The
lowdown: 'Adam Adamant Lives!' combines action, adventure
and comedy in a series that is definitely not
meant to be taken seriously.
The premise is rather absurd, but that was probably the point. It stars
Gerald Harper
as Adam Adamant, an Edwardian
adventurer who was cryogenically frozen by his arch enemy in 1902. Revived
in
1966, and 100 years after
he was born, Adamant resumes his lifestyle of adventure and intrigue in
the Swinging
Sixties. Adamant is often
aided (and sometimes hindered) by Georgina Jones, a young woman who befriends
him
and helps him to adjust
to life in the 1960s, and is constantly trying to get involved in his adventures.
Two seasons
comprising 29 episodes were
broadcast on BBC1 between 23 June 1966 and 25 March 1967.
The
episode: 'D for Destruction' was the 16th and final episode
of the first season, and aired on 13 October 1966.
General Mongerson (Patrick
Troughton) asks Adam to rejoin his old regiment, the 51st Yeomanry, where
he has
held the rank of Colonel
since 1895. Mongerson points out that Adam was never discharged from the
army, so he
enlists Adam's aid to look
into some trouble at the 51st. Three members of the regiment have died
in the last month,
and Mongerson suspects foul
play. Adam returns to the 51st, where he discovers that its senior officers
plan to take
control of an army base
and launch eight nuclear missiles into central London unless the government
pays £1m.
Who
connections: This episode also features Michael Sheard,
who appeared in six Doctor Who stories, including
Pyramids of Mars and Remembrance
of the Daleks. Iain Cuthbertson, who played Garron in The Ribos Operation,
is
also in this episode, while
Jack May (General Hermack in The Space Pirates) plays a recurring character
in Adam
Adamant. Many other actors
who were in Doctor Who had roles in this series, including Kate
O'Mara, Jean Marsh
and John Scott Martin, while
Verity Lambert was the producer.
The
verdict:
'Adam Adamant Lives!' is an entertaining series that does not take
itself too seriously, and is great fun
for nostalgia buffs who
look fondly on the 1960s. It does bear certain similarities to 'The Avengers',
which strangely
enough was one of ITV's
most popular shows when Adam Adamant hit the airwaves. Fans of the Austin
Powers series
will recognise much that
is familiar, while there is also a bit of Adam Adamant in the great Jon
Pertwee's portrayal of
the Third Doctor.
Adam:
What exactly is this trouble?
Mongerson:
Well, its hard to say. Like getting a bit of the old shrapnel in the
backside. You're not really sure where it is, but by heaven you know its
there. |
Video Clips:
General
Mongerson
6.4mb
Honour
of the regiment 6.3mb |
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