The
lowdown: ''Albert Campion, born
May the 20th, 1900. Name known to be a pseudonym. Education privileged.
Embarked
on adventurous career, 1929. Justice neatly executed. Nothing sordid, deserving
cases preferred, police
no
object. Business address: 17 Bottle Street, Picadilly, London, W1. Specialist
in fairy stories." This monologue,
delivered direct to camera,
introduced Albert Campion, the aristocratic amateur detective who featured
in 17 novels
by Margery Allingham. The
series comprises eight stories (each of two 60 minute parts), broadcast
on BBC1 between
22 January 1989 and 9 March
1990. It stars Peter Davison as Campion and Brian Glover as his manservant
and former
burglar, Magersfontein Lugg.
The
episode: 'Look to the Lady' was the first episode of the
series, and sees Campion come to the aid of the Gyrths,
a wealthy family who have
been entrusted with the safekeeping of a mediavel chalice for generations.
The Gyrth family
stands to lose their entire
fortune if the Gyrth Chalice leaves their possession, and an international
gang of thieves and
killers plan to steal the
chalice. Val Gyrth, the estranged son of Colonel Gyrth, must return to
the family estate after a
number of years to protect
the chalice. However, it is revealed that the chalice is not over a millennium
old as widely
believed, but no more than
200 years old. Campion must deal with factors such as elderly witches,
ghosts in the forest
and armed robberies, as
he finds out who has hired the gang of thieves to steal the chalice, and
discovers the truth
about a mysterious room
in the east tower of the Gyrths' mansion.
The
verdict: 'Campion' is an enjoyable
series that does not take itself too seriously, with Davison often speaking
directly
to
the camera and using humour as a plot device. Davison is superbly cast
as Campion, whose seeming naivity makes
him
appear on first glance to be the most unlikely amateur detective, but people
who meet him quickly realise that this is
simply
a persona. Brian Glover (known to Doctor Who fans for his appearance in
'Attack of the Cybermen'), is also perfect
as
Lugg, a reformed villain who makes an ideal foil for Campion. If you enjoy
British detective shows, particularly period
ones,
this is one that should please most fans of the genre.
Trivia:
The BBC previously made a series based on the Campion novels in 1959, starring
Bernard Horsfall in the title role.
Horsfall of course made
a number of appearances in Doctor Who.
Quote:
Lugg:
They've got a secret room in the east tower, containing a namless horror.
There's a window but no door.
Campion:
What sort of namless horror.
Lugg:
If they knew that it wouldn't be nameless, would it?
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