Dick Barton - Special Agent (1979)

Country of Origin: UK
Date(s) of Broadcast: 6 January 1979 - 8 April 1979
Number of Seasons: 1
Total Number of Episodes: 26
Average Episode Running Times: 15 mins
Format: colour
Sound:

PRODUCTION
Production Company: Southern Television
Executive Producer: Terence Baker
Producer: Jon Scoffield

The adventures of dashing hero Dick Barton and his sidekicks as he battles all manner of evil villains.

A tragic, ill-advised attempt to spoof one of British culture's most enduring icons (in his radio heyday, Barton was the most listened to show of them all and his adventures attracted more fans than any other hero before or since - and that includes James Bond), Dick Barton - Special Agent was an unmitigated disaster. Broadcast twice weekly in bite sized, 15 minute chunks, the show managed to stagger through three months before disappearing into oblivion, never to be seen again. Played strictly for laughs (though there weren't that many), it reduced the once upright and sporting hero into a two-fisted thug, taking up the story after Barton and his trusty sidekicks Snowy White and Jock Anderson have been demobbed. The result was a truly wretched affair that, quite deservedly, got short shrift from the viewers and - with the subsequent demise of creators Southern Television - is unlikely ever to be seen by the general public again. And a damn good thing too...

Adventure One

8 x 15 mins
SCRIPT
Script: Clive Exton

DIRECTION
Director: Jon Scoffield

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Designer: Lewis Logan

CAST
Tony Vogel (Dick Barton)
Anthony Heaton (Snowy White)
James Cosmo (Jock Anderson)
John Gantrel (Sir Richard Marley)
Fiona Fullerton (Virginia Marley)
Kevan Sheehan (Rex Marley)
John G. Heller (Melganik)

Adventure Two

8 x 15 mins
SCRIPT
Script: Julian Bond

DIRECTION
Director: Jon Scofield

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Designer: Lewis Logan

CAST
Tony Vogel (Dick Barton)
Anthony Heaton (Snowy White)
James Cosmo (Jock Anderson)
John Gantrel (Sir Richard Marley)
Debbie Farrington (Lucy Cameron)
Colin Rix (George Cameron)
Guy Deghy (Muller)

Adventure Three

6 x 15 mins
SCRIPT
Script: Clive Exton

DIRECTION
Director: James Hill

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Designer: Lewis Turner

CAST
Tony Vogel (Dick Barton)
Anthony Heaton (Snowy White)
James Cosmo (Jock Anderson)
John Gantrel (Sir Richard Marley)
John G. Heller (Melganik)
Peter Godfrey (Harold Jenkins)
Stella Kemball (Aunt Agatha)

Adventure Four

4 x 15 mins
SCRIPT
Script: Julian Bond

DIRECTION
Director: Jon Scoffield

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Designer: Lewis Logan

CAST
Tony Vogel (Dick Barton)
Anthony Heaton (Snowy White)
James Cosmo (Jock Anderson)
John Gantrel (Sir Richard Marley)
Marsha Fitzalan (Amanda Aston)
Terence Seward (Dandy Parkes)
Bernard Kay (Ernie Drew)

USA
Television Distributor: ITV

BOOKS

The ITV Encyclopedia of Adventure pp.193-194
credits, episode guide, review