7.2 /10 1 Votes
5.8/10 TV Original language(s) English First episode date 21 September 1969 Number of episodes 16 Number of seasons 1 | 8.6/10 IMDb Country of origin United Kingdom No. of episodes 16 (list of episodes) Final episode date 11 January 1970 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Starring Anthony QuayleKaz GarasAnneke Wills Cast Similar The Baron, Man in a Suitcase, Department S, Gideon's Way, The Champions | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Strange report trailer
Strange Report is a British television drama starring Anthony Quayle as Adam Strange. It was produced by ITC Entertainment and first broadcast in 1969.
Contents
- Strange report trailer
- Theme from strange report
- Cast and characters
- Episode list
- Broadcast
- Home media
- Novel
- Records
- References
Adam Strange, a retired Home Office criminologist, solves bizarre cases – which had been marked "Open File" by various government departments – with the help of Hamlyn Gynt (Kaz Garas), Evelyn (Anneke Wills) and Professor Marks (Charles Lloyd-Pack). He employed the latest techniques in forensic investigation, which he undertook in his own laboratory in his flat in Warwick Crescent in the Maida Vale/Little Venice area of Paddington.
Unlike other ITC productions, which were created in order to be sold to the U.S. market, Strange Report was created in collaboration with NBC's films unit Arena in the United States with the suggestion that the first half of the series would take place in the United Kingdom and the second half would see Strange visiting the United States. This fell through, which explains why such a short season of episodes was created. The second series also fell through because Quayle and Wills decided not to continue due to personal concerns.
In the United States, NBC broadcast Strange Report from 8 January 1971, to 10 September 1971. It aired on Fridays from 10:00 to 11:00 p.m. Eastern Time throughout its American run.
The series opening theme, composed by Roger Webb, was also available as sheet music.
Theme from strange report
Cast and characters
Episode list
Filmed July 1968 – March 1969 on location and at Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire.
Airdate is for ATV Midlands. ITV regions varied date and order.
Broadcast
The series was repeated on UK satellite channel Bravo in 1996/97, and on UK digital channel ITV4, from digitally restored prints, in 2005/2006, (the episode 'Heart' was not screened by ITV4), satellite channel Men and Motors also screened the series in 2007.
Home media
Techno Film released two episodes – SHRAPNEL and HOSTAGE – on Super 8 cine film for home use in 1970.
ITC Video released two VHS tapes of the series in the UK in 1994, containing the episodes – 'Heart'/'X-Ray', and 'Covergirls'/'Cult'.
The full series was released on DVD in the UK by Network as a 5 Disc Special Edition in 2004 and as a 4 Disc Edition in 2005. The 5 Disc Special Edition was subsequently re-released in the UK in 2007 and the 4 Disc set in 2009: The series was digitally restored for Carlton Visual Entertainment by BBC Resources in 2003. The series was also released on DVD in Australia by Umbrella Entertainment in 2007.
Novel
A paperback novel "based on the famous TV series" and written by John Burke was published by Hodder & Stoughton in 1970.
Records
The theme to the series by Roger Webb was released as a 7 inch single on Columbia records (DB 8803) in 1971. "The World of Love", the song from the episode Cult, was released as the b-side to The Strangers first single, "I've Got You", on the little-known Harvard record label (Harv 001) in 1970. The accompaniment to the song is credited to Geoff Love who, in 1972, recorded his own version of the Strange Report theme for the Music For Pleasure LP "Geoff Love and his Orchestra Play Your Top TV Themes" (MFP 5272). This version can also be found on the Virgin Records CD's "This Is Easy" (1996) and "This is....Cult Fiction Royale" (1997), and the "ITV 50 Cult TV Themes" CD (2005) released to celebrate 50 years of ITV.
In 2009 Network issued a soundtrack album containing Webb's theme music and original scores composed for the episodes "REPORT 4407: HEART - No Choice for the Donor," "REPORT 1553: RACIST - A Most Dangerous Proposal," "REPORT 0649: SKELETON - Let Sleeping Heroes Lie," "REPORT 5055: CULT - Murder Shrieks Out," "REPORT 7931: SNIPER - When is Your Cousin Not?" and "REPORT 3424: EPIDEMIC - A Most Curious Crime," as well as unused and alternate takes plus library music from other composers also used in the series.
Note: 'The Strangers' mentioned here should not be confused with either the Australian or Irish groups of the same name.