Callan

- Season 1

(1967)

Both a retread of the Armchair Theatre play 'A Magnum for Schneider' and a direct follow-on, the very first episode of the series proper replays Callan's recall from forced retirement, but this time to keep an eye on former SS officer Strauss (Powys Thomas), who is posing as a Greek Cypriot businessman named Stavros. Having secured a position as his bookkeeper, Callan is ordered to keep Strauss alive until he is handed over to the Israelis, and find conclusive evidence of the man's true identity.

Callan finds himself up against him former mentor. Nobby Clarke, now turned vicious mercenary. 'You shouldn't have come hear, Callan. I was always too good for you. I taught you, remember'

Facing up to Hunter is one thing - Callan's used to that. But facing up to Hunter and oriental Robert E. Lee, is too much for one agent to handle. Or is it?

Injured when out in the field, Callan must undergo a complete medical check-up. Bur what happens if someone wants you 'out of the way' for a few days - and is prepared to go to any lengths to achieve that aim?

Ordered to dispose of a member of the aristocracy, Callan, working outside the protection of the agency ('should anything go wrong, we don't know you') finds his mission hampered by Lonely's reluctance to help him.

When Lonely is beaten up after robbing a supposedly empty flat, Callan investigates on his behalf and discovers a link to a man named Pollock (Jon Laurimore), an enemy operative with whom he has had past dealings and who is currently under the Section's protection. After spotting Toby Meres leaving a safe house in which Pollock's girlfriend is holed up, Callan bluffs his way in and gets the operation details from her, then drops in to Section HQ to warn Hunter to keep his boys away from Lonely. Unfortunately for just about everyone, Meres has already paid him a visit.