Action TV

Four Just Men comic strip

2007-11-23T04:19:00.000-08:00

A review of the Network DVD release of Sapphire and Steel and more goodies should be up on the main site in a few days, but following on from the Dixon Of Dock Green comic strip here is another rarity plucked from the pages of the 1962 TV Crimebusters Annual again.

Four Just Men was a 1959 Sapphire Films production for ITC starring Jack Hawkins. Hawkins played Ben Manfred, A British MP, one of four men who first met whilst fighting in Italy during World War II. The men later reassemble and decide to fight for justice and against tyranny, using money set aside for the purpose by their late commanding officer. The series ran for one season comprising of 39 episodes.

Again I never knew the series had a spin-off comic strip, so it was a delight to discover this explosive adventure!

Dixon of Dock Green Part Two

2007-11-20T14:39:00.000-08:00

Here are the final four pages of the Dock Green comic strip. Note the use of real photographs as part of the strip, something the annual uses in its other comic strips as well including Danger Man and the even more obscure Four Just Men.

Dixon Of Dock Green - The Comic Strip

2007-11-19T14:49:00.000-08:00

Well I never! Goold old George Dixon was once a comic hero! Early British detective series Dixon Of Dock Green was a legend during it's record breaking run, but never had a crack at the ultimate accolade bestowed on hit series of bygone times could have. Something that truly said the programme had made it's mark on popular culture. Being immortalised in ink for entertainment to the playground masses. It's own comic.

Or at least I though until I came across a copy of the TV Crimebusters Annual 1962. So here to help kick off the blog and act as a prelude to the return of our Dixon Of Dock Green episode guide in the main site archives is the first few pages of that very strip, The Chicago Gunman written by S J Marler.

Click on the images for bigger, readable scans.

Will Dixon arrest the villian? Find out in our next thrilling episode...

New Issue Of Action TV

2007-11-19T14:29:00.000-08:00

Our latest issue is now out! Action TV Volume 2, Issue 3 is certainly one of our issues that we feel most proud of due to the detailed articles and fantastic cover photo!

Following from our previous article detailing the making of season one of Space 1999 we now present an equally in-depth and informative look at the trials and tribulations of the making of season two of Gerry Anderson's live action sci-fi series. The article runs through the episodes as they where produced complete with dates of shooting scripts, revisions and all the on set drama.

To prove we can also do equally detailed features on American TV series next we have a retrospective on the making of The Girl From UNCLE. This has to be the most detailed article ever printed on the programme complete with shooting dates, MGM Studio backlot locations and the input of the series associate producer George Lehr.

Finally something we've been hoping to do an article on ever since the magazine was launched, but didn't have enough information to do the programme justice until now. Public Eye series 1 and 2 will be fully explored complete with production dates and information on episodes long since wiped. Assembled with access to original ABC Television documentation and with assistance from co-creator Roger Marshall.

Visit the main site for more details or to order. Link on your right...

Vintage Doctor Who Merchandise Ads

2007-09-05T06:08:00.000-07:00

Ok here is another clutch of vintage comic ads for your perusal. This time we have a Doctor Who theme.

First up is an ad for Kellog's Sugar Smacks badge promotion from the Pertwee era. A rather dapper looking Doctor appeared on the actual product packaging, but I really have no idea why they decided to with the eye popping caricature featured in the promotional ads. Is that Pertwee or Happy Monday's Bez with a wig on?

Next dating from the mid-Sixties and in glorious black and white we have a fab ad for the Herts Plastic Moulders push along Daleks. These gigantic looking (in the ad at least) bargain toys were only available from Woolworths. Highly collectable now I imagine, but very primitive compared to todays remote control pepperpot Nazis.

Forward to the Tom Baker era and an obscure peice of cross promotion featuring Crosse and Blackwell soup.

This exercise encouraged kids to save the labels from the special promotional tins and send off for one of three exciting gifts including a cut out Tardis and coloured pens.

Finally back to the height of Sixties Dalekmania and a splash of colour for this ad annoucing the Dalek invasion of toy shops.

Four Louis Marx products are featured. The battery powered Dalek, the friction drive Dalek with flashing eyes, Dalek Rolykins and the Dalek Bagatelle.

Interesting to note that Marx used to operate from Wales, where the new series is now based.

As usual click on the images for fuller versions. More adverts in the next few days.

Vintage adverts

2007-09-02T15:20:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of updates - basically the whole of August has gone past without a post!

Anyway back with a bang as I have a couple of lovely vintage merchandise adds culled from the pages of Countdown.

First we have The Persuaders secret pen something I've never heard of or seen before. Brett Sinclair himself says don't be caught with out one!

The next ad is for something I certainly do recall, and indeed owned at
one point. Hunt down and destroy your own aliens with the UFO Interceptor from Dinky Toys.

More vintage merchandise ads next update.

New DVD reviews

2007-07-29T04:59:00.000-07:00

The main Action TV website has been updated today with new material including DVD reviews for Forbidden Planet, Things To Come, Ace of Wands and Danger Man...a butch of very good releases here for some classic productions.

Danger Man DVD Boxset

2007-07-09T11:10:00.000-07:00

Highlight of today's snailmail has to be a review copy of the forthcoming Danger Man Special Edition boxset from Network. A whopping thirteen-disc set containing all 47 episodes!

On first glance the picture quality looks good and the set is backed up with a script archive and still gallery, but best of all has to be the paperback book detailing the production of the series written archive TV god Andrew Pixely. This is an impressive 176 pages of tightly researched material that would be good enought to be a stand alone publication in itself.

I'm gonna realy enjoy watching and reading about the series over the next few weeks...

A review will be on the main Action TV website soon.

Crikey!

2007-07-08T15:22:00.000-07:00

I've been a fan of British comics ever since ever since I was kid and in recent years they have grown in popularity. Low and behold there is now a magazine dedicated to this very topic.

Entitled Crikey the magazine is edited by Brian M Clarke and he has assembled a first issue that bodes well for the future. I've spent the weekend mulling over the magazine and I'm impressed!

Articles range from a vintage interview with the late artist Ken Reid who illustrated such fondly recalled childhood gems as Roger The Dodger from The Beano to an overview of one of the best known girl's comc, the spooky Misty. Also in the mix is an overview of the life and work of another British comic great, artist Frank Bellamy and the terrifying tale of British horror comics and censorship. Add to this a regular feature on some of the more bizarre comci strips in UK history and a case for Wham being the funniest comic ever and we have a potential winner on the cards.

Peppered with memory jogging illustrations the magazine could do with some time polishing the design and layout but this is a minor quibble for a nicely varied read on a sadly under documented area of British popular culture. Issue one is a bargain £3:99 including postage. Visit the magazine's website at http://www.crikeyuk.co.uk/ for details.

Tony Curtis in Hornet

2007-06-25T12:14:00.000-07:00

OK here is the next comic strip profile for The Persuaders. Part one featuring Roger Moore is in the post below, but here for your enjoyment is Tony Curtis.

This was printed in issue 467 of The Hornet, dated 19th August 1972. Interestingly the profile only goes up to the start of his film career and doesn't mention the hit TV series.

Next up for your enjoyment is a profile of Professionals star Lewis Collins!

Gene Hunt Is A God

2007-06-25T11:58:00.000-07:00

I've just finished watching Life On Mars series two on DVD and what a fantastic show it was. Without a doubt the true genius of the series is Philip Glennister's portrayal of DCI Gene Hunt, the extremely un-PC boss of Sam Tyler. Without him the series would not have been as much fun to watch. He is a genuine icon of not just modern popular culture, but also of the 1970s as well.

I'm pleased to hear that he will return in the spin-off series Ashes To Ashes. Set in the early 1980s the programme will see Hunt relocated to London where he will encounter a female policeman from present times who finds herself waking in the era with Hunt as her boss. I'm a bit woried about the series being a pale formularic rerun of Life On Mars, but you can bet Hunt will have some stonking dialogue and one liners.

To celebrate here are my top five Gene Hunt quotes from the last two seasons of Life On Mars.

1) My idea of a dream is Diana Dors and a bottle of chip oil.

2) Hands up! You're surrounded by armed bastards!

3) You great, soft, cissy, nancy, French, bender, Man United supporting poof!

4) I'm Gene Hunt, your DCI and its 1973. Almost dinnertime. I'm having hoops!

5) Do you know, I once hit a bloke for speaking French!

The Hornet and The Persuaders

2007-06-22T03:36:00.000-07:00

The Hornet was a boy's comic published every Tuesday by D C Thomson between 1963 and 1976. It's an often ignored British comic, over-shadowed by it's more popular stable mates such as The Victor and The Hotspur, and it certainly didn't feature many strips that made a lasting impact. By the 1970s The Hornet was desperately trying to modernise it's image and as part of this drive it started to feature articles on then current pop stars and personalities.

Here for your perusal are two eamples of the publication's attempts to profile current stars in comic strip form. They should be of interest to cult TV fans as they profile the stars of The Persuaders!

First up is the Roger Moore profile from issue 471, dated 16th September 1972. Click the images for larger versions. Tony Curtis tomorrow if you're lucky!

2007-06-15T17:02:00.000-07:00

Oh Blimey!

Where do I start? OK Welcome to the new Action TV Blog. This will be a depository of limks, reviews, capsule comments and waffle for all the goood people at Action TV magazine and website.

Hope you enjoy it.

To start things rolling here is a picture of the next issue of Action TV Magazine's cover. Click on the cover to see a bigger image.

Issue Two Volume Two will be published soon and features articles on the life and career of scriptwriter Dennis Spooner, The Baron and the Linda Thorsen era of The Avengers.