'Randall & Hopkirk ( Deceased ) came in at the end of the '60's, when audiences were tiring of spy shows and wanted something different. Dennis Spooner's offbeat show centred around a two-man detective agency with a difference - one of them was dead! Marty Hopkirk is murdered while on a case and his ghost returns to Earth to help Jeff Randall bring the killer to book. By staying longer than one day Marty violates an ancient curse and is doomed to remain a spectre forever.
The plots were essentially formulaic crime dramas, but given an interesting and humorous twist by the strange premise.
'Jeff Randall' and 'Marty Hopkirk' were superbly played by Mike Pratt and Kenneth Cope respectfully, the latter drawing on years of comedy experience in such shows as 'T.W.3'. Annette Andre provided glamour as Hopkirk's widow 'Jeannie'. A young David Jason appeared briefly in the episode 'That's How Murder Snowballs'.
As well as the chemistry between the leads, the show had an unmistakable air of melancholia, as typified in the opening of 'Never Trust A Ghost', in which Marty is seen aimlessly pacing the streets of London at night.
Edwin Astley's haunting music also contributed much to the atmosphere of this classic show. Sadly, there was no second series. But the first kept being repeated throughout the '70's, '80's and '90's. Most recently, it has been on I.T.V.-4.
The plots were essentially formulaic crime dramas, but given an interesting and humorous twist by the strange premise.
'Jeff Randall' and 'Marty Hopkirk' were superbly played by Mike Pratt and Kenneth Cope respectfully, the latter drawing on years of comedy experience in such shows as 'T.W.3'. Annette Andre provided glamour as Hopkirk's widow 'Jeannie'. A young David Jason appeared briefly in the episode 'That's How Murder Snowballs'.
As well as the chemistry between the leads, the show had an unmistakable air of melancholia, as typified in the opening of 'Never Trust A Ghost', in which Marty is seen aimlessly pacing the streets of London at night.
Edwin Astley's haunting music also contributed much to the atmosphere of this classic show. Sadly, there was no second series. But the first kept being repeated throughout the '70's, '80's and '90's. Most recently, it has been on I.T.V.-4.