The Champions

Infobox television
show_name = The Champions


caption = Alexandra Bastedo, Stuart Damon and William Gaunt in the opening credits of "The Champions"
format = Sci-Fi Action Adventure
runtime = 60 min
creator = Dennis Spooner
starring = Stuart Damon
Alexandra Bastedo
William Gaunt
country = UK
network = ITV
first_aired = September 25, 1968
last_aired = April 30, 1969
num_episodes = 30

"The Champions" was a British espionage/science fiction adventure series consisting of 30 episodes broadcast on the UK network ITV during 1968–1969, produced by Lew Grade's ITC Entertainment production company. [cite encyclopedia
title = ITC
url = http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/563524/index.html
encyclopedia = screenonline
volume =
pages =
publisher = British Film Institute
date =
id =
accessdate = 2007-11-10] The series was broadcast in the US on NBC, starting in summer 1968.

Overview and premise

The series starred Stuart Damon as Craig Stirling, Alexandra Bastedo as Sharron Macready and William Gaunt as Richard Barrett. The characters are agents for a United Nations law enforcement organization called "Nemesis", based in Geneva. The three have different backgrounds: Barrett is a code breaker, Stirling a pilot, and Macready a recently widowed scientist and doctor.

During their first mission as a team, their plane crashes in the Himalayas. They are rescued by an advanced civilization living secretly in the mountains, who save their lives, granting them superhuman abilities. The powers include the ability to communicate with one another over distances by ESP (telepathy), and to foresee events (precognition); they also have enhanced senses and reasoning power, and physical abilities up to the extent of human limits.cite book
last = Rovin
first = Jeff
authorlink = Jeff Rovin
coauthors =
title = The Encyclopedia of Superheroes
publisher = Facts On File
date = 1985
location =
pages = p. 351
url =
doi =
id =
isbn = 0-8160-1679-8] cite press release
title =
publisher =
date = 1968
url = http://www.geocities.com/bill_fenner_1967/champions/nemesis.html
accessdate = 2007-11-10]

Many stories featured unusual villains, such as fascist regimes from unspecified South American countries, neo-Nazis or the Chinese. The villains' schemes often threaten world peace — Nemesis's brief is international, so the agents deal with threats transcending national interests. The main characters had to learn the use of their new powers as they went along — keeping what they discover secret from friends and foe alike.

The only other series regular, Anthony Nicholls, played the Champions' boss, Tremayne. Tremayne does not openly acknowledge that his agents have special abilities, though he does ask mock innocent questions about how they have carried out tasks on missions.

Production

The series was created by Dennis Spooner and its episodes were written by veterans of popular British spy series, including "The Avengers" and "Danger Man". The series used an unfilmed script written for "Danger Man".

The series was produced by Monty Berman who had co-produced, with Robert S. Baker, "The Saint", "The Baron" and numerous B-movies of the 1950s. Berman went on to produce, working with many of the writers, directors and crew, other ITC series including "Department S", "Jason King", "Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)" and "The Adventurer".

Because of budget constraints, many sets were reused: three episodes were set on a submarine and three set in the arctic. Stock footage was used. Like most such ITC series much of the exterior action took place in and around the studio lot - usually, as was the case with "The Champions", Elstree Studios in Borehamwood, Herts. For at least one episode, "Desert Journey", foreign filming did take place, but with a second unit, and extras standing in for the main cast.

The theme music to the series was written by Tony Hatch, with Albert Elms supplying incidental music.

Further broadcasts and releases

Although short-lived, the series is fondly remembered and has seen several repeats in the UK, for example on ITV's digital channel ITV4. [cite news
last =
first =
coauthors =
title = The Champions set for film remake
work = BBC News
pages =
language =
publisher = BBC
date = 2007-11-08
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7084788.stm
accessdate = 2007-11-09]

"The Champions" was broadcast on BBC2 in 1995, at about the time Gaunt was appearing in the sitcom "Next of Kin".

Episodes were released on DVD in North America, [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = The Champions: Set One
work =
publisher = Amazon.com
date =
url = http://www.amazon.com/Champions-Set-One/dp/B0009WLVIO/
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2007-11-09] and in the UK, where the full series has been released twice, with the most recent edition seeing Stuart Damon, Alexandra Bastedo and William Gaunt reunite to provide a commentary for several episodes (Damon's continuing role on US series "General Hospital" meant that Bastedo and Gaunt had to be flown to America for this to occur). [cite news
last = Willmetts
first = Geoff
coauthors =
title = The Champions: The Complete Series
work = Science Fiction Crowsnest
pages =
language =
publisher =
date = 2006-08-14
url = http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=62440
accessdate = 2007-11-09] cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = ITC's super heroes Sterling, Macready and Barrett have never looked better on DVD
work = Reviews
publisher = Cult TV
date =
url = http://www.cult.tv/index.php?cm_id=881&cm_type=article
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2007-11-10]

Adaptations

Films

In the 1980s, ITC edited episodes "The Beginning" and "The Interrogation" into "Legends of the Champions", a feature length film intended for overseas markets.

In November 2007, it was reported that Guillermo del Toro would produce, write and direct a film adaptation of "The Champions" for United Artists. [cite news
last = Siegel
first = Tatiana
coauthors =
title = United Artists revives 'Champions'
work = Variety
pages =
language =
publisher = Reed Business Information
date = 2007-11-07
url = http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117975551.html?categoryid=13&cs=1&nid=2562
accessdate = 2007-11-08]

Books

Paperbacks based on the TV series include:
*"The Sixth Sense is Death". By John Garforth. London: Hodder Paperbacks, 1969 (a novelisation of the episodes "The Beginning" and "The Experiment") [cite encyclopedia
title = The Champions: The Sixth Sense is Death
url = http://homepage.ntlworld.com/john.seymour1/ukbookguide/Series/Champions/sixthSenseIsDeath.html
encyclopedia = The UK Sci-Fi Book Guide
volume =
pages =
publisher = Kieran Seymour
date =
id =
accessdate = 2007-11-10]
*"Lavage de Cerveau". By Pierre Salva. Paris: Presses de la Cité, 1977 [cite encyclopedia
title = Les Champions: Lavage de Cerveau
url = http://homepage.ntlworld.com/john.seymour1/ukbookguide/Series/Champions/lavageDeCerveau.html
encyclopedia = The UK Sci-Fi Book Guide
volume =
pages =
publisher = Kieran Seymour
date =
id =
accessdate = 2007-11-10]

Episode guide

References

External links

*imdb title|id=0062551|title=The Champions
* [http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/518968/index.html Series entry] at BFI screenonline
* [http://users.metronet.co.uk/cultv/champions.htm Series overview] at CulTv
* [http://www.televisionheaven.co.uk/champions.htm Series review] at Television Heaven
* [http://www.geocities.com/bill_fenner_1967/champions/ Nemesis Headquarters] , a fansite with comprehensive "in universe" sections