Series 1 — Episode 14
The Springers
by John Whitney and Geoffrey Bellman
Production No 3411, VTR/ABC/1283
Production completed: May 11 1961. First transmission: May 13 1961.
Production details
VTR: Thursday, 11th May 1961 18.00 — 19.00
Camera Rehearsal: Wednesday, 10th May 1961 and Thursday 11th May 1961.
Studio details: Teddington Two
Production No. 3411
Tape No. VTR/ABC/1283
Transmission: Saturday, 13th May 1961, 10.00–11.00 p.m.
Schedule
| Wednesday, 10th May 1961 | |
|---|---|
| Camera Rehearsal | 10.30 — 12.30 |
| Lunch Break | 12.30 — 13.30 |
| Camera Rehearsal | 13.30 — 18.00 |
| Supper Break | 18.00 — 19.00 |
| Camera Rehearsal | 19.00 — 21.00 |
| Thursday, 11th May 1961 | |
| Camera Rehearsal | 10.00 — 12.30 |
| Lunch Break | 12.30 — 13.30 |
| Camera Rehearsal | 13.30 — 15.30 |
| Tea Break, Line Up, Normal Scan, & Make-Up | 15.30 — 16.15 |
| Dress Rehearsal | 16.15 — 17.30 |
| Line Up | 17.30 — 18.00 |
| AMPEX RECORDING | 18.00 — 19.00 |
Equipment
Cameras: 4 Pedestals
Sound: 3 booms
Telecine: A.B.C. symbol, 35mm mute inserts, slides
Total running time: 57.10 = Play portion: 52.30 + 2.05 & 2.35 Commercial Breaks
Regional broadcasts
| ITV Broadcaster | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|
| ABC Midlands | 13/05/1961 | 10.00pm |
| ABC North | 13/05/1961 | 10.00pm |
| Anglia Television | 13/05/1961 | 10.00pm |
| ATV | 13/05/1961 | 10.00pm |
| Southern Television | 13/05/1961 | 10.00pm |
| Tyne Tees Television | 13/05/1961 | 10.00pm |
| Television Wales & West | 13/05/1961 | 10.00pm |
| Ulster Television | 13/05/1961 | 10.00pm |
| Westward Television | 13/05/1961 | 10.00pm |
| Scottish Television | - | - |
| Border Television | - | - |
| Grampian Television | - | - |
TV Times listing
10.0 THE AVENGERS
starring
IAN HENDRY
in
THE SPRINGERS
Teleplay by
John Whitney and Geoffrey Bellman
Also starring
PATRICK MACNEE
Cast includes:
| John Steed | Patrick Macnee |
| Dr. David Keel | Ian Hendry |
| One Ten | Douglas Muir |
| Pheeney | David Webb |
| Straker | Charles Farrell |
| Haslam | Brian Murphy |
| Mr. Groves | Arthur Howard |
| Caroline Evans | Margo Andrew |
| Neame | Donald Morley |
“The Avengers” theme composed and
played by Johnny Dankworth
Designed by Alpho O’Reilly
Producer LEONARD WHITE
Directed by DON LEAVER
An escape route from prison is investigated
from the “inside” by Keel and from the outside
by Steed
An ABC Television Network Production
The London edition ends with An ABC Weekend Television Network Production
Episode availability
- Video - no original footage is known to exist; a video reconstruction is available on the Studio Canal series 1&2 DVD set
- Audio - reconstruction in The Lost Episodes vol. 3, by Big Finish
- Script - Barbara Forster’s copy of the original camera script, annotated in biro and pencil, from a private collection; also available is paperwork for artiste contact lists, dressing room allocations, extra requirements, programme budget, properties list, set dressing list, and wardrobe & make-up list
- Publicity Stills - 1 (portrait of Margo Andrew, stock publicity portrait and not from this episode)
- Tele-Snaps - 84, 9 repeated at a larger size
Transport
| Marque/type | Plate |
|---|---|
| Lisa’s car - maybe an MGA |
Continuity and trivia
- This episode is well illustrated in Leonard White’s scrapbook with John Cura’s Tele-Snaps but they don’t seem to ever capture Charles Saynor or Tom Payne, whose likenesses come from The Man in the White Suit and Ghost Squad, respectively.
- The camera script has a hand-written edit on a pink page replacing pages 1&2 of the script, making the film insert of Keel arriving at the prison be a pre-credits teaser instead of after the titles. This is not captured in the Tele-snaps so it’s unclear if it happened or not. There are two other episodes in series 1 which had a pre-titles teaser in the script - Square Root of Evil and Double Danger - but neither of those has a pictorial record of it either.
John Cura may have simply just started capturing when the credits appeared and missed the pre-credit teaser, there are no pictures of the arrival at the prison in the 84 Tele-Snaps covering 52 minutes with varied frequency and most of the location shots are not captured. - Barbara Forster’s copy of the camera script notes that the camera men for this episode were 1. Mike (Baldock), 2. David, 3. Dickie (Jackman), 4. Dave.
- Barbara’s script also notes that the running time over-ran by 1.36 and was as follows:
Act 1 : 17.35; 2.05 break. Act 2: 20.27; 2.35 break; Act 3: 16.04 (Total 58.46). It’s possible this was edited down to a shorter running time on 12th-13th May 1961. - The 35mm film inserts telecined into the episode were: Keel arriving at the prison; the escape from the prison; the arrival at the barge and the barge departing; Skewer at the lock.
- The Extras Requirement letter sent to Dodo Watts & Clifford Castle of the Richard Hayward Agency on 28th April 1961 asks for two speaking extras - one as Prison Governor (40, Well-bred) and one as prison officer (Good build, slightly villainous face). Ian Ainsley filled the first of these. The letter also asked for two non-speaking extras as a non-speaking prison officer and the real Dr. Fenton. The wardrobe list and dressing room allocations list dated 2nd May both mention three male extras although the camera script only list the one “Prison Warder (Speaking)”. Given the description of the speaking prison officer - “Good build, slightly villaneous (sic) face.” - it’s possible that that rôle was filled by Michael Forrest, leaving just one prison warder extra and the Dr. Fenton non-speaking rôle.
- While a non-speaking extra is specified for Dr. Fenton, with make-up to apply a facial scar to match Ian Hendry’s, the script has a scene where Steed plays a tape recording of Fenton speaking to Arthur. It’s most likely that one of the other paid actors double to do the Fenton voice-over rather than have the extra expense of a non-speaking walk-on part become a speaking part.