An occasional look at what classic TV shows Talking Pictures (Sky 328 | Freeview 81 | Freesat 306 | Virgin 445) is going to be airing soon
It’s hard keeping up with Talking Pictures. They’re sending me a (slightly inconsistent) Excel spreadsheet every week now and I’m having to use my mad table powers to find all the new TV shows they have in the schedule – which is often a lot. Who says no skills are required to run TMINE?
Anyway, a full rundown of the new shows I’ve spotted (because you never know when I might have missed one), starting from today and running right up until November 1 in a mo: The Mind of Mr JG Reeder, Burke’s Law, Armchair Theatre, Dick Powell Theatre, Dick Barton: Special Agent and Reilly: Ace of Spies.
Some of these have been on Talking Pictures before, but it never hurts to list them again, does it?
The Mind of Mr JG Reeder
Wednesdays, 9pm. Starts: tonight. Or might have already started
Series that originally aired on ITV from 1969 to 1971 based on a series of novels and short stories written by Edgar Wallace. Set in the 1920s, it featured the character of JG Reeder, who had previously appeared in several film adaptations in the late 1930s. Sixteen episodes were made in total, all but two in black-and-white.
Reeder is a mild-mannered employee at the Department of Public Prosecutions with an extraordinary gift for solving complex crimes. He is played by Hugh Burden, working under the overbearing Sir Jason Toovey (Willoughby Goddard).
Burke’s Law
Weekdays, 5am. Starts: October 7
US detective series that aired on ABC from 1963 to 1966, and starred Gene Barry as the millionaire captain of the Los Angeles Police homicide division Amos Burke, who is chauffeured around to solve crimes in his 1962 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II.
Armchair Theatre
Intermittent. Starts: October 11
Already been on before, so you can read about it here.
The Dick Powell Theatre
Intermittent. Starts: October 24
American comedy and drama anthology series that ran on NBC from 1961 to 1963 and was initially hosted by Dick Powell.
Dick Barton: Special Agent
Weekdays, 8.30pm. Starts: October 26
The adventures of ex-Commando Captain Richard Barton MC who, with his mates Jock Anderson and Snowy White, solved all sorts of crimes, escaped from dangerous situations, and saved the nation from disaster time and again.
Starred: Tony Vogel as Dick Barton, Anthony Heaton as Snowy White, James Cosmo as Jock Anderson and John Gatrell as Sir Richard Marley
Reilly: Ace of Spies
Weekdays, 3am. Starts: October 26, 2.15am
1983 mini-series dramatising the life of Sidney Reilly, a Russian-born adventurer who became one of the greatest spies ever to work for the British. Among his exploits, in the early 20th century, were the infiltration of the German General Staff in 1917 and a near-overthrow of the Bolsheviks in 1918. His reputation with women was as legendary as his genius for espionage.
Written by Troy Kennedy Martin and starring Sam Neill.
