One of the most fascinating obscure television shows ever made? A grand melding of drama, action and comedy, set against ghostly themes of mortality? A daft bit of nonsense? An excuse for ghostly special effects and two regulation fights per episode? All of the above? Yes, it's all of the above. 'Randall And Hopkirk, Deceased' was one of those shows we used to watch for its silliness in reruns, along with 'Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea', but now it's better than the vast majority of shows currently airing. What a time it was in the 1960s for making shows of broad mass appeal, and what a thing that's been lost! Oh, nostalgia for a time I never saw.
So, 'Randall And Hopkirk, Deceased' was a television series that ran for exactly one season, and was created by the legendary Dennis Spooner. Starring Mike Pratt as Jeff Randall, private detective, and Kenneth Cope as his late business partner Marty Hopkirk, it ran haphazardly and erratically for twenty six action packed episodes of noirish crime, femmes fatales, ghostly parody, and much of the invisible partner 'shtick' that would be resurrected for the invincible duo of Sam Beckett and Al Calavicci in 'Quantum Leap' many years later. The formula was simple after the introductory episode: Jeff takes on a case, which turns out to be a ruse of some kind and sold to him by a beautiful woman, gets into a lot of trouble, and then has to be rescued by Marty in some way. Usually widow Jeannie Hopkirk would be somehow involved (played by Annette Andre), and all would be resolved after Jeff had lost at least one fight and won the last. That formula, however, would be routinely tinkered with and bent as much as possible, and that humour was increasingly built into the show's bones as it went on. It was a cheeky series in its writing, and far more clever than it first appeared.
For a series that you might consider a dismal failure on its first showing, it surely has lived on a long time, via repeats and fond memories. The writing is one key to that longevity, as is the remarkable central acting duo of Pratt and Cope. Once again, Britain wins out for casting on ability as well as telegenic appeal. Yes, Pratt's Jeff does look a bit lived in, but he sells it with great gravitas and Cope's comic abilities shine magnificently after a brief settling in period. The comedy was a tough sell to producers of a show already in production and it works once they begin to lean to it. Did you ever see a ghost dance a can can with a bunch of show girls? Well, you will now. Another thing that is remarkable is the extent to which they mastered the various methods for Marty's ghostly shenanigans. Never has the jump cut or transparency or even the ghostly gale been used so well or expertly. I wonder how they do super-breath anyway? That's a good question to ask a Superman fan, if you know one.
It's fascinating to note the continuing impact of 'Randall and Hopkirk, Deceased'. The central mechanic was re-used in 'Quantum Leap' and probably other series, and was probably inherited a little from Spooner's inspiration, the film 'Angel On My Shoulder'. Ghosts have appeared in films for almost as long as there have been films, but how many of those shows or movies got a remake, even a disappointing one? How many lived on in repeats for decades? 'Randall And Hopkirk' has, and it continues to spread to new fans. That must mean that it's a classic. A lot of excellent shows are, you know.
O.
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