The lowdown: 'The Champions' is yet another British action/adventure series from the prolific stable of ITC Entertainment,
with 30 episodes produced and aired on ITV1 between 25 September 1968 and 23 April 1969. The focus of the series is 
three agents for a United Nations organisation called Nemesis, who are given a number of enhanced abilities by an advanced
civilisation after their plane crashes in the Himalayas. The series starred Stuart Damon as Craig Stirling, Alexandra Bastedo
as Sharron Macready and William Gaunt as Richard Barrett. Their "superhuman" powers include telepathy, enhanced strength
and heightened senses such as sight and hearing. The opening credits describe them as the 'Champions of law, order and
justice', and each episode sees them sent on a (typically) dangerous assignment by their boss, Tremayne, who is not aware
of their special abilities. It is important to note that their special abilities do not make them superhuman, and they can be killed
just like anyone else.

'Desert Journey' was the 25rd episode of the season, and was first broadcast on ITV1 on 19 March 1969. It episode opens with
a bomb blast in the North African country of El Haami, where the nation's leaders are having an important meeting. The nation
is on the brink of anarchy, and Nemesis believes that the only way to restore calm is to get the exiled son of El Haami's former
ruler to return home. Nemesis assigns Stirling and Mccready to escort the Bey, as he is called, back to El Haami. But of course
his enemies will stop at nothing to ensure that he does not return, so Stirling, Mccready and the Bey embark on a perilous journey
across the desert in order to reach El Haami. Needless to say, the special powers of Stirling and Mccready are put to good use,
and despite an attempt on the Bey's life, they safely return him to El Haami, although he realises that he will not be safe while
his enemies are at large. Roger Delgado features as Yuseef, one of the leaders of the El Haami government, who agrees to help
the Bey to restore order to the country.

Trivia: The Bey was played by a young Jeremy Brett, who later went on to star as Sherlock Holmes in the acclaimed ITV series.

Video Clips:  Bomb attack   (6.4mb)
                     Room bugged   (5.5mb)
                     The Bey returns   (5.8mb) 
 
 


 

 
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