The Corridor People was a British television series produced by Granada Television for the ITV network in 1966, devised and written by Edward Boyd.[1]
| The Corridor People | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Thriller Surrealism |
| Created by | Edward Boyd |
| Directed by | David Boisseau |
| Starring | Gary Cockrell Alan Curtis William Maxwell John Sharp Elizabeth Shepherd |
| Theme music composer | Derek Hilton |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 4 |
| Production | |
| Producer | Richard Everitt |
| Camera setup | Multiple-camera setup |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production company | Granada |
| Original release | |
| Network | ITV |
| Release | 26 August – 16 September 1966 |
A surreal black-and-white detective series, The Corridor People pitched security agent Kronk (John Sharp) against exotic villainess Syrie Van Epp (Elizabeth Shepherd) over the course of four episodes.
The series has been released on DVD in the form of electronic conversions from 405 to 625-line video.
Cast
edit- Elizabeth Shepherd as Syrie Van Epp
- John Sharp as Kronk
- Gary Cockrell as Phil Scrotty
- Alan Curtis as Inspector Blood
- William Maxwell as Sergeant Hound
- Ian Trigger as Nonesuch
- Calvin Lockhart as Theobald Aboo
Episode list
edit| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Victim as Birdwatcher" | David Boisseau | Eddie Boyd | 26 August 1966 | |
|
Syrie Van Epp kidnaps an ornithologist in order to gain control of a company which produces a unique product. | |||||
| 2 | "Victim as Whitebait" | David Boisseau | Eddie Boyd | 2 September 1966 | |
|
Seeking to locate a reclusive accountant, Syrie Van Epp restores Phil Scrotty to life with the help of a disillusioned scientist (whom she later has killed). However, Scrotty, unreliable as ever, turns the tables and outwits everyone. | |||||
| 3 | "Victim as Red" | David Boiseau | Eddie Boyd | 9 September 1966 | |
|
Syrie Van Epp is keen to assist a man who remembers nothing except the phrase two million pounds. It is likely that there is a connection with a client of Scrotty's who has lost his amnesiac brother, yet the outcome is not what anyone expects. | |||||
| 4 | "Victim as Black" | David Boiseau | Eddie Boyd | 16 September 1966 | |
|
Queen Helena of Morphonia visits Britain in search of her idealistic son, who is searching for the commoner whom he fell in love with. Unsurprisingly, Syrie Van Epp has a hand in the mystery. | |||||
Reception
editThe series has been described as "(c)onfusing, erudite, self-consciously absurd and packed with eccentric dialogue";[2] "a surreal spy/detective/fantasy series";[3] "very much a product of its televisual times, following in the footsteps of such contemporaries as 'The Avengers' and 'Adam Adamant Lives!' However, unlike these more popular series this stylized swinging sixties Mystery/Detective/Thriller/Spy drama has failed to develop any long-term fan base or appreciation. Perhaps this was due to its limited run which prevented the building of a viewing base or perhaps it was just too off the wall and leftfield even for the psychedelic decade. The Guinness Book of Classic Television described the programme as "...the Twin Peaks of its day."[4]
References
edit- ^ John Finch, ed. (2003). Granada Television--The First Generation. Manchester University Press. p. 105. ISBN 9780719065156. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
- ^ "Corridor People, The – Nostalgia Central". nostalgiacentral.com. 3 January 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
- ^ kimnewman (5 March 2022). "TV review – The Corridor People (1966)". The Kim Newman Web Site. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
- ^ Marcus, Laurence. "The Corridor People". Television Heaven. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
External links
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