Series synopsis
The Troubleshooters is a British drama television series that premiered on BBC One on July 7, 1965. It ended on January 3, 1972. It was created by John Elliot. It stars Geoffrey Keen, Ray Barrett, Philip Latham and Robert Hardy.
The Troubleshooters is a British television series made by the BBC between 1965 and 1972, created by John Elliot. During its run, the series made the transition from black and white to colour transmissions.
The series was based around an international oil company – the "Mogul" of the title. The first series was mostly concerned with the internal politics within the Mogul organisation, with episodes revolving around industrial espionage, internal fraud and negligence almost leading to an acciden ...
Premise
The Troubleshooters is a British television series made by the BBC between 1965 and 1972, created by John Elliot. During its run, the series made the transition from black and white to colour transmissions.
The series was based around an international oil company – the "Mogul" of the title. The first series was mostly concerned with the internal politics within the Mogul organisation, with episodes revolving around industrial espionage, internal fraud and negligence almost leading to an accident on a North Sea oil rig.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Geoffrey Keen as Brian Stead
- Ray Barrett as Peter Thornton
- Philip Latham as Willy Izard
- Robert Hardy as Alec Stewart
- Julie Martin as Polly Higginbottom
- Bruce Boa as Bill Douglas
- Hal Galili as Art Bronovsky
- Noel Howlett as Sir Thomas Hewitt
Supporting cast
- Justine Lord as Steve Thornton
- Frank Middlemass as Mr. Berans
- Patrick Newell as Donald Keynes
- Robert Raglan as Michael Cater
- Barry Foster as Robert Driscoll
- John Tate as Uncle Jed
- Earl Cameron as Thomas
- Mary Webster as Thea
- Joss Ackland as Sam Jardine
- Michael Brennan as Matt Lawson
- Saeed Jaffrey as Sunil Seth
- Donald Pickering as Rawlings
Guest cast
- Julie Martin as Polly Higginbottom
- Bruce Boa as Bill Douglas
- Hal Galili as Art Bronovsky
- Noel Howlett as Sir Thomas Hewitt
- Justine Lord as Steve Thornton
- Frank Middlemass as Mr. Berans
- Patrick Newell as Donald Keynes
- Robert Raglan as Michael Cater
- Barry Foster as Robert Driscoll
- John Tate as Uncle Jed
- Earl Cameron as Thomas
- Mary Webster as Thea
Episodes
This series spans 7 seasons with 136 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 13 | July 7, 1965 | September 29, 1965 |
| Season 2 | 26 | April 30, 1966 | October 22, 1966 |
| Season 3 | 13 | January 30, 1967 | May 1, 1967 |
| Season 4 | 26 | October 13, 1967 | May 3, 1968 |
| Season 5 | 26 | January 6, 1969 | July 14, 1969 |
| Season 6 | 17 | May 18, 1970 | September 7, 1970 |
| Season 7 | 15 | September 13, 1971 | January 3, 1972 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Kelly's Eye Mogul strikes oil in the North Sea and everyone is sworn to secrecy. So when the story leaks to the press, executive Brian Stead wants the culprit sacked. Peter Thornton is sent to the rig to discover which rigger talked. |
July 7, 1965 |
| 2 |
Young Turk Robert Driscoll is sent out to take over negotiations for an important Middle East oil concession after the mogul representative has been killed in the desert. Driscoll antagonises the men on the spot, particularly the area manager Charles Andrews, who thought that he should have had the job. |
July 14, 1965 |
| 3 | Safety Man | July 21, 1965 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Is That Tiger, Man Peter Thornton is in the West Indies. His marriage to Steve is rocky and she has met Tiger, a local diver. Alec Stewart arrives to expand the new oil field but has taken Thornton's promotion and instead offered the job of regional manager. |
April 30, 1966 |
| 2 | When You Gotta Go | May 7, 1966 |
| 3 | Thea | May 14, 1966 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Words Are Softer Than Oil | January 30, 1967 |
| 2 | A Damn Great Lump Of Iron | February 6, 1967 |
| 3 | My Daughter Knows Her Way Around | February 20, 1967 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dragon By The Tail | October 13, 1967 |
| 2 |
The Daring Young Man Find this man and bring him here, Stead orders Thornton. But the man in question is crossing the Sahara Desert! |
October 20, 1967 |
| 3 |
Where The Carpet Ends Why was Ann Rendell sacked? Izard fights an injustice, but finds himself enmeshed in a sinister operation. |
October 27, 1967 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
A Dirty Old Man And A Rare Bird Zenith drop a bombshell into the world of Mogul. The repercussions will influence the company for a long time to come. |
January 6, 1969 |
| 2 |
Twenty Years Is No Time At All Thornton is sent to Singapore on a secret mission. |
January 13, 1969 |
| 3 |
How Much Is One Man Worth? How much is one man worth? When Ted Kihi is trapped in a Malaysian cave Peter Thornton turns the whole resources of Mogul, and his own skill as an oil man, to the rescue operation. |
January 20, 1969 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Slick And The Dread Stead is back in his haven, all's right with the world. But his quiet trip to the Caribbean on a Mogul supertanker produces unexpected developments. |
May 18, 1970 |
| 2 |
A Pig In A Pipe Stead's visit to a Mogul refinery in Africa causes problems for Peter Thornton. The simple job of organizing a ceremonial event becomes highly dangerous when a sacked engineer threatens to blow up the refinery. |
May 25, 1970 |
| 3 |
Camelot On A Clear Day A world famous leprosy hospital lies in the path of Mogul's exploration teams in East Africa. The ageing Dr. Hoffman who runs it is idolised by millions, including Willy Izard, who, with Thronton's help, has to cope with the problems involved. |
June 1, 1970 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Pie In The Sea (1) An oil find in Scandinavia brings problems for Mogul, and a new man poses a threat to Stead. |
September 13, 1971 |
| 2 |
Pie In The Sea (2) The threat to Stead becomes reality as Langley takes up his post as Deputy Chairman and Willy Izard reaches the end of the road. |
September 20, 1971 |
| 3 |
It's Thumbs Down For You Pizarro! Trouble in the Peruvian Andes for Thornton in the shadow of the Spanish Conquistadores brings Langley his first test as Deputy Chairman. |
September 27, 1971 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | BBC One |
|---|---|
| First aired | July 7, 1965 |
| Last aired | January 3, 1972 |
| Runtime | 60 minutes |
| Status | ended |
| Schedule | Monday at 21:20:00 |