Facebook
A Christmas gift to ourselves was Network’s DVD set of the 1968 ITC series Strange Report.
A coproduction with Arena Productions (e.g. Norman Felton from The Man From U.N.C.L.E.), the series aired on NBC, though with only 16 episodes, I’m not aware that it was ever syndicated—I’d never seen it until viewing the teaser episode appearing on Umbrella’s Return of The Saint set. Basically, the premise is CSI: 1968: Anthony Quayle plays criminologist/consultant Adam Strange, who untangles criminal situations with assistance from an American archeologist/pathologist, Ham Gynt (Kas Garas) and his neighbour, (artist/model) Evelyn McLean (Anneke Wills).
CBS would only need to replace Roger Webb’s theme with “I Can See For Miles” and it would be a perfect fit with CSI: (although the irony is that Pete Townshend’s father-in-law, Edwin Astley, was usually the author of the ITC theme songs). (Not that the Webb score is in any way lacking; I walk around with the theme in my head for days every time we watch an episode. One of the many bonus features on the set is the 26-minute master tape of Webb’s soundtrack recordings.)
The restoration the picture and audio quality is absolutely beyond criticism. The series is simply too cool for words. Those who own multistandard DVD players with a thing for Britain in the 1960s shouldn’t hesitate.
