The Champions - Review
Hey there E-Bayers,
This DVD box set was released in 2006 to coincide with the 40th anniversary of "The Champions" and the results are pretty impressive. For those who are not familiar with the seris, "The Champions" is a sci-fi/spy series that revolves around three people: Craig Stirling (played by future "General Hospital" veteran Stuart Damon), Sharon Macready (the beautiful Alexandra Bastedo) & Richard Barrett (British actor William Gaunt). They all work for an international agency called Nemesis, based in Geneva and travel across the globe fighting crime. Their boss is Tremayne (Anthony Nicholls).
The debut episode "The Beginning" set up the premise for the series. Whilst on a mission, our three interpid heroes are involved in a plane crash in the mountains of Tibet and are healed by a mysterious race of people who endow them with special abilities (heightened strength, telepathy, improved reflexes, etc) and it's with these qualities that they continue to fight the forces of evil around the world. However, they keep these abilities a secret from everyone else to maintain an element of anonymity.
Created by Dennis Spooner, the series was made in Britain in 1967. The show capitalized on the popular "spy craze" phenomenon which was huge both on American and UK television. More than 40 years later, the series holds up rather well. "The Champions" was shot on colour film and has a polished look about it. Granted, there are aspects to the show's production that look dated (clothing, hairstyles, dialogue and so on), but the script writing, direction and acting are solid and consistent. At the heart of "The Champions" lies the chemistry between it's leads. Stuart Damon, Alexandra Bastedo & William Gaunt sparkle together - it's not hard to see why these three were ultimately chosen for the show as they each bring intelligence, depth and humour to their respective characters. "The Champions" also features the talents of such writers as Terry Nation, Brian Clemens, Tony Williamson & Donald James as well as first rate directors like Robert Asher, Roy Ward Baker, Don Sharp & Cryil Frankel.
The episodes tehmselves tackle an array of different themes. From the Nazi's trying to re-seize power ("The Search", "The Survivors" & "The Final Countdown"), to restoring stability in the Middle East ("Desert Journey"), to criminal organizations intent on creating havoc ("The Fanatics" & "The Gilded Cage" ) to missions of a personal nature ("The Interrogation", "The Experiment" & "Autokill").
This DVD boxset features all 30 episodes (the show only ran one season). It shouldn't be confused with the 2003 DVD boxset which was a French based release. This version goes one step better. You get audio commentaries from the cast and crew, a comprehensive booklet that details the making of the series, promotion material (including screen tests) and most exciting of all is the documentary that reunites all three stars as they are today (today being 2006!) and their thoughts and memories of making the show. What's wonderful is that they all look good - considering the passage of time (it is 40 years after all!).
"The Champions" is an enjoyable slice of 1960's Brit tv. The show holds a unique place amongst other imaginative shows of the same era such as "The Avengers", "Department S", "Randall & Hopkirk Deceased" etc. If it's retro kicks you're looking for, then this is the trip for you. Check it out......Read full review
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