Police Surgeon
Encyclopedia
Police Surgeon was a television series made by the Associated British Corporation
and starring Ian Hendry
as Dr Geoffrey Brent. Its twelve half-hour episodes were broadcast on ITV
at 7pm on Saturday nights from 10 September to 3 December 1960.
The series was created for ABC by Sydney Newman
. When Police Surgeon was cancelled, Newman took Hendry and co-star Ingrid Hafner
to a new series: The Avengers
. It is sometimes mistakenly claimed that The Avengers was a direct sequel to Police Surgeon, with Hendry playing the same character in both. Although there were similarities, this was in fact not the case. This myth has possibly been encouraged because material relating to Police Surgeon is scarce, and that the first episode of The Avengers aired only one month after the final episode of Police Surgeon.
John Warwick played the regular character of Inspector Langdon, and Hafner played Nurse Gibbs. Guest actors who appeared in Police Surgeon include Michael Crawford
, Bernard Archard
, Harry H. Corbett
, Geoffrey Palmer
, and Nigel Stock. Scriptwriters included Julian Bond, who was also story editor
and, initially, producer
. He was succeeded as producer by Leonard White, who went on to produce The Avengers.
Only one episode of the series, "Easy Money", is known to exist. This episode was shown as part of Channel 4
's TV Heaven
season, introduced by Frank Muir
, on 28 March 1992.
Associated British Corporation
Associated British Corporation was one of a number of commercial television companies established in the United Kingdom during the 1950s by cinema chain companies in an attempt to safeguard their business by becoming involved with television which was taking away their cinema audiences.In this...
and starring Ian Hendry
Ian Hendry
Ian Hendry was an English film and television actor. He is best known for his work on several British TV series of the early 1960s such as The Avengers, and for his roles in 1970s films such as Get Carter .-Career:Hendry was born in Ipswich, Suffolk and educated at Culford School...
as Dr Geoffrey Brent. Its twelve half-hour episodes were broadcast on 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...
at 7pm on Saturday nights from 10 September to 3 December 1960.
The series was created for ABC by Sydney Newman
Sydney Newman
Sydney Cecil Newman, OC was a Canadian film and television producer, who played a pioneering role in British television drama from the late 1950s to the late 1960s...
. When Police Surgeon was cancelled, Newman took Hendry and co-star Ingrid Hafner
Ingrid Hafner
Ingrid Hafner was a British actress. Her father was Raoul Hafner, an Austrian helicopter pioneer, and her mother Eileen Myra McAdam was a descendant of John Loudon McAdam, the road builder....
to a new series: 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...
. It is sometimes mistakenly claimed that The Avengers was a direct sequel to Police Surgeon, with Hendry playing the same character in both. Although there were similarities, this was in fact not the case. This myth has possibly been encouraged because material relating to Police Surgeon is scarce, and that the first episode of The Avengers aired only one month after the final episode of Police Surgeon.
John Warwick played the regular character of Inspector Langdon, and Hafner played Nurse Gibbs. Guest actors who appeared in Police Surgeon include Michael Crawford
Michael Crawford
Michael Crawford OBE is an English actor and singer. He has garnered great critical acclaim and won numerous awards during his career, which covers radio, television, film, and stagework on both London's West End and on Broadway in New York City...
, Bernard Archard
Bernard Archard
Bernard Joseph Archard was an English actor.Born in Fulham, London, he was a tall, imposing actor with a distinctive face. He was a conscientious objector in the Second World War and worked on the land...
, Harry H. Corbett
Harry H. Corbett
Harry H. Corbett OBE was an English actor.Corbett was best known for his starring role in the popular and long-running BBC Television sitcom Steptoe and Son in the 1960s and 70s...
, Geoffrey Palmer
Geoffrey Palmer (actor)
Geoffrey Dyson Palmer, OBE is an English actor, best known for his roles in sitcoms such as Butterflies and As Time Goes By.-Career:...
, and Nigel Stock. Scriptwriters included Julian Bond, who was also story editor
Script editor
A script editor is a member of the production team of scripted television programmes, usually dramas and comedies. The script editor has many responsibilities including finding new script writers, developing storyline and series ideas with writers, ensuring that scripts are suitable for production...
and, initially, producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
. He was succeeded as producer by Leonard White, who went on to produce The Avengers.
Only one episode of the series, "Easy Money", is known to exist. This episode was shown as part of Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's TV Heaven
TV Heaven
TV Heaven is a series of 13 theme nights shown on Channel 4 in early 1992, celebrating the best of archive British television. Each programme focused on a particular year....
season, introduced by Frank Muir
Frank Muir
Frank Herbert Muir was an English comedy writer, radio and television personality, and raconteur. His writing and performing partnership with Denis Norden endured for most of their careers. Together they wrote BBC radio's Take It From Here for over 10 years, and then appeared on BBC radio...
, on 28 March 1992.