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Post by Deleted on Nov 7, 2013 11:16:50 GMT
Germany, eh? I often wonder if copies of some of the Missing Freewheelers exist there. There was German co-production money invested from series 4 onwards so I suppose it's possible copies reside there (as in the case of the BBC's Paul Temple). It's something that needs looking into as I don't think anyone has so far.
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Post by Patrick Coles on Nov 7, 2013 11:17:04 GMT
'Freewheelers' was great !
made on a small budget it was a fun adventure show for kids made with an adult show presentation & a good theme tune !
Tom Owen (Bill's son) was one of the original trio of young adventurers with another guy & a gal, later a young 'Chris Chittell' (yes the same 'Eric Pollard' from 'Emmerdale' !) was a later member of the team, as was Wendy 'Padders' Padbury ('Zoe' herself) too...
Ronald Leigh Hunt brought class to it as 'Col. Buchan' of M.I.5 (I think) with 'Major Graham' subbing for him in one series
Geoffrey Toone (later the villain in Dr.Who's 'Curse of Peladon' tale) was a superb ongoing foe as Nazi 'Von Gelp' (I think)- presumably still in hiding in the Solent area !!
I remember he had a bunch of henchmen (Michael Ripper was one I think) & a thicko guy named 'Boone' !
I remember one story involving the Great War wreck of the R.M.S. Lusitania !!
an imaginative kids adventure show from the days when ITV bothered with proper 'children's Television' (progress what progress ?)
this takes me back to schooldays....does much of the old 'Southern Television' made show survive ?
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Post by John Green on Nov 7, 2013 11:23:15 GMT
The Freewheelers ... for years I've been trying to remember the name to this series ... I used to watch it as a kid in Germany. What a great forum site this is. I had no idea that this was shown in Germany.It certainly looks as though there's hope that some of the series survived there.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 7, 2013 11:43:16 GMT
One can hope, John.
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Post by John Green on Nov 7, 2013 12:31:26 GMT
It was 2009 that series 6 was released in the UK.The only official release.
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Post by Ray Langstone (was saintsray) on Nov 7, 2013 13:12:52 GMT
If I could get access to ZDF's archives (a constant annoyance to me), I would look; they restrict non-partners. I'm still doing a little bit of stuff when I can, looking for footage. It's just very sporadic.
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Post by brianfretwell on Nov 7, 2013 15:43:35 GMT
'Freewheelers' was great ! Tom Owen (Bill's son) was one of the original trio of young adventurers with another guy & a gal, later a young 'Chris Chittell' (yes the same 'Eric Pollard' from 'Emmerdale' !) was a later member of the team, as was Wendy 'Padders' Padbury ('Zoe' herself) too... The other gal was Mary Maude who, if I remember correctly, teamed up with the other on a train from London to Portsmouth which lost a carriage on route.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 7, 2013 16:36:04 GMT
Carole Mowlam was also a regular in the third and fourth series.
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Post by Patrick Coles on Nov 7, 2013 17:53:45 GMT
who played 'Major Graham' ?
He was the younger M.I.5 chap who I think we learned was 'Col. Buchan's assistant' tho' in truth he really 'subbed' for Ronald Leigh Hunt's Col. Buchan as the chief guy in one series, they never appeared together as far as I'm aware
Did Ronald Leigh Hunt return for a later series...?
I recall one early member of the trio rode a motor bike (is that correct or am I muddling it up with 'Ace of Wands' or something...?)
It used to amuse me when Christopher Chittell was doing a very 'serious' intense dramatic scene as the devious 'Eric Pollard' in the soap Emmerdale....to think 'you used to be a Freewheeler Chris !'
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Post by Robbie Moubert on Nov 7, 2013 18:22:01 GMT
Eric Flynn played Major Graham.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 7, 2013 19:02:46 GMT
From memory, I think Ronald Leigh Hunt missed series 5 (?), when Major Graham came in. RLH then returned for series 6.
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Post by Ian Wegg on Nov 7, 2013 22:15:01 GMT
Ronald Leigh-Hunt was busy making the film Le Mans, which overran so meant he had to miss series 5. The concept for that series was his and, as previously mentioned, revolved around motor racing. RLH himself was a keen motor sport enthusiast, he raced an MGA at Goodwood in the sixties.
I'd forgotten about the Southampton Polytechnic connection ... I seem to remember it featured as MI5 HQ in one later series, while Fawley Power Station was often the villain's lair.
As Laurence said, series 4 onwards were sold to Germany (which meant Von Gelb had to go) but according to the Time Screen article the programme was already achieving foreign sales before that. Once in colour it apparently sold to quite a few foreign countries. I was contacted earlier this year by a fan from Sweden. There is currently someone cataloguing the Southern Television document archive at the BFI for a PhD thesis; I'm hoping when complete it may reveal details of these foreign sales which might help in tracing copies. (Seems to do the trick for Doctor Who!)
A champion of all things Southern is broadcaster Alex Dyke, who has worked for Meridian and now does a day time show on BBC Radio Solent. Mike Mansfield's Teenage Carnival recently featured in his daily "guess the TV theme" quiz and solicited some phone-ins. He has in the past given over several one hour slots to Southern TV, including one on Houseparty and another on Out of Town which also both got good audience participation.
~iw
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Post by John Green on Nov 7, 2013 22:38:36 GMT
I should know this,but was it called the Polytechnic at the time?Was it the place at East Park Terrace?
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Post by Peter Bradford on Nov 7, 2013 23:23:59 GMT
I should know this,but was it called the Polytechnic at the time?Was it the place at East Park Terrace? It was the 'Southampton College of Technology' - at East Park Terrace. I got my HND there.
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Post by Peter Bradford on Nov 7, 2013 23:29:01 GMT
A champion of all things Southern is broadcaster Alex Dyke, who has worked for Meridian and now does a day time show on BBC Radio Solent. Mike Mansfield's Teenage Carnival recently featured in his daily "guess the TV theme" quiz and solicited some phone-ins. .... ~iw Ouch .. 'Carnival' was written by Keith Mansfield !
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