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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