On hearing of the news earlier this week of the death of the British actor Kenneth Cope, I felt had to go back and watch one of the episodes of the classic late 60's fantasy series in which he starred, "Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)". Only a day or so before he passed away, I was chatting to my old mum who reminded me it was my favourite programme as a child and I wouldn't argue with that assessment. It had a great theme tune and even for the times, a highly unusual premise - a dead detective returns as a ghost to help his former partner investigate unusual cases and I couldn't wait for each episode to be broadcast.
This one was well up to the mark, written and directed as it was by ITC regulars ("The Saint","The Avengers", "The Champions" et.al), Ian Broadley and Cyril Frankel respectively. In it, Mike Pratt's Jeff is engaged by a professional ghostbuster to assist him on a case where a wealthy woman is apparently being haunted by a ghost in the castle where she lives. Her new, younger husband, her seventh in fact, is however having an affair with a younger model and is thus set up as the prime suspect in her scarification, especially after the "ghost" pays her a visit and the ghost-hunter inexplicably dies.
But all is not as it seems as Jeff and Marty, with a little help from an elderly tea-lady blessed with the gift of second-sight enabling her to see and talk to Marty, much to his amazement, refuse to stand down the investigation. When the boys eventually crack the case and Marty thinks he has someone new to talk to in the old lady, there's one more amusing twist in the tale before the final credits roll.
As ever, it's fun to spot some familiar faces in the cast, most notably this time Lois "Miss Moneypenny" Maxwell and Carol "Monty Python" Cleveland. What really carries the day though is the easy interplay between Jeff and Marty, the former a little severe and tetchy at times with Marty by contrast, appreciably brighter if certainly more cowardly.
Mike Pratt died far too young at age only 45, but at least his old chum Kenneth Cope stayed around far longer before donning the white suit at the grand old age of 93.
A nice episode of a great show.
RIP Mr Cope.