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The Decapod

Teleplay by Eric Paice
Directed by Don Leaver

Production Schedule

Episode 34
Production Number : 3507
VTR/ABC/1979
Teddington Studio 1 & Rehearsal Room 2A

First Reading

Friday 31st August 1962, 10.30a.m., REHEARSAL ROOM 2A, Teddington Studios.

Rehearsals

31st August-Sept.11th inclusive, REHEARSAL ROOM 2A, Teddington Studios.

Camera Rehearsal & Recording

Wednesday September 12th 1962, 10.00-21.00.
Thuursday September 13th 1962, 10.00-18.30 (VTR: 1830-1930) STUDIO I, Teddington.

Running time

Actual running time with bumpers: 51'19"

The bumpers between the acts are generally 10 seconds from fade in to the "End of Act" bumper to the end of audio before the commercial, a 10 second still without audio, then cut to the next act bumper. This would play with the theme for around 10 seconds. Accordingly, with the episodes being in 3 acts, the running time of the action is approximately a minute less than listed above, minus the opening and closing credits (normally 0'16", with a 2" fade, and anywhere from 0'41" to 1'20", hard cut or 1" fade or mix, respectively).

Transmission

Murders

Victim Killer Method Secretary Yakob Borb karate blow Giorgi Yakob Borb karate blow Czarko Yakob Borb karate blow Yakob Borb Stepan pistol

click a name to see the face

Transport

Minutiæ

1. 0:52 - the girl has just stepped out of the shower, but has full eye makeup on.
2. 5:07 - The microphone takes a moment getting to Julie as the camera shifts, and we almost completely miss the line "No I can't break away".
3. 20:33 - The false Decapod gets caught on the ropes when he tries to vault them.
4. 21:56-8 - the cameraman is still changing lenses when the director switches to his camera.
5. 27:09-27:41 - there's a smudge on the camera lense, top centre, for the shots of Venus on the 'phone in the club. It's there again when Harry jumps Steed in the cloakroam (28:11), when Steed looks for Borb in the hallway (32:20), when Edna come slooking for Venus (35:41), the reverse shots of Borb at the rigside (42:00-44:00) and Steed's close-up when he's talking to Venus after Borb's death (49:30), so it's definitely on the lense rather than the transfer plate.
6. 39:15 - Dave Lee's trio start playing in the background, even though the action is taking place in the embassy.
7. 46:51 - Stepan walks up the steps in the gym at the back of the set (going to his mark for 48:05) as the two 'decapods' fight, and Steed and Venus ignore him completely.
8. 50:17 - was Wolfe Morris a late replacement or did they spell his name wrong? You can see his name has been pasted onto the caption card.

The Songs

Venus Smith sings two songs, accompanied by the Dave Lee Trio.

• "You're Getting to be a Habit with Me" [4:14, 1:22 long]
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• "I Got It Bad" [29:02, 2:04 long]
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The Dave Lee Trio comprised Dave Lee, Art Morgan and Spike Heatley in 1962, all highly respected jazz players. Dave Lee also co-wrote the hit Avengers tie-in single "Kinky Boots" b/w "Let's Keep it Friendly" with Herbert Kretzmer (who wrote the lyrics for "Togetherness" from The Murder Market). Dave also composed the Peter Sellers/Sophia Loren comic song "Goodness Gracious Me" with Kretzmer.