRELAND as John Hunter
ROBERT AYRES as Walter Allen

production details
UK | ITV Network – Danziger

RUNNING TIME: 30 minutes | NUMBER OF EPISODES: 39 | AIRDATES: 10 December 1960 – 23 June 1962

PRODUCERS: Danziger Brothers | DIRECTORS INCLUDED: Max Varnell, John Moxey, Godfrey Grayson, Frank Marshall

THE EPISODES
SEASON ONE 10 December 1960 – 4 March 1961
1. THE FINE PRINT (10 Dec 1960)
2. INTENT TO DEFRAUD (17 Dec 1960)
3. THE WEASEL (31 Dec 1960)
4. THE MAN WITH THE TICKING HEAD (7 Jan 1961)
5. THE AUTHENTIC McCOY (14 Jan 1961)
6. THE LEGACY (21 Jan 1961)
7. FOR THE PRICE OF TWO (28 Jan 1961)
8. THE MAN WHO WOULDN’T BE PAID (4 Feb 1961)
9. LIBEL (11 Feb 1961)
10. THE SCHEMERS (18 Feb 1961)
11. A QUESTION OF MURDER (25 Feb 1961)
12. FIRE! (4 Mar 1961)

SEASON TWO 10 December 1961 – 23 June 1962
1. AN OBITUARY FOR A CHAMPION (10 Dec 1961)
2. LAMB TO THE SLAUGHTER (17 Dec 1961)
3. WASHDAY S.O.S (7 Jan 1961)
4. A CASE OF LARCENY (14 Jan 1962)
5. THE SLOPE OF DEATH (21 Jan 1962)
6. THE MIGHTY WARRIOR (27 Jan 1962)
7. A TALE OF TWO SHIPS (3 Feb 1962)
8. KILLIAN’S CUT (10 Feb 1962)
9. MURDER FUGUE (17 Feb 1962)
10. THE SAFE WAY (24 Feb 1962)
11. A FLASH IN THE SKY (3 Mar 1962)
12. SINGLE OR DOUBLE INDEMNITY (10 Mar 1962)
13. AFFAIRS OF THE HEART (17 Mar 1962)
14. THE BITE (24 Mar 1962)
15. A HOOD FROM CANADA (31 Mar 1962)
16. THE HAIR OF THE DOG (7 Apr 1962)
17. TIME TO KILL (14 Apr 1962)
18. THE DASHING MAJOR (21 Apr 1962)
19. LEGS £50,000 EACH (28 Apr 1962)
20. THE CASE OF GEORGE PETERSON (5 May 1962)
21. GREEN FOR DANGER (12 May 1962)
22. THE HANDS OF ADRIAN (19 May 1962)
23. THE BACK OF BEYOND (26 May 1962)
24. THE BROKER (2 June 1962)
25. THE CARNIVAL CASE (9 June 1962)
26. KNIGHT OF THE ROAD (16 June 1962)
27. DIAMOND STUDDED MALARIA (23 June 1962)