Spoonerism

If there is one soul that should be thought of the moment you think of British televison,
that soul should be Dennis Spooner. Spooner landed almost by accident in the medium,
let's just chalk it up to serendipity that he had.

   




Dennis followed his first passion, which was comedy; the stand-up variety, and ever
the rapacious wit, would also emerge as a successful gag writer. Some of his early
efforts were written for an ITV 1960 production, Bootsie and Snudge. He went
the proverbial gamut with his television writing and would eventually scribe
some very inspired drama scripts.


He had a natural flair for police procedurals and espionage themed shows such
as the long running Avengers. He was also none to shabby in the science-fiction
department and would team with another giant in the name of Gerry Anderson,
and ubiquitously contribute to the children's series Supercar in 1961and Thunderbirds
in 1965 to list but a few in what would be his own respective golden age.

    These Thunderbirds were all go


Spooner would partner with other heavyweights in the industry, beginning with  Richard Harris in 1967 as they would churn a short-lived
but compelling spy series called  Man In A Suitcase. Writer  Monty Berman would soon share a stage with
Spooner and this duo developed another short-lived but impactful ITC series; Department S (1969-70).

   Help, he's in a suitcase, get him out of there!




The best was surely next to come, as Mr Spooner, passionately interested in all things paranormal,
would conjure up a few ghastly concepts, and it would never be more evident than it was in
the off-kilter Randall And Hopkirk (deceased) which would also be released in America as My Partner The Ghost. An unusual concept that centered on a detective agency that primarily handled marital cases, where in the first episode we learn that there's really only Randall - or is there? Partner Hopkirk dies, but in Cosa Nostra fashion, never really ever leaves the business. The series was well-received, shockingly only survived a one season run. Spooner was able to marry the mediums he loved best here and the rights to the series is now, (albeit, much to my chagrin) in the none too humble hands of the SyFy (sic) channel as the network is debating how to remake this show. ( But they really, truly  shouldn't dammit)!

    The Ghostest With The Mostest.








Mr Spooner creatively unwavering,  contributed to hundreds of series, even as one off's as he did in the virtually ignored but brilliant suspense series - 1984's Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense. And if there are any Dr Who episodes that you should see, it would be the ones that he had personally penned.


Sadly, he left this earth far too prematurely in 1986, at the age of 54. I wonder what television would look like now, if he was still among us. There is no forking about here, Dennis Spooner was one of the best things to happen to the medium, full stop.