The Rat Catchers
| The Rat Catchers | |
|---|---|
| Starring |
Gerald Flood Philip Stone Glyn Owen |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| No. of series | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 25 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Cyril Coke |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Rediffusion |
| Release | |
| Original network | ITV |
| Original release | 2 February 1966 – 9 March 1967 |
The Rat Catchers is a 1960s British fictional television series made by Rediffusion and broadcast on the ITV Network. It is about a top secret British Intelligence Unit. They receive orders from the Prime Minister and without question battles enemy spies, saboteurs, and other criminals in order to protect the security of Great Britain and the Western Alliance.
The Rat Catchers is an organisation based at Whitehall in Central London but officially didn't exist, being denied at the highest level as they worked with the greatest secrecy.
The focus is on three major characters:
The show begins with the arrival of Richard Hurst, the new recruit to the team, an ex-policeman who was said to have gone by the book whilst in the force. However, the secrecy in the organization's setup finds Hurst somewhat out of step with the other two, including not really knowing which of the other two really has the authority. Officially, Hurst is an employee of Smith's company: Transworld Electronics, leading to some confusion; in episode 3, he is not sure whether Smith or the Brigadier is his boss. This antagonistic approach leads him to feel left out, a situation not helped by Brigadier Davidson insistence that Hurst knows only the bare minimum about the organization and is keen to keep it that way.
The Brigadier's catch phrase is "Say so, if you understand me." which he repeats each time he sent Smith and Hurst on a mission to ensure his orders are carried out to the letter. This was mimicked on the single version recording of the theme tune which opens with the mimicked "Say Yes, if you understand me".
The show aired in two series comprising 25 x 60-minute episodes. Stories continued over multiple episodes in two or three parts, with cliff-hanger endings.
Made by - Rediffusion TV Network Production (part of the UK's then ITV network)
Producer - Cyril Coke
Director - James Ormerod
Theme music - Johnny Pearson ( composer and arranger)
Broadcast February 2, 1966 to April 27, 1966, on Mondays between 8pm and 9pm.
1. Ticket to Madrid
Written by Raymond Bowers
Ex-policeman Richard Hurst arrives and is sent on a mission. In Madrid, he and the beautiful Miss Larks (Jan Waters) come up against the cold horror of the world of espionage and deception. Also stars Norman Scace and Jeffrey Gardiner. This is one of only two surviving complete episodes.
2. The Captain Morales Story
Written by Raymond Bowers
In Madrid, Hurst comes face to face with the violence of his new job. Also stars Edward de Souza, James Kerry and Peter Dennis.
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