The Secret ServiceThe Secret Service is a 1969 British children's espionage television series, produced by Century 21 / ITC Entertainment for Associated Television, Granada Television, and Southern Television. Created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, and produced by David Lane and Reg Hill, it was the eighth and final Century 21 production to feature Supermarionation. Under the direction of Gerry Anderson, who wanted to compensate for the inadequacies of Supermarionation and increase the realism of the format, The Secret Service incorporates footage of live actors for long-distance shots. Father Stanley Unwin, voiced by and resembling the real-life comedian of the same name, is the parish priest of a rural English village. But Unwin is in fact a secret agent for BISHOP, a covert British Intelligence branch that battles international criminal and terrorist threats. Aided by junior operative Matthew Harding, Unwin answers to his London-based superior 'The Bishop', as he would in his public profession.
CreatorsGerry Anderson, Sylvia Anderson
A Case for the Bishop
Sep 21, 1969
Unwin and Matthew are put on the case when the Ambassador of Dreisenberg attempts to smuggle a stolen mini-computer out of the country.
A Question of Miracles
Sep 28, 1969
Unwin and Matthew are sent to investigate the sabotage of several desalination plants with the help of Agent Blake.
To Catch a Spy
Oct 5, 1969
Unwin and Matthew are on the case when enemy spy George Grey escapes from a maximum security prison and disappears over the estate of Sir Humphrey Barton.
The Feathered Spies
Oct 12, 1969
Unwin and Matthew are sent to plug a security leak for a top-secret project.
Last Train to Bufflers Halt
Oct 19, 1969
Unwin is assigned to accompany a bullion train after an attempted robbery.
Hole in One
Oct 26, 1969
Unwin and Matthew are puzzled when they're assigned to investigate a security leak regarding an early warning satellite.
Recall to Service
Nov 2, 1969
Unwin must pose as an army officer in order to prevent the sabotage of an experimental new tank.
Errand of Mercy
Nov 9, 1969
When Unwin takes to bed from sunstroke, he has an extraordinary dream. Can he and Matthew survive their dangerous journey in Gabriel, the flying car, and deliver medical supplies to plague-ridden Africa?
The Deadly Whisper
Nov 16, 1969
Unwin encounters trouble in his parish when a local scientist is held hostage and forced to complete work on a prototype ultrasonic rifle so that mercenaries can shoot down a new jet.
The Cure
Nov 23, 1969
Unwin visits a health farm in order to keep tabs on one of the residents, a notorious spy named Sakov, and is baffled when Sakov manages to engineer the crash of a test car whilst secured in a treatment room.
School for Spies
Nov 30, 1969
Unwin infiltrates a gang of saboteurs posing as priests, but will he be discovered before he reveals their nefarious schemes?
Mayday! Mayday!
Dec 7, 1969
Unwin is assigned to protect the King of Muldovia from his brother's assassination attempts. When the flight crew of their plane is incapacitated, Unwin ends up having to pilot the plane himself!
More Haste, Less Speed
Dec 14, 1969
Unwin and Matthew are sent to retrieve two counterfeiting plates from the devious duo of Lord Edward and Lady Martha Hazlewell.
Bytecrawler
@Bytecrawler
In my opinion, probably the worst of Anderson's series. He only used Supermarionation in its most limited sense, to animate the marionettes and even then he occasionally reverted to live actors. He may have intended "to compensate for the inadequacies of Supermarionation and increase the realism of the format," but it came across to me as a cost cutting measure that took away one of the most fascinating aspects of his earlier series -- the amazing miniature scenes brought to life with brilliant models. As far as stories, they were OK, and occasionally entertaining, but not enough to make me want to watch this series a second time.
