No Hiding Place
Encyclopedia
No Hiding Place is a British
television
series that was produced at Wembley Studios by Associated-Rediffusion
for the ITV
network between 16 September 1959 and 22 June 1967.
It was the sequel to the series Murder Bag (1957-1958) and Crime Sheet (1959), all starring Raymond Francis
as Detective Superintendent, later Detective Chief Superintendent Tom Lockhart.
as Superintendent Lockhart. Backup sergeants and others changed regularly. The murder bag
in the title carried 42 items which were needed in the investigation of a crime. The show was produced live in the studio.
In Crime Sheet, Lockhart had now been promoted to Detective Chief Superintendent. The writers of the series revealed to the TV Times
in 1962 that Lockhart could not be promoted above this rank, as he would no longer be expected to visit the crime scene, thus hindering the potential of the storylines. 17 episodes of 30 minutes were produced from 8 April 1959 to 9 September 1959. Due to Raymond Francis
contracting mumps
, the final episode of Crime Sheet did not feature Lockhart but Chief Superintendent Carr, played by Gerald Case
.
No Hiding Place continued to follow the cases of Detective Chief Superintendent Tom Lockhart at Scotland Yard
, with a new longer one hour format allowing for more story and character development. He was initially assisted by Detective Sergeant Harry Baxter (Eric Lander), followed by Det. Sgt. Russell (Johnny Briggs
) and Det. Sgt. Perryman (Michael McStay), and finally by Det. Sgt. Gregg (Sean Caffrey
).
Still largely studio-based, the series now included more pre-recorded film segments. The series was cancelled in 1965 but there were so many protests from the Public and the Police that it started again for another two years. 236 episodes were made in total.
Detective Sergeant Harry Baxter was there from episode one until episode 141. Midway through the series he was transferred to E Division's Q Car Squad and promoted from Sergeant to Inspector, a rank he retained when he returned to the Yard in 1963. Baxter had his own short TV series, Echo Four-Two. Unfortunately the show suffered from poor scripts and of 13 planned episodes, only 10 were made (30 minutes each, 24 August 1961 to 25 October 1961), interrupted by an actor's strike, and no more were made.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
series that was produced at Wembley Studios by Associated-Rediffusion
Associated-Rediffusion
Associated-Rediffusion, later Rediffusion, London, was the British ITV contractor for London and parts of the surrounding counties, on weekdays between 1954 and 29 July 1968. Transmissions started on 22 September 1955.-Formation:...
for the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
network between 16 September 1959 and 22 June 1967.
It was the sequel to the series Murder Bag (1957-1958) and Crime Sheet (1959), all starring Raymond Francis
Raymond Francis
Raymond Francis was an English actor best known for his role as Detective Chief Superintendent Tom Lockhart in the Associated-Rediffusion detective series Murder Bag, Crime Sheet and No Hiding Place...
as Detective Superintendent, later Detective Chief Superintendent Tom Lockhart.
Production
No Hiding Place continued on from where the TV series Murder Bag and Crime Sheet left off. Murder Bag featured 55 episodes. 30 in Season One (16 September 1957 to 31 March 1958), all untitled and 25 in Season Two (30 June 1958 to 1 April 1959), all titled, and all featuring the word "Lockhart" as the first word of their title. All episodes were 30 minutes long and featured Raymond FrancisRaymond Francis
Raymond Francis was an English actor best known for his role as Detective Chief Superintendent Tom Lockhart in the Associated-Rediffusion detective series Murder Bag, Crime Sheet and No Hiding Place...
as Superintendent Lockhart. Backup sergeants and others changed regularly. The murder bag
Murder bag
A Murder bag is a forensics kit used by police officers at crime scenes. It was developed by Sir Bernard Spilsbury, a British forensic pathologist known for his work on the Hawley Harvey Crippen case in conjunction with Scotland Yard in 1924....
in the title carried 42 items which were needed in the investigation of a crime. The show was produced live in the studio.
In Crime Sheet, Lockhart had now been promoted to Detective Chief Superintendent. The writers of the series revealed to the TV Times
TV Times
TVTimes is a television listings magazine published in the United Kingdom by IPC Media, a subsidiary of Time Warner. It is known for its access to television actors and their programmes. In 2006 it was refreshed for a more modern look, increasing its emphasis on big star interviews and soaps...
in 1962 that Lockhart could not be promoted above this rank, as he would no longer be expected to visit the crime scene, thus hindering the potential of the storylines. 17 episodes of 30 minutes were produced from 8 April 1959 to 9 September 1959. Due to Raymond Francis
Raymond Francis
Raymond Francis was an English actor best known for his role as Detective Chief Superintendent Tom Lockhart in the Associated-Rediffusion detective series Murder Bag, Crime Sheet and No Hiding Place...
contracting mumps
Mumps
Mumps is a viral disease of the human species, caused by the mumps virus. Before the development of vaccination and the introduction of a vaccine, it was a common childhood disease worldwide...
, the final episode of Crime Sheet did not feature Lockhart but Chief Superintendent Carr, played by Gerald Case
Gerald Case
-Selected filmography:* Museum Mystery * The Lion Has Wings * In Which We Serve * Jean's Plan * Night Boat to Dublin * Horrors of the Black Museum * Vampyres * The Elephant Man...
.
No Hiding Place continued to follow the cases of Detective Chief Superintendent Tom Lockhart at Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard is a metonym for the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service of London, UK. It derives from the location of the original Metropolitan Police headquarters at 4 Whitehall Place, which had a rear entrance on a street called Great Scotland Yard. The Scotland Yard entrance became...
, with a new longer one hour format allowing for more story and character development. He was initially assisted by Detective Sergeant Harry Baxter (Eric Lander), followed by Det. Sgt. Russell (Johnny Briggs
Johnny Briggs (actor)
Johnny Briggs, MBE is an English actor. He is best known for his role as Mike Baldwin in the soap opera Coronation Street, in which he appeared from 1976 to 2006...
) and Det. Sgt. Perryman (Michael McStay), and finally by Det. Sgt. Gregg (Sean Caffrey
Sean Caffrey
Sean Caffrey is an actor.He is best remembered for his performances on television. Credits include: Coronation Street, Z-Cars, Sutherland's Law, Oil Strike North, Survivors, Doctor Who , The Professionals, Minder, Bergerac and Edge of Darkness...
).
Still largely studio-based, the series now included more pre-recorded film segments. The series was cancelled in 1965 but there were so many protests from the Public and the Police that it started again for another two years. 236 episodes were made in total.
Detective Sergeant Harry Baxter was there from episode one until episode 141. Midway through the series he was transferred to E Division's Q Car Squad and promoted from Sergeant to Inspector, a rank he retained when he returned to the Yard in 1963. Baxter had his own short TV series, Echo Four-Two. Unfortunately the show suffered from poor scripts and of 13 planned episodes, only 10 were made (30 minutes each, 24 August 1961 to 25 October 1961), interrupted by an actor's strike, and no more were made.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Raymond Francis Raymond Francis Raymond Francis was an English actor best known for his role as Detective Chief Superintendent Tom Lockhart in the Associated-Rediffusion detective series Murder Bag, Crime Sheet and No Hiding Place... |
Tom Lockhart |
| Eric Lander | Harry Baxter |
| Johnny Briggs Johnny Briggs John Briggs may refer to:*Johnny Briggs , English cricketer*Johnny Briggs , English actor who played Mike Baldwin in the British soap opera Coronation Street from 1976 to 2006... |
Sergeant Russel |
| Michael McStay | Sergeant Perryman |
| Sean Caffrey Sean Caffrey Sean Caffrey is an actor.He is best remembered for his performances on television. Credits include: Coronation Street, Z-Cars, Sutherland's Law, Oil Strike North, Survivors, Doctor Who , The Professionals, Minder, Bergerac and Edge of Darkness... |
Sergeant Gregg |
| Heather Chasen Heather Chasen Heather Jean Chasen is a Singapore-born English actress. Her best known roles are playing Valerie Pollard in the ITV soap opera Crossroads and voicing many roles in BBC Radio 2's The Navy Lark... |
Brenda |
Missing episodes
Murder Bag and Crime Sheet are considered lost television series; according to www.lostshows.com, no complete episodes of the former exist and only one survives of the latter. The longer-running No Hiding Place fared marginally better than its predecessors, although only 25 of the 236 episodes produced are known to exist in either a full or partial form. This figure accounts for episodes known to be held by the National Film and Television Archive and those held in private collections. Some early episodes were broadcast live and as a result were never recorded.External links
- British Film Institute Screen Online
- No Hiding Place Episode Archive Status
- Eric Lander obituary