Series 2 — Episode 16
Immortal Clay

Production details

Episode 43
Production Number : 3516
VTR/ABC/2298 & 2298A
Teddington Studio 1

Wednesday 9th January 1963

Insert 2298A - Scene 39, the shoot-out in the pottery shop.

Thursday 10th January 1963

Equipment

Running time

Expected: 51′25″ + 2 commercial breaks 2.05
Actual running time with bumpers: 52′07″

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 recording schedule
• Publicity Stills - none that I know of

Murders

Click a name to see the face

Transport

Continuity and trivia

1. It seems ironic to me that Jon Rollason, who played Dr. Martin King for the first three episodes recorded for the 1962 was a potter, and wasn’t rehired to appear in this episode - perhaps this was a left over script from those early days.
2. 2:11 (2:08) - the corpse in the tank is pretty obviously a mannequin.
3. 2:44 — you can just see the shadow of the boom microphone at top left.
4. 4:28 — Mara is excited about some gossip in a magazine - “Joy Tracey’s going to have a film test. Joy Tracey - this year’s Miss England” - “Beautiful raven-haired Joy Tracey, has been offered a film test by producer Ray Birch. Miss Tracey, a secretary, is 37–23-36”.
5. 8:50 — Steed says: “This will be a breakthrough in the problem of solving the problem of friction on high-speed aircraft and rockets” The scripts reads: “This could be a breakthrough in solving the problem of friction on high-speed aircraft and rockets.”
6. 10:42 — There’s a split second CU of Alan in profile, then the vision cuts back to the previous shot
7. 16:55 — De Groot says: “How soon will my order be roddy?”
8. 17:27 — Allen’s previous ‘good ideas’ included:
   • Cheap way of making porcelain (which cost them £3,000)
   • Electrical insulators
   • Teapot with a non-drip spout
   • Flameproof kitchenware
9. 32:32 — De Groot gets it wrong again - “Paint it and put it in with the set for Laipz- Leipzig”
10. 35:55 (35:21) - the camera crashes into the sink Miller’s working at.
11. 39:44 — De Groot at it again! Steve Plytas ad libs then forgets his line and audibly says “fuck”. Honor Blackman prompts his line and they get back on course. (Thanks for spotting this, Pete Hazell).

    The script:
    Scene 38 — INT COUNTRY CLUB - Day
    M.S. WAITER
    TRACK BACK to hold 3-shot WAITER/DE GROOT/CATHY
    As waiter goes EASE IN to 2-shot DE GROOT/CATHY
    DE GROOT: Mrs. Gale, those figurines, I like them very much.
    CATHY: You’re very kind.
    DE GROOT: I try to be.
    CATHY: No, thank you.
    DE GROOT: You are like another young friend of mine. Always worried about your waist-line.

    Actual lines:
    DE GROOT: Ah, these figurines, Mrs. Gale, I like them very much, you have exquisite taste.
    CATHY: Thank you.
    DE GROOT: Ah, Cake?
    CATHY: No, thank you.
    DE GROOT: (fuck)
    CATHY: (after pause) I’m not really worried about my waist-line if that’s what you were thinking.
    DE GROOT: You are like another young friend of mine. Always worried about your waist-line.

12. 41:09 — picture breaks up
13. 48:18 — the director cuts to a MCU of Miller’s body, but it’s completely out of focus and the operator hurriedly focuses it.
14. 48:39 — Steed tangles with de Groot in a very unfocused shot