Gideon's Way

Infobox television
show_name = Gideon's Way


caption =
format = Crime Drama
runtime = 60mins
creator = John Creasey
starring = John Gregson
country = UK
network = ATV
first_aired = 18 March 1965
last_aired = 10 May 1966
num_episodes = 26
producer =

"Gideon's Way" was a British TV crime series made by ITC Entertainment in 1964/65, based on the novels by John Creasey (as "J. J. Marric"). The series was made at Elstree in twin production with The Saint TV series. It starred Liverpudlian John Gregson in the title role as Commander George Gideon of Scotland Yard, with Alexander Davion as his assistant, Detective Chief Inspector David Keen, Reginald Jessup as Det. Superintendent LeMaitre (nicknamed Lemmy), Ian Rossiter as Detective Chief Superintendent Joe Bell and Basil Dignam as Commissioner Scott-Marle. The show did not acknowledge any help from Scotland Yard, any other police force or advisor.

Daphne Anderson starred as his wife, Kate with Giles Watling as young son, Malcolm, Richard James as older son, Matthew who seemed to have a lot of new girlfriends and Andrea Allan as daughter, Pru. Unusually for police stories, Gideon was shown as a family man at home though urgent phone calls from his bosses tend to disrupt family plans too often. However, he did admit in "State Visit" that his wife had walked out on him for a while years ago when he put the job first and her second. They live in an expensive detached house in Chelsea.

There was extensive location shooting in early sixties London, with fast-paced action and strong story lines which made the series very popular in its day. The show was broadcast in the U.S. under the title "Gideon CID". There were different starting titles for the American series, showing incidents of violent crime while the British titles just introduced the characters. Some of the music in dramatic moments in the series was the same as that used in The Saint TV series. The distinctive theme music was composed by Edwin Astley.

Unlike many shows then and later, there was much much location filming and the show gave an authentic view of London in 1964/65: whole streets with just 2-3 parked cars, children playing in the street and police walking their beats. In "The Rhyme and the Reason", there is a chase across a bomb site, an area of destruction left from WWII aerial bombing raids. A door key on a string which can be reached through a letter box indicating a more trusting society. Many characters smoked in the shows, including the stars.

Many well-known British actors appear in guest roles, including Keith Baxter, George Cole, Gordon Jackson, Ronald Lacey, Anton Rogers, Rosemary Leach and John Hurt. There was an early role for Donald Sutherland in the episode "The Millionaire's Daughter".

The theme tune was written by Edwin Astley. The series was released on Region 2 DVD by Network Video.

Episodes

In broadcast order on ATV:

Episode 1: State Visit. Filmed Aug-Sept 1964. Broadcast 18 March 1965. Based on a storyline in "Gideon's March". Alfie Bass portrays an elderly German Jew who has suffered at the hands of the Nazis in WWII. There is a state visit by the German President and, as a chemist, he gets his hands on 10 oz of nitro-glycerine. Enough to kill his target and possibly hundreds more at the parade in Whitehall where Gideon's wife and son are also watching. Also features Gerald Flood as Deputy Commissioner Rae Cox. Also David Lodge. Episode 2: The V Men. Filmed July 1964. Broadcast 21 March 1965. Mirroring the anti-fascist marches of the time and based on a storyline in "Gideon's Vote", this features Sir Arthur Vane's fascist V-Party who are opposed by the anything but peaceful Peace Party. Someone is trying to kill Vane (Roland Culver).

Episode 3: The Firebug. Filmed Sept 1964. Broadcast 1 April 1965. Based on a storyline in "Gideon's Fire". George Cole plays a man whose wife and young daughter died in a house fire. He starts setting fires to make people take notice of the danger of fire but after killing 4 people (including a PC), he goes onto bigger fires, setting fire to a paint warehouse. He then gets hold of four sticks of dynamite. Episode 4: The Big Fix. Filmed September 1964. Broadcast 8 April 1965. Based on a storyline in "Gideon's Risk". Gamblers pay big money to people to dope horses so they lose, and kill them if the horse wins. After a favourite has lost, Gideon tries to stop it happening again. Stars Michael Ripper, Penelope Horner and Maurice Hedley.

Episode 5: The Housekeeper. Filmed Oct 1964. Broadcast 15 April 1965. Based on storyline in "Gideon's Month". A housekeeper (Kay Walsh) looks after old men and murders them for their money. She has her new victim lined up after electrician and ex-con (Harry Fowler) finds her previous victim. Richard Davies has a small part as a postman. Episode 6: The Ladykiller. Filmed Sept 1964. Broadcast 22 April 1965. Based on a storyline in "Gideon's Month". A man marries rich women who die apparently accidentally soon afterwards, so C.I. David Keen investigates. Gideon takes a back seat in this story. Stars Ray Barrett and Rosemary Leach.

Episode 7: To Catch a Tiger. Filmed July 1964. Broadcast 29 April 1965. Based on a storyline in "Gideon's Risk". An employee's theft gives Gideon a chance to reopen an old murder case but he finds himself up against a formidable lawyer, Sir Percy Richmond (Raymond Huntley). Episode 8: Big Fish, Little Fish. Filmed Oct 1964. Broadcast 6 May 1965. Based on storyline in "Gideon's Month". This story is about petty theft and children taught to steal by mothers from hell. Mark 'Frisky' Lee (Maxwell Shaw) is seen to be the head of organised crime around the Petticoat Lane area of London and makes enemies easier than friends. When he is murdered, Gideon and local cop, Superintendent Bill Hemmingway uncover thieves, a fence and a murderer. Also stars Sidney Taffler.

Episode 9: The White Rat. Filmed August 1964. Broadcast 13 May 1965. Based on a storyline in "Gideon's Staff". Something of a love story. Sgt Sid Taylor who walked a beat with Gideon when they were PCs and taught him a lot is after an albino criminal (Ray McAnally) and his gang. A number of things go wrong and the criminal is cornered on a ship but threatens a massive explosion if they try to take him. Also starred Dermot Kelly. Episode 10: How to Retire Without Really Working. Filmed Nov-Dec 1964. Broadcast 20 May 1965. Based on storyline in "Gideon's Lot". Gideon defuses a gun siege where a small time crook went out of his league in the hope of a big robbery before retiring. Meanwhile, a couple in their fifties (Eric Barker and Joyce Grant) who have lived a life of petty crime try to do the same thing with a big wages snatch but Gideon has his eye on them. Gideon portrays the friendly cop in this episode, trying to help criminals who are obviously on the downwards path. Also starred William Mervyn. Episode 11: Subway to Revenge. Filmed Jan 1965. Broadcast 27 May 1965. Based on storyline in "Gideon's Ride". On a crowded platform, Bryan Pringle tries to push Donald Churchill in front of a train but he is saved by co-worker Anne Lawson. He wants nothing to do with it but she takes it to the police. Another attempt is made to push him in front of a bus. Again he does not seem to be interested that someone is trying to murder him and though she is obviously in love with him, he gets angry with her over it and wants nothing to do with her. Then suddenly they are in love. Pringle it turns out lost a fiancée when she tried to steal £5,000 from a company and when caught, committed suicide by jumping in front of an Underground train so he is now busy killing those responsible. There is a background story about a wages snatch. Episode 12: The Great Plane Robbery. Filmed Mar-Apr 1965. Broadcast 3 June 1965. New Storyline. £1,000,000 worth of gold is stolen from a Russian Aeroflot plane at a small airfield. The brains behind it, George Baker has an alibi which is just too good. There are complications when the driver of a decoy van is picked up and is obviously in on it. It all begins to fall apart when one of the men, Edwin Richfield is burned by molten gold being recast. Lured by the £100,000 reward, a bent doctor treating him phones the police who follow Baker and others to Tilbury where he plans to escape by boat. Episode 13: Gang War. Filmed Jan-Feb 1965. Broadcast 10 June 1965. Based on storyline in "Gideon's Night". Jerry Blake Ronald Lacey is moving in on Frank Romano's Ray Brooks small business protection racket. Both are leaders of gangs of young men and trouble is brewing. But Romano's wife is unhappy with their lifestyle and uses an old boyfriend to arrange the snatch of over £400,000 of old money meant for burning. Romano joins up with Blake to do the robbery while their gangs do a fake rumble to lure the police elsewhere.

Episode 14: The Tin God. Filmed June-July 1964. Broadcast 17 June 1965. Based on storyline in "Gideon's Week". Derren Nesbitt plays a violent gangster who has escaped from jail and who is idolised by his son who hates Gideon for putting his father in jail. Before he escapes the country, Nesbitt's character wants to kill Gideon. Also features John Hurt as his accomplice. Episode 15: The Alibi Men. Filmed Feb 1965. Broadcast 24 June 1965. Based on storyline in "Gideon's March". Famous racing driver Jack Hedley has been fiddling the books and is caught by his accountant (Geoffrey Palmer), who he kills to keep him quiet. Mechanic James Culliford gives him an alibi because he owes his life to him. Gideon investigates and Hedley's mistress needs to die too. A rare case where the murderer gets away with it. Episode 16: Fall High, Fall Hard. Filmed Nov 1964. Broadcast 15 April 1966. Based on storyline in "Gideon's Fire". A big construction company is owned by two men. Honest Donald Houston finds out his crooked partner Victor Maddern has hired men to intimidate and kill people to further their business. Houston wants to do something about it so they decide to kill him. Also stars Glyn Houston, Mike Pratt and Michael Robbins. Episode 17: The Wall. Filmed Jan 1965. Broadcast 20 May 1965. From storyline in "Gideon's Night". A number of stories but the main one is that greedy John Barrie accidentally kills Richard Carpenter and hides the body so he can steal his pools win. Carpenter's young wife (Ann Bell) is made to believe he has left her. Also stars Megs Jenkins. Episode 18: The Prowler. Filmed March 1965. Broadcast 22 April 1965. Based on storyline in "Gideon's Night". This occurs in the thick fogs of the time, due to most people using coal fires to keep warm, and the episode tries for a creepy atmosphere. The girlfriend of a young man (David Collings) has committed suicide causing him to become mentally unbalanced and he now attacks girls at night and cuts off some of their hair as a souvenir. One girl fights back and scratches him and as the police close in, he visits an unsuspecting girlfriend to hide at her place. Episode 19: The Thin Red Line. Filmed March 1965. Broadcast 3 Feb 1966. New storyline. The famous Balaclava regimental silver is going missing pieces at a time from the Highlanders London HQ with fakes being put in their place. Gideon is called in by the elderly General (Finlay Currie) to find out who is doing it but comes up against regimental pride and secrecy. Keen goes to Amsterdam and Paris (library shots used) to find out where the silver is being copied and sold off. The result is a shock to Gideon. Also starred Allan Cuthbertson and Gordon Jackson. Episode 20: A Perfect Crime. Filmed May 1965. Broadcast 10 Feb 1966. Based on storyline in "Gideon's Fire". Patrick Allen plays someone who socially mixes with rich people and finds out when they are away so he and his accomplice (Patrick Bedford) can steal their jewels. Bedford is caught when a cop on a bike sees a car at a rich place where the owners have told him to keep a watch on it as they are away. His wife (Jean Marsh) tries to blackmail Allen so he kills her which leads to Gideon being publicly accused on attacking Bedford by a very nasty lawyer as they close in on Allen who is ready to flee the country. Also starred Alec Mango and Richard Davies. Episode 21: The Millionaire's Daughter. Filmed April 1965. Broadcast 17 Feb 1966. Based on storyline in "Gideon's Lot". A con man, Alan Blake (Don Borisenko), arrives on a ship from America with the millionaire Hendersons (David Bauer and Lois Maxwell) and their daughter who with confederates he kidnaps in London and they hold her for a million dollar ransom. The newspapers get hold of the story and Blake decides to get out while he can, tricking Mrs Henderson out of $500,000 worth of jewellery. This means that the daughter is now left with the homicidal Philip Guest (Donald Sutherland) who wants to kill her as she has seen their faces. Also starred Harold Goodwin.

Episode 22: Morna. Filmed Oct 1964. Broadcast 24 Feb 1966. New storyline. Morna Copthorne's (Angela Douglas) body is found by a lake. Gideon is asked to go to the small village of Wendley (this case unusually did not feature London) to sort the matter out as her father is a big name at the M.O.D. She is the girl everyone loved so how did she die? As Gideon and Keen interview witnesses about her past, a new picture emerges of a young rich girl out of control. Norman Bowler plays a black man in this and reflected the racial tensions of the time. Also stars Kay Walsh Episode 23: Boy with a Gun. Filmed May 1965. Broadcast 10 Feb 1966. Original storyline. A tale of boys gone wrong. Chris Kirk (Howard Knight) has been mothered too much but has an overbearing father, Police Surgeon, Doctor Kirk (Anthony Bate). Cornered by 3 leather coated, knife wielding yobs who want to steal the shotgun his father bought him, he shoots one. Believing he has murdered him, he goes on the run and meets a boy who has escaped from Borstal. They go to his brother's place so he can arrange their escape from the country but the shot boy's father (George Sewell) finds out and wants to kill the kid who shot his son. A powerful story filmed mainly around London's East End.

Episode 24: The Reluctant Witness. Filmed April 1965. Broadcast 26 April 1966. Based on storyline in "Gideon's Risk". Red Carter (Mike Pratt) and brother Syd (David Gregory) buy wrecked cars then steal new cars of the same make and swap details and after a respray, sell them for lots of money. Tiny Bray who spent 4 years in prison because of them tries to get evidence of this but is seen and is beaten by Syd and dies, but there is a witness (Audrey Nicholson). The police trick Syd into confessing but then the harder job begins of getting brother Red who is trying to kill the witness. Trevor Bannister plays the constable who is assigned to keep her alive for the trial. The climax of the show is when the villains are cornered and pull guns, and the police are unarmed. Gideon says that the average burglary nets only £71 whereas a car theft (2,484 stolen one month in 1965) gets £500.

Episode 25: The Rhyme and the Reason. Filmed August 1964. Broadcast 3 May 1966. Based on a storyline in "Gideon's Week". A young couple row and the girl is later found dead. All the evidence points to her biker boyfriend. Gideon, as a friend of his sister, is asked to investigate.

Episode 26: The Night Lifers. Filmed Nov 1964. Broadcast 10 May 1966. New storyline. Four teens are led into a life of violence by Anton Rodgers who has upper class pretensions and lives on a Chelsea houseboat with parties every night. Rodgers plays a contemptuous sadist whose idea of fun is hurting people, mirroring teen crime at the time. This was the last show and the series ended on a high note. Also starred Derek Fowlds and Annette Andre

External links

* [http://www.owatonnamedia.com John Creasey brand owner Owatonna Media]
*

.