Callan
(On Topic: | A Magnum For Schneider | Big Finish Audio Vol 01 | Big Finish Audio Vol 02 | Callan File | Callan Uncovered | Callan Under The Red File | Colour Years DVD | Definitive Collection DVD | E-files For Callan | Edward Woodward Hour | Links | Monochrome Years DVD | Novels By James Mitchell | Rebooted | Red File For Callan - Radio Play 2012 | Series 1 | Series 2 | Series 3 | Series 4 | Short Stories By James Mitchell | Theme Tune | This Man Alone | Toys | Ultimate Collection DVD | Wet Job | Index )
SUBJECT: Callan, David
AGE: 38
STATUS: single
BASED: Fulham
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES:
Employed by "Hunter" as a secret agent, especially to eliminate
targets chosen for him by his Section. Cover occupation:
bookâkeeper in wholesale grocery.
BACKGROUND:
Working class. Secondary Modern school, Army career includir
Commandos. 15-month prison term Wormwood Scrubs.
LIFE STYLE:
Austere; lives incheap "cold water" flat. Travels by bus-
converted vehicles.
David Callan is the laconic special agent who takes on the K.G.B. single handed - well, almost single h anded; his little friend Lonely reluctantly and sometimes unknowingly becomes involved in Callan's adventures.
Callan works for The Section. Boss of the section is the super- cilious Hunter. A yellow file on Hunter's desk means that the person named in it must be kept under surveillance. A red file means that he must be killed.
The best example of spy craft on TV was this British series from the late 1960s, with a central character who hated his job but realised his life expectancy was nil if he ever left the service. This show was a gripping thriller that emphasised the psychological aspects of the job, but could dish out the violence if required, with an iconic performance by Edward Woodward in the lead role.
The last few episodes formed a story-line that was a cracker, where the ruthless Russian assassin pleads with Callan to finish him off before he gets turned over to the interrogators. As a reviewer said "presented a picture of British secret service methods that left a queasy feeling in the stomach".
Episodes
While the pilot still exists, many of the episodes from series one and two have been lost. For a long time the only way to see the early episodes that remained were via bootleg copies, but in 2010 UK DVD publisher Network released the surviving B/Ws on DVD: Callan - the Monochrome Years.
Series three has seen official released on VHS and DVD in the UK, US and Australia, while series four had a DVD release in Australia, US, and UK: Callan - the Colour Years. The follow-up reunion tv-movie Wet Job appeared in March 2011 in the UK.
In 2015 Leicester author MP Wright annouced that he had been approached by the James Mitchell estate and asked to reboot the show for the 21st Century.
The Novels
Written by the series creator James Mitchell, the first four of these - A Magnum for Schneider, Russian Roulette, Death and Bright Water, and Smear Job - are well worth tracking down, but the fifth - Bonfire Night - has been less popular with fans of the series and can only be recommended to die-hard collectors who like to have the whole set.
Short Stories
James Mitchell wrote at least 17 short stories about Callan for various UK newspapers.
The film
Two years after the TC show came to an end the pilot episodeA Magnum for Schneider was remade for the cinema.
Documents in our Callan section
- A Magnum for Schneider
- Series One
- Theme Tune
- Series Two
- Monochrome Years DVD
- Series Three
- Series Four
- Colour Years DVD
- Wet Job
- Rebooted for 21st Century
- The Definitive Collection DVD
- Novels
- E-Files for Callan
- Redfile for Callan - Radio Play
- Short stories
- The Edward Woodward Hour
- The Callan File
- Callan: Under the Red File
- Callan Links