Strange Report

The Strange Report is nowadays quite forgotten compared to the other ITV adventures like The Saint, Danger Man etc. Only one season was ever made. This isn't however, because the series flopped; in fact the truth is quite opposite. The Strange Report was an ambitious series, starring Anthony Quayle as a master detective utilizing top science and psychological skill instead of fists and guns. It got good reviews and was very popular in the UK. ITV got so excited, they thought they had a break at the US market and decided to film the second season in the States. As Strange as it may sound, Quayle and his female sidekick, Anneke Wills, decided they didn't feel like traveling, and the series was axed! How does the series, killed by its popularity, look now? It has a nice swinging 60's look, but it has it's problems. Kaz Garas as the male sidekick Hamlyn Gynt(?) is quite a bland character, and although Anthony Quayle does a competent job, mr. Strange isn't extremely charismatic. It is, however, a quality show, good scripts, good acting, decent production values. The Strange Report genuinely favors wit over action. Strange can talk the criminal to put down his gun instead of the usual shooting and chasing. Definitely a show worth checking out.

During the summer of, I think, 1971, NBC used a three-year-old British show called The Strange Report as a summer replacement. I have very good memories of my 20-year-old sister wanting me to see this cool show and my surprise that it was cool (and she wanted to spend time with me, her annoying brother of 13!).

I remember the show as a fairly hip, witty, and funny show about three scientists who investigated the para-normal. The two male leads, Anthony Quayle and Kaz Garas were established character actors, but I didn't have a clue about the female lead. The show was spooky and scary and terribly fun to watch on a hot July night. Honestly, I don't remember much from the show--this review is more about the memories it evoked, but, if you ever get a chance to see it, watch it with an open mind (through my adult lenses, it's probably just awful!) and imagine seeing this with your older sibling(s) and feeling just fine.

This was a decent action series, but isn't as fondly remembered as, say, Randall & Hopkirk or The Saint (though it was somewhat better made, with higher production values). The premise was that Adam Strange, together with two young sidekicks, would solve unusual crimes, not through routine thick-ear violence, but rather with skill, science and psychology. The scripts were intelligent, and even (as for example in the episode with Julian Glover playing a psychotic on a revenge spree) moving. And an excellent theme tune also helped.

So far, so good. But it never quite made classic status. There are a couple of possible reasons for this. Firstly, the cast was not super-charismatic. Anthony Quayle as Adam Strange is somewhat cerebral, and Kaz Garas as Ham was not terribly engaging, with his earnest manner, strangely stooping gait and persistent references to Minnesota. Both look as if the swinging sixties were about to pass them by. On the other hand, Anneke Wills, fresh from Dr Who, continued her posh dolly bird act with her usual panache, but - as in Dr Who - was too often relegated to making the tea.

Secondly, the cases fell between several stools. It is easier to say what they are not, than what they had in common. They were not surreal. They were not glamorous. They were not spooky or supernatural. They were not action-packed. They were not comedic. They were not police procedural. They were largely, but not exclusively, restricted to Britain, and often took their premises from the headlines. The title 'Strange Report' was an unfortunate misnomer - it does lead the viewer to expect something odd or off the wall, which they rarely were.

Some sort of methodical and painstaking science or data checking was usually brought in. A typical scenario would involve Ham having to stay up all night going through the telephone directory finding all the people called Smith whose houses had North-facing aspects, forty years before mashups and Google Maps would have solved all his problems.

They were certainly enjoyable, but just fail to stick in the mind. But well worth seeing, and give a much better sense of what life was actually like in the 60s and 70s than was usual in the genre.

That was probably their problem - too real and too intelligent!

I've just recently obtained the DVD set of all 16 episodes of "The Strange Report" and have managed to watch a quite few episodes. This is really a first class series. I'm a big fan of most of the ITC productions (the golden age of UK TV), but I wasn't aware of this programme until recently. It is definitely up there with such quality ITC shows as "The Champions", "The Prisoner", "Randall and Hopkirk Deceased" and "Department S". Apparently, this series differed from the rest because it was an Anglo-American co-production, involving both American and UK producers, writers etc.

The 3 main characters interact very well on screen and there is a very good rapport between them which draws the viewer in. I think the show really stands out because it tackles some very emotive subjects such as racism, immigration, medical ethics and diplomatic incidents.

Another great aspect to all the episodes are its views of late sixties London; capturing some parts of the city which have changed over time. A lot of ITC stuff tended to rely on mostly studio and set production with a little location filming and stock footage. This programme has plenty of location work which just gives it that edge. Finally, a fantastic, vibrant and very memorable theme by Roger Webb, puts the cherry on the cake.

It would have been great to see the planned second series set in the USA. Definitely a fine example of good old Anglo-American cooperation.

I remember watching this series as a young boy in the late 60s. It was a excellent series then and, still is, now. What a shame they never went on to make a second run. What a great roll model Anthony Quayle was both as Adam Strange and as him self. Anneke Wills was/is great attired in the fashion outfits of the day and Kaz Garas was full of great fun without being too over the top, I thought his character was great. All three characters interacted so well that the presence of other actors is almost an intrusion.

As for DVD box set - It was great to see the present day Anneke and Kaz speaking of the series on the DVD extras disc. Appearances are made by other actors, like Martin Shaw, talking about the program just prior to the episode that they appear in. The quality is stunning, having been digitally remastered, far better than when I originally watched it. What a treat to see it again after all these years.