"The Champions" (1968) TV series 1968-1969

Creator:

Monty Berman
(more)

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

10 June 1968 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Plot:

Craig Stirling, Sharron Macready and Richard Barrett were agents for Nemesis, an international intelligence organization based in Geneva...

Plot Keywords:

Spy

Cast

Stuart Damon	...	Craig Stirling (30 episodes, 1968-1969)
Alexandra Bastedo	...	Sharron Macready (30 episodes, 1968-1969)
William Gaunt	...	Richard Barrett (30 episodes, 1968-1969)
Anthony Nicholls	...	Cmdr. W.L. Tremayne / ... (30 episodes, 1968-1969)

Series Directed by
Cyril Frankel		(10 episodes, 1968-1969)
Paul Dickson		(5 episodes, 1968-1969)
John Gilling		(4 episodes, 1968-1969)
Robert Asher		(4 episodes, 1969)
Roy Ward Baker		(2 episodes, 1969)
Ray Austin		(unknown episodes)

Series Writing credits
Monty Berman		(30 episodes, 1968-1969)
Dennis Spooner		(30 episodes, 1968-1969)
Donald James		(8 episodes, 1968-1969)
Philip Broadley		(5 episodes, 1968-1969)
Tony Williamson		(4 episodes, 1968-1969)
Brian Clemens		(2 episodes, 1968-1969)
Gerald Kelsey		(2 episodes, 1968-1969)
Terry Nation		(2 episodes, 1968-1969)
Ralph Smart		(2 episodes, 1968-1969)

Series Produced by
Monty Berman	....	producer (21 episodes, 1968-1969)
Johnny Goodman	....	associate producer (18 episodes, 1968-1969)

Series Original Music by
Edwin Astley		(8 episodes, 1968-1969)

Series Cinematography by
Frank Watts		(21 episodes, 1968-1969)

Series Film Editing by
Peter Pitt		(11 episodes, 1968-1969)
Derek Chambers		(8 episodes, 1968-1969)
Inman Hunter		(2 episodes, 1969)

Series Casting by
Judith Jourd		(13 episodes, 1968-1969)
Anthony Arnell		(6 episodes, 1968-1969)
John Owen		(2 episodes, 1969)

Series Art Direction by
Charles Bishop		(22 episodes, 1968-1969)

Series Makeup Department
Gerry Fletcher	....	makeup supervisor (21 episodes, 1968-1969)
Mike Jones	....	hair stylist (16 episodes, 1968-1969)
Patrick Grant	....	hair stylist / hairdressing (5 episodes, 1968-1969)

Series Production Management
Philip Aizlewood	....	post-production supervisor (21 episodes, 1968-1969)
Malcolm Christopher	....	production manager (21 episodes, 1968-1969)
Geoffrey Haine	....	production supervisor (4 episodes, 1968-1969)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
John Hough	....	second unit director / second second assistant director (12 episodes, 1968-1969)
Ray Austin	....	second unit director (7 episodes, 1968-1969)
Pat Kelly	....	assistant director (7 episodes, 1968-1969)
Ken Baker	....	assistant director (6 episodes, 1968-1969)
Denny Lewis	....	assistant director (3 episodes, 1968-1969)
Ken Softley	....	assistant director (3 episodes, 1968)

Series Art Department
John Graysmark	....	associate art director / associate art directror / ... (21 episodes, 1968-1969)
Bill Greene	....	construction manager (21 episodes, 1968-1969)
Sid Palmer	....	production buyer (21 episodes, 1968-1969)
A.J. Van Montagu	....	scenic artist (21 episodes, 1968-1969)
Brian Rider	....	set dresser / set designer (19 episodes, 1968-1969)
John Jarvis	....	set dresser (2 episodes, 1968)
Larry Clark Bird	....	property master (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Len Abbott	....	sound recordist / sound (20 episodes, 1968-1969)
David Bowen	....	sound recordist / sound (14 episodes, 1968-1969)
Alan Corder	....	sound editor (12 episodes, 1968-1969)
Claude Hitchcock	....	sound recordist / sound (7 episodes, 1968-1969)
Roy Lafbery	....	sound editor (4 episodes, 1968-1969)
William Trent	....	sound editor (2 episodes, 1968)
Rydal Love	....	sound editor (unknown episodes)
Dennis Whitlock	....	sound recordist (unknown episodes)

Series Special Effects by
Sydney Pearson	....	special effects (20 episodes, 1968-1969)

Series Stunts
Bill Sawyer	....	stunt arranger (11 episodes, 1968-1969)
Frank Maher	....	stunt arranger (3 episodes, 1968-1969)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Ted Hallows	....	supervising electrician / electrician (21 episodes, 1968-1969)
John Winbolt	....	camera operator (19 episodes, 1968-1969)
James Allen	....	camera operator: second unit / camera: second unit (15 episodes, 1968-1969)
Harry Gillam	....	camera operator / camera operator: second unit (3 episodes, 1968-1969)
Walter J. Harvey	....	camera: second unit / camera operator: second unit (3 episodes, 1968-1969)
Dudley Lovell	....	camera operator (unknown episodes)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Laura Nightingale	....	wardrobe supervisor / wardrobe / ... (21 episodes, 1968-1969)

Series Music Department
Tony Hatch	....	composer: theme music / theme arranger (20 episodes, 1968-1969)
Edwin Astley	....	musical director (17 episodes, 1968-1969)
Deveril Goodman	....	music editor (15 episodes, 1968-1969)
Alan Willis	....	music editor (5 episodes, 1968-1969)
Albert Elms	....	musical director (2 episodes, 1968-1969)

Series Other crew
Dennis Spooner	....	script supervisor (20 episodes, 1968-1969)
Valery Norman	....	continuity (7 episodes, 1968-1969)
Annabel Davis-Goff	....	continuity (5 episodes, 1968-1969)
Elizabeth Wilcox	....	continuity (4 episodes, 1968-1969)
Sally Ball	....	continuity (3 episodes, 1968-1969)
Isabelle Byers	....	continuity (2 episodes, 1968)
Lillian Lee	....	continuity (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• Incorporated Television Company (ITC)

Distributors

• Independent Television (ITV) (1968-1969) (UK) (TV)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1968-1969) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (????) (UK) (TV) (BBC 2) (syndication)
• ITV4 (2007) (UK) (TV) (syndication)

Runtime:

60 min (30 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Betchworth Quarry, Betchworth, Reigate, Surrey, England, UK

Company:

Incorporated Television Company (ITC)

Trivia:

Cast members never get repeat fees or money from video or DVD because of the nature of the contracts they signed at the time

Quotes:

Craig Stirling: It's what I've oft times said.
Richard Barrett: What have you oft times said?
Craig Stirling: You're cheap
Richard Barrett: I'm what?
Craig Stirling: Cheap, cheap.
Richard Barrett: You sound like a canary.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Cult of...: Adam Adamant Lives! (#1.1)" (2006)

powerful nostalgic memories

My siblings and I stumbled upon The Champions when our local station aired re-runs of it one summer in the 1970's. We absolutely adored it. There was something so exotic and mysterious about it, especially when compared to the usual American re-runs (Petticoat Junction, Green Acres... you get the idea). It had a similar feel to The Avengers (not too much of a surprise, since it was also British and in the spy/adventure genre).

I would love to see it again now -- hopefully it holds up. I've mentioned this show to others and no one has ever heard of it, so I began to wonder if I'd imagined its whole existence. But the wonder that is the web has allowed me track down information about it. Hopefully it will find a new generation of fans.