Freewheelers
Encyclopedia
Freewheelers is a British television
series made by Southern Television
between 1968 and 1973. It was the brainchild of television producer Chris McMaster, who was aware of the popularity of adult action series such as The Avengers
and Department S
amongst teenagers and saw the potential of a version aimed at a younger audience. In 2010, reruns of Freewheelers are being shown on the British satellite television channel Film 24
.
the trio thwart von Gelb's scheme to launch Polaris
missiles on London from a captured nuclear submarine. This set the template for future stories with the teenagers regularly preventing von Gelb from carrying out massive and ingenious threats to Britain's security.
, Sweden and the Ardèche
.
High-tech gadgets were a regular component, often machines developed for peaceful purposes seized by the villain and turned to criminal use. Whole teams of scientists were also regularly kidnapped and induced into building similar gadgets. Devices for changing the weather, controlling minds and melting metal at great distances all featured.
Strong incidental and closing music by Laurie Johnson
and a memorable theme tune, the Carnaby Street Pop Orchestra's "Teenage Carnival" composed by Keith Mansfield
, helped maintain the momentum and Von Gelb's appearances were invariably accompanied by stirring passages from Wagner's Ring Cycle.
The frequent waterborne sequences of the programme were recorded using Southern Television's unique marine outside broadcast unit known as Southerner
, which also doubled as von Gelb's ship.
The children's magazine Look-in
featured a weekly cartoon strip of Freewheelers and two new stories by Alan Fennell
were published in paperback in 1972.
as the British secret service agent Colonel Buchan was the most regular cast member, appearing in series 1-4 and series 6. In 1971 he had a major part in the feature film Le Mans
and when production of that overran by two months he was unavailable for series 5, the absence of his character from the series being explained as an overseas mission.
The teenagers, almost invariably referred to as "the kids", varied over the years. The original lineup consisted of Tom Owen, Mary Maude and Gregory Phillips. Chris Chittell
featured in series 2 and 3 and Adrian Wright
played Mike Hobbs in four later series. Former Doctor Who
companion Wendy Padbury
joined the cast in series 5 as art student Sue Craig. Her youthful looks enabled her to portray a character several years her junior although by the final series, with the actress in her mid-twenties and now married to actor Melvyn Hayes
, careful camera angles were required to conceal her advancing pregnancy.
Geoffrey Toone
played the resident villain von Gelb in the first three series. The sale of the programme to West Germany
from series 4 resulted in the character's replacement by a variety of similarly crazed criminal masterminds, notably Jerome Willis
as Professor Nero and Commander Caine played by Kevin Stoney
. The criminals were aided by various henchmen, perhaps most memorably by Ryan (Richard Shaw) and the beret wearing Burke (Michael Ripper
) in series 5 and 6.
British television
Public television broadcasting started in the United Kingdom in 1936, and now has a collection of free and subscription services over a variety of distribution media, through which there are over 480 channelsTaking the base Sky EPG TV Channels. A breakdown is impossible due to a) the number of...
series made by Southern Television
Southern Television
Southern Television was the first ITV broadcasting licence holder for the south and south-east of England from 30 August 1958 until the night of 31 December 1981. The company was launched as Southern Television Limited and the title Southern Television was consistently used on-air throughout its life...
between 1968 and 1973. It was the brainchild of television producer Chris McMaster, who was aware of the popularity of adult action series such as The Avengers
The Avengers (TV series)
The Avengers is a spy-fi British television series set in the 1960s Britain. The Avengers initially focused on Dr. David Keel and his assistant John Steed . Hendry left after the first series and Steed became the main character, partnered with a succession of assistants...
and Department S
Department S
Department S is a United Kingdom spy-fi adventure series produced by ITC Entertainment. The series consists of 28 episodes which originally aired in 1969–1970. It starred Peter Wyngarde as author Jason King , Joel Fabiani as Stewart Sullivan, and Rosemary Nicols as computer expert Annabelle Hurst...
amongst teenagers and saw the potential of a version aimed at a younger audience. In 2010, reruns of Freewheelers are being shown on the British satellite television channel Film 24
Film 24
Film 24 is a 10 minute film related programme shown on BBC News each Friday evening at 17:45. It reviews three new films each week.The programme's expert film critic is usually Mark Kermode, though others do stand in. The programme is part of the BBC News at Five with Huw Edwards which is shown on...
.
Plot
In the opening story three young people become caught up in the plans of ex-Nazi officer Karl von Gelb to "reverse the verdict of the last war" and inflict revenge on his former enemies. Under the direction of Colonel Buchan of MI5MI5
The Security Service, commonly known as MI5 , is the United Kingdom's internal counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its core intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service focused on foreign threats, Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence...
the trio thwart von Gelb's scheme to launch Polaris
UGM-27 Polaris
The Polaris missile was a two-stage solid-fuel nuclear-armed submarine-launched ballistic missile built during the Cold War by Lockheed Corporation of California for the United States Navy....
missiles on London from a captured nuclear submarine. This set the template for future stories with the teenagers regularly preventing von Gelb from carrying out massive and ingenious threats to Britain's security.
Background and production
The format of fast paced action and outdoor locations was enormously successful and the programme enjoyed a large home audience as well as gaining overseas sales. In colour from the fourth series, location filming moved out of the South of England with scenes shot in Spain and Majorca. Future locations would include AmsterdamAmsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Sweden and the Ardèche
Ardèche
Ardèche is a department in south-central France named after the Ardèche River.- History :The area has been inhabited by humans at least since the Upper Paleolithic, as attested by the famous cave paintings at Chauvet Pont d'Arc. The plateau of the Ardeche River has extensive standing stones ,...
.
High-tech gadgets were a regular component, often machines developed for peaceful purposes seized by the villain and turned to criminal use. Whole teams of scientists were also regularly kidnapped and induced into building similar gadgets. Devices for changing the weather, controlling minds and melting metal at great distances all featured.
Strong incidental and closing music by Laurie Johnson
Laurie Johnson
Laurie Johnson is an English film and television composer, and bandleader.-Career:...
and a memorable theme tune, the Carnaby Street Pop Orchestra's "Teenage Carnival" composed by Keith Mansfield
Keith Mansfield
Keith Mansfield is a British composer and arranger known for his creation of prominent television theme tunes, including the Grandstand theme for the BBC...
, helped maintain the momentum and Von Gelb's appearances were invariably accompanied by stirring passages from Wagner's Ring Cycle.
Southerner (marine vessel)
Southerner was a marine outside broadcast unit operated by Southern Television in the United Kingdom from the mid-1960s.-Origins:In the early 1960s, Southern Television hired the former Proud Grenadier Motor Torpedo Boat MTB 506 as a platform to provide coverage of Cowes Week, a famous maritime...
, which also doubled as von Gelb's ship.
The children's magazine Look-in
Look-in
Look-in was a long running children's magazine centred around ITV's television programmes in the United Kingdom, and subtitled "The Junior TVTimes". It ran from 9 January 1971 to 12 March 1994...
featured a weekly cartoon strip of Freewheelers and two new stories by Alan Fennell
Alan Fennell
Alan Fennell was a British writer and editor best known for work on series produced by Gerry Anderson, and for having created the magazines TV Century 21 and Look-in....
were published in paperback in 1972.
Cast and characters
Ronald Leigh-HuntRonald Leigh-Hunt
Ronald Leigh-Hunt was a British film and television actor.His father was a stockbroker and he attended the Italia Conti Academy. He began acting whilst serving in the army...
as the British secret service agent Colonel Buchan was the most regular cast member, appearing in series 1-4 and series 6. In 1971 he had a major part in the feature film Le Mans
Le Mans (film)
Le Mans is a 1971 action film directed by Lee H. Katzin. Starring Steve McQueen, it features footage from the actual 1970 24 Hours of Le Mans auto race....
and when production of that overran by two months he was unavailable for series 5, the absence of his character from the series being explained as an overseas mission.
The teenagers, almost invariably referred to as "the kids", varied over the years. The original lineup consisted of Tom Owen, Mary Maude and Gregory Phillips. Chris Chittell
Chris Chittell
Christopher John Chittell is an English actor best known for his role as Eric Pollard in ITV's Emmerdale, a part that he has played since 1986....
featured in series 2 and 3 and Adrian Wright
Adrian Wright
Adrian Wright is an actor remembered for his role in the 1970s children's television series Freewheelers....
played Mike Hobbs in four later series. Former Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
companion Wendy Padbury
Wendy Padbury
Wendy Padbury is a British actress from Warwickshire, England. She is most famous for her involvement in various Doctor Who projects....
joined the cast in series 5 as art student Sue Craig. Her youthful looks enabled her to portray a character several years her junior although by the final series, with the actress in her mid-twenties and now married to actor Melvyn Hayes
Melvyn Hayes
Melvyn Hayes is an English actor probably best known for playing the effeminate Gunner "Gloria" Beaumont in the 1970s BBC sitcom It Ain't Half Hot Mum,-Early life and career:...
, careful camera angles were required to conceal her advancing pregnancy.
Geoffrey Toone
Geoffrey Toone
Geoffrey Toone was an Irish-born character actor.Most of Toone's film roles after the 1930s were in supporting parts, usually as authority figures, though he did play the lead character in the Hammer Films production The Terror of the Tongs in 1961Toone was born in Dublin, Ireland to English...
played the resident villain von Gelb in the first three series. The sale of the programme to West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
from series 4 resulted in the character's replacement by a variety of similarly crazed criminal masterminds, notably Jerome Willis
Jerome Willis
Jerome Willis is a prominent British stage and screen actor with more than 100 screen credits to his name.Willis had a leading role in the ITV drama series The Sandbaggers as Matthew Peele. He also appeared in Z Cars as DCS Richards, Within These Walls as Charles Radley, and Doctor Who as...
as Professor Nero and Commander Caine played by Kevin Stoney
Kevin Stoney
Kevin Stoney was an English actor, best known for his television roles.During World War II, Stoney served with the Royal Air Force....
. The criminals were aided by various henchmen, perhaps most memorably by Ryan (Richard Shaw) and the beret wearing Burke (Michael Ripper
Michael Ripper
Michael Ripper was an English character actor born in Portsmouth.He began his film career in quota quickies in the 1930s and until the late 1950s was virtually unknown; he was seldom credited. He played one of the two murderers in Richard III. Ripper became a mainstay in Hammer Film Productions...
) in series 5 and 6.