Series 2 — Episode 12
The Big Thinker

Production details

Episode 15 (41)
Production Number : 3514
VTR/ABC/2217 & 2217 A + B
Teddington Studio 1

Wednesday 12th December 1962

Inserts:

• 2217A - Brensall’s death - 0:18–2:00
• 2217B - Cathy & Steed meet in the Amusement Arcade - 9:00–11:43

Thursday 13th December 1962

Equipment

Running time

Expected: 51′25″
Actual running time with bumpers: 51′46″

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).

Regional broadcasts

TV Times listing

Episode availability

• Video - original footage held by Studio Canal, available on the Studio Canal series 1&2 DVD set
• Script - Tony Pelly’s copy of the camera script and scene breakdown
• Publicity Stills - at least 1

Murders

Click a name to see the face

Transport

Continuity and trivia

1. 4:14 — Kearns’ calculations:
   (4 x 316²)² = 175... 8919... 2978... 304... oh, and so on and so forth.
   apparently, contrary to what he says, it appears neither Kearns nor Plato can add up as the answer is 159539531776.
   3259 / 263 = 12.39163498098 recurring? - no, 8.. 2... [1 2 9] (spots Cathy) hello, hello, what have we here?
   (It’s actually 12.391634980986).
2. 9:28 — When Cathy says that Hurst is in a panic and wants “MI5, the Navy, whoever” Steed replies, “You he can have, I’m off to the Middle East tonight.” Is this an admission that Steed’s organisation is MI5?
3. At the end of their discussion in the amusement arcade, Cathy says, “You’re staying out of it?” and Steed replies, “Yep, you go right ahead, Mata Hari. Just send me a postcard.”
4. Pinball scores:
   Cathy: 1970 Steed: 1280 and 1891 (well, it goes up a bit more, but we don’t see the final score)
5. 24:28 — the camera takes a second to focus on Cathy when she turns on the light.
6. 28:15 — the camera dips briefly as if it collided with something
7. 30:14 — Anthony Booth delivers a lengthy monologue which he partly ad libs for effect. Script

   KEARNS: What did you hire me for? Not my manners, surely. Because I understand him. I know what makes him tick. Nobody else does. You’d turn Plato over to that bunch of ha1f-wits? Let’s take Farrow. He’s okay, if he sticks to his astronomy. Then there’s Hurst. You know what? He’s afraid. So we’re left with little Miss Lingfield. She ought to be in somebody’s be:d, not pushing buttons on that desk. She can get together with that anthropologist woman and talk knitting. So can all of you. Go and chase your spies if you want — but I’ve got work to do. If you want to throw me out, you’d better bring on your little security men. All right?
   

   Broadcast

   KEARNS: What did you hire me for? Hmm? Not my manners, surely. You hired me because I understand Plato. I know what makes him tick. Nobody else does! You mean to say you’re going to hand over Plato over to - to that bunch of ha1f-wits? All right, let’s take Farrow. He’s all right, if he sticks to astronomy. Then there’s Hurst. (LAUGHS) That’s a laugh! Huh! He’s afraid of his own shadow! So what does that leave us? That leaves us with our dear little Miss Lingfield here. Oh, she should be at home in someone’s bed, not - not pushing buttons here. No, she can get together with that, with that anthropology bird and talk knitting.Listen, you can all talk knitting for all I care. All right, look, if you want to do it, go ahead, go ahead, chase your spies, all right? — but leave me alone, I’ve got work to do. If you want to get rid of me, if you want to throw me out, bring your security men to do it for you. Okay?
   

8. 38:41 (37:33) - One of those boom mikes sneaks into shot again while Steed is helping Cathy apprehend Broster and Clarissa. It even more briefly reappears at 38:57 in the reverse shot.
9. 39:15 — Steed identifies himself to the police as “Carruthers” and at the end of the episode his luggage has a nametag which has “J. Carruthers” written on it. He uses the alias again in Killer Whale.
10. 50:30 — instructions for caring for Sheba: half a pound of meat, some seaweed powder, a special teaspoonful of cod liver oil and a long walk daily.