Series 2 — Episode 1
Mr. Teddy Bear
Teleplay by Martin Woodhouse
Directed by Richmond Harding
Production No 3506, VTR/ABC/1907
Production completed: August 4 1962. First transmission: September 29 1962.
Production details
Episode 33
Production Number : 3506
VTR/ABC/1907 & 1907A
Teddington Studio 2 & 3
Schedule
Friday 3rd August 1962
Camera rehearsal | 10.00–12.30 |
Lunch break | 12.30–13.30 |
Camera rehearsal | 13.30–18.30 |
Turn Round | 18.30–18.45 |
Supper break | 18.45–19.45 |
Camera rehearsal | 19.45–20.15 |
Line-Up | 20.15–20.45 |
VTR Insert 1907A in Studio 3* | 20.45–21.00 |
* 1907A is the scene where Wayne-Gilley is assassinated while being interviewed, expected duration was 1′30″.
Two telecine inserts:
- 12:40–13:00 Cathy drives through the night, followed by Henry
- 14:46–14:48 Having stranded Henry, Cathy drives to the house
Saturday 4th August 1962
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 |
Notes | 17.30–18.00 |
Line-up | 18.00–18.30 |
VTR | 18.30–19.30 |
Equipment
VTR | PRE-VTR | |
---|---|---|
Cameras: | 4 Pedestals | Mole Crane & 2 Pedestals |
Sound: | 3 Booms, slung & stand mics. as reqd. grams, tape, distort mic. 4 practical telephones - 3 non-prac. tape recorders | |
Telecine: | ABC symbol, Slides, 3 mute sequences 35mm. |
Running time
Actual running time with bumpers: 51′44″
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
Broadcaster | Date | Time |
---|---|---|
ATV London | 29/09/1962 | 10.30pm |
ABC Midlands | 29/09/1962 | 10.05pm |
ABC North | 29/09/1962 | 10.05pm |
Anglia Television | 29/09/1962 | 10.30pm |
Border Television | - | - |
Channel Television | 29/09/1962 | 10.30pm |
Grampian Television | 29/09/1962 | 10.30pm |
Southern Television | 29/09/1962 | 10.30pm |
Scottish Television | 18/04/1963 | 10.15pm |
Tyne Tees Television | 29/09/1962 | 10.05pm |
Ulster Television | 29/09/1962 | 10.05pm |
Westward Television | 29/09/1962 | 10.30pm |
Television Wales & West | 29/09/1962 | 10.05pm |
Teledu Cymru (WWN) | 29/09/1962 | 10.05pm |
ABN2 Sydney | 21/10/1963 | 7.30pm |
ABV2 Melbourne | 14/05/1964 | 7.30pm |
TV Times listing
10.30 The Avengers
starring
Patrick Macnee
in
Mr. Teddy Bear
Teleplay by Martin Woodhouse
Also starring
Honor Blackman
Cast in order of appearance
Interviewer | Tim Brinton |
Col. Wayne-Gilley | Kenneth Keeling |
John Steed | Patrick Macnee |
Dr. Gilmore | John Horsley |
One-ten | Douglas Muir |
Catherine Gale | Honor Blackman |
Technician | Michael Collins |
Henry | Michael Robbins |
Mr. Teddy Bear | Bernard Goldman |
Cafe girl | Sarah Maxwell |
Dr. James Howell | John Ruddock |
The Avengers theme composed and
played by Johnny Dankworth
Story Editor John Bryce
Designed by Terry Green
Producer Leonard White
Directed by
Richmond Harding
The greatest assassin in the world is a worthy opponent for Steed, but he and Cathy find that ‘Mr. Teddy Bear’ knows many tricks, all of them deadly
ABC Television Network Production
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
- Publicity Stills - at least 42
Murders
Victim | Killer | Method |
---|---|---|
Colonel Wayne-Gilley | Mr. Teddy Bear | poison |
John Steed | Mr. Teddy Bear | nerve gas & blistering agent (or so we think...) |
Mr. Teddy Bear | himself & Cathy | poison (at gunpoint) |
Transport
Marque/type | Plate |
---|---|
Cathy’s MGA Mk I | RVB 115 |
Ariel Huntmaster 650 motorbike (Henry’s) | 887 UMG |
Continuity and trivia
- 0:54 — The presenter is briefly out of focus as he approaches the camera.
- 0:56 — Colonel Vernon Wayne-Gilley’s ninth book, Go Anywhere has been released to critical acclaim - “an astringent mixture of hard travel and hard politics”. Steed later observes (6:46) that Wayne-Gilley was a double agent for so many countries it’s a wonder he hadn’t been murdered earlier.
- 4:14 — Steed says “How could Wayne-Gilley know” instead of “How could the killer know”.
- 5:10 — One-Ten estimates the exploding capsule mechanisms to cost £40–50 each, and Steed arrives at a sum of £1200–1500 for 24 of them.
- 5:30 — Mr. Teddy Bear’s real name is Olaf Pomeroy, alias Jules Edouard Baer, Edward Speerman - and several other unknown aliases. Dr. Howell knows him as Edward ‘Teddy’ Brewen and plays bridge with him at the Travellers’ Club.
He was probably born in Sardinia and worked with the Resistance in Greece and Italy, specialising in assassination:- Herr General Grantz, killed while emulating the Führer - he went to hit the table with a microphone while addressing the population of Talona and was electrocuted with several thousand volts.
- Herr General Freiber, gassed when opening his safe
- Admiral Mindel, a souvenir hunter who had an American grenade turned into a table lighter; he discovered one night it had turned back into a live grenade.
After the war, he disappeared for 5 or 6 years, his current price is believed to be £100,000, with a private or public execution, to the taste of the client. (9:52) He likes £20,000 beforehand for expenses, the rest on completion. Only one client has ever welched - and was dropped from a helicopter into Exhibition Square in Zagreb.
- Herr General Grantz, killed while emulating the Führer - he went to hit the table with a microphone while addressing the population of Talona and was electrocuted with several thousand volts.
- 7:40 — Steed plonks away at the piano, playing Johann Strauss’ The Blue Danube Waltz very badly as he talks to Cathy.
- 9:00 — Cathy’s cover story:
"Jeff Bridges", Cathy’s supposed boss. Height 5′10″, weight 170lb, slight Welsh accent.
"Slievermann", her Brussels contact who handles payment - import/export, drugs, diamonds, women (actually Detective Sergeant Cook, married with 3 children and living in Steyne).
Cathy uses her own name and background up to 2 years ago, when she became a contact for the European syndicate “The Silverfish”, trading mostly in watches from Berne, Stuttgart and Turin. Up until 18 months ago she handled cash transactions up to £2,500,000, ending with an arms deal with Slievermann in Brussels. She’s been in Britain for the last four months to negotiate the murder of John Steed - Why? - it’s not her job to know why, she just follows orders. Steed warns her to tell the truth wherever possible, including that she’s met him in the last few days, and not to hide a gun in her stocking tops. - 12:00 — After Cathy rings ‘Bridges’ Steed (12:27) makes a phone call to HQ, saying Mantel’s Holt is a large house slap in the middle of a marsh, 40 minutes drive from Barton. (22:40) The house was leased to Barbett Heinz Associates, a fictitious company, paid by cash in advance.
- 12:00 onwards - the radio in the café is playing Move Over Tiger by Vince Taylor.
- 17:36 — Mr. Teddy Bear demands £200,000, in diamonds, for Steed’s death because of the nature of the target.
- 20:00 — the prints on Mr. Teddy Bear’s cigarette case, stolen by Cathy, are those of an adult chimpanzee.
- 24:10 — Steed’s classified advertisement:
"Big Bear I hear you are looking for me. S."
- 24:28 — Steed receives an engraved invitation : “At home Mr. Teddy Bear at: Sorenso Imports Ltd, 255 Brunton str. North T. at 12 o’clock tonight”.
- 26:58–27:20 — severe horizontal banding across the picture.
- 29:40 — Could this be the first time someone - Steed, in this case - is taken off a case because he’s become personally involved and his judgement is impaired? Pure television history!
- 30:51 & 31:12 — Steed’s dog, Freckles, merely looks up when Mr. Teddy Bear raises his arm when passing her, but she dives for cover when Steed enters the room.
- 34:12 — Steed quips he once had a passport photo that made him look like he had a perpetual hangover, but the photo of him supposedly dead is very good; Cathy is understandably furious.
- 36:22 — Cathy’s heads are examined by Dr. Howell, who is interested in one, not sure if it’s worthless or priceless.
- 36:49 — the picture breaks up completely at the splice they made to get rid of John Ruddock’s ‘dry’ when he forgot his lines.
Brian Tesler, when reviewing the episode, complained that he’s spotted a ‘dry’ (i.e. an actor forgetting his lines) and asked if Presentation could insert CUs of “the head they are discussing” to make it less obvious to the audience. Presentation instead decided to simply cut the footage completely. - 40:40 — Mr. Teddy Bear is perusing The Best of Redouté’s Roses, a large format coffee-table book printed in 1959 by The Ariel Press.