stalking the not-so-elusive McCallum

[xparrot]

So the Quest for more David McCallum has lead us from Sapphire & Steel (worth watching - check out this non-spoilery picspam for more details. Now I'm trying out the radio plays, even if they are sadly McCallum-less - David Warner does a bang-up job as Steel, though, and I do like his voice) to Colditz and the '70s Invisible Man TV show.

Colditz is a '70s BBC two-series show about a WWII POW camp, mostly adapted from a true story--The Great Escape with much less action and much more Serious Talking. It took a bit to get going but now we're quite enjoying it, though it is terribly British, dour muted atmosphere and upper-lips so stiff one could hammer nails with them. (DMc's own upper lip is adorned with a mustache (sigh) as hot-headed young Flight Lieutenant Carter; it cracks us up that as far as we can tell the char's meant to be about thirty, when he was forty at the time - he doesn't have trouble pulling it off.)

The Invisible Man is in attitude like the otherwise unrelated SciFi Channel show of the same name, mostly comedy-action, though not as clever; it's pretty much a bad show across the board, if generally innocuous. It did, however, surprise us in the first episode. So DMc is the main character, the scientist who turns himself invisible. In the pilot he's happily married to a fellow scientist, and they're obnoxiously adorable together, calling each other "Doctor Westin" and snuggling and such. Naturally we spent the whole episode waiting for her to die - which she failed to do; instead of becoming the woman in the refrigerator, the wife becomes his partner, and for the rest of the series they run around doing missions together and having lots of happy marital sex (at least twice an episode, I'd say - she's married to David McCallum, who can blame her?) It's ridiculously cute - why isn't there more scifi with adorable married couples? Mmm, I love me some established relationshipping...

Comments

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

As far as I can tell the DMc I-man isn't available for purchase anywhere - I found it on bittorrent, very low-quality rips from VHS, but better than nothing. It's a silly show, but DMc is adorable, which, erm, is enough for me ^^ (even though he inexplicably seems to be playing an American. At least everyone calls him American - his accent, though toned down, is definitely not, however...)

[crossgate-teri.livejournal.com]

There are two episodes on you tube that I have found. The pilot and the first regular season episode. I enjoyed them.

[bluemeanybeany.livejournal.com]

All of Sapphire and Steel can be found here;
http://www.youtube.com/user/dalek64
and here;
http://www.youtube.com/user/dreamybluemeany


Everyone should then come and play with our friendly little escape committee of Oflag 4c Colditz here
http://www.youtube.com/user/Shovewood
We just adore Fl Lt Carter to pieces.
(warning; here be some major squeeing and fangirlish overload by many fangirls who should know better) This week the escape officer's theme is going to be McCallum in uniform

http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww149/Shovewood/annbillybudd1.jpg

Squee.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Fl Lt Carter is adorable! (even if he too could use a bit more artful pain & suffering...Illya spoils one so, it's such a disappointment that he's not getting knocked out & tied up in everything else...)

HOMG where did that picture come from?? he's so young! and soooo pretty...

(along similar lines, just out of curiosity...would you have any idea where one might obtain the DMc Kidnapped series? or is it generally unavailable?)

[bluemeanybeany.livejournal.com]

well all of Kidnapped may just be hiding on Shovewood's channel classed as Fo Bhruid (which is celtic for Kidnapped you see) 'Shovewood' is colditz and 'File Forty' is Man from Uncle.

Ah, Mr Allan Breck McCallum in all your blue silk, swishy cape, feather hat, leather gloves glory!
http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww149/Shovewood/probably6001_1__0033.jpg
Oh how I love thee!

As to a dvd, it's hard to come by. We got it from Serenaar, who got it from GeorgieSmith who I think got it from Sparky.

Have you met Major Mohn yet in Colditz series two? Mr Carter gets his own absolutely brilliant nazi Mohn to fight with (he's basically the dalek Sec of colditz) and things get a bit uncomfortable for the poor dear.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

!!! SWI~SH! how delightful!!

Celtic, ahah! (I just cracked your youtube code, but didn't realize what it meant...)

Dangit, why don't they release a David McCallum Special DVD set! They'd have so many buyers! ...well, one buyer, at least...

Haven't started series 2 Colditz yet, but you are giving us much to look forward to!

[certainlysandy.livejournal.com]

Snort. Breck! The Breck shampoo girl! I hadn't thought of that commercial in years. In fact, it sort of hurt.

[bluemeanybeany.livejournal.com]

The naval picture is from Billy Budd. McCallum has a minor role, he basically has to stand there looking pretty and morally torn. He does admirably. I do so love young black and white 1950s McCallum..
http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww149/Shovewood/wild.jpg

[gnine.livejournal.com]

WOW!!!! What's THAT one from? Or just from the period?! Good god he's hot!

(and now we must go watch more Colditz, cause the series two stuff sounds fun! ^__^)

[certainlysandy.livejournal.com]

Hotness, thy name is DMC.

[bluemeanybeany.livejournal.com]

Oh I know...that pic is one of my favorites. It's a publicity shot but theyve done him up as James Dean.

For the slightly rough look....
http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww149/Shovewood/robber21.jpg

[vivic-08.livejournal.com]

WOW!!! So beautiful and young, our Pretty!!!

[bluemeanybeany.livejournal.com]

With the Invisible Man we meanies just think he should be, well persecuted more. Everything shouldnt be so damn happy. If I was his wife I would at least get annoyed for a bit, and then suggest we sensibly flee before the CIA get a hold of us for their nasty experiments. There's no way any government, let alone the US one in the 70s would let him be free. I want him to gradually go gollum like too. There should be consequences damn it. It shouldnt be so vanilla. There needs to be a little crazy and evilness.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Yes, an Invisible Man without the insanity is like a sundae without the chocolate sauce! And it's a waste of a perfectly good McCallum not to torture him at least a bit. Still, it's awful cute (his hair! so jealous of the wife's actress, she gets to touch it...)

[xjestx.livejournal.com]

Oh, I just love Sapphire & Steel. I'm a little iffy on the Big Finish Audios - some of them are great and the others...not so much.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Mmmm, I need a S&S icon myself...!

I've listened to the first series of BF audios, and generally enjoyed them...the stories seem a bit more pat than the show's, but have the same creepiness and general ambiguity. Also, more Silver! which doesn't hurt...

[certainlysandy.livejournal.com]

Silver and Steel just proves how slashy we are. Sigh.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Heh - in S&S I totally threesome Sapphire/Steel/Silver - which Silver seems totally on board with, considering how he flirts with both of them XD

[certainlysandy.livejournal.com]

Indeed he does, indeed he does. And Steel looks totally bewildered by it.

[shayheyred.livejournal.com]

What always seemed the cheesiest to me on the Invisible Man was the mask and gloves thing, followed by panning camera and DMcC's disembodied voice.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Ahahah, and the way the camera focuses on blank space when he's talking...it's almost cute, how they think their bluescreening is so terribly clever.

...does make me want to rewatch the 2000 I-man something fierce!

[certainlysandy.livejournal.com]

Naturally we spent the whole episode waiting for her to die -

Ha! LOL!

My 13-year-old self mainly remembers thinking "the invisible man?" WTF? Damn, I can't see him! If I can't see David, why would I watch the stupid show?

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

I actually am very glad the wife didn't die, I get so annoyed with female characters serving only as motivation for the guys...it was a pleasant surprise that she got better than that!

And we had the same thought about the invisibility! Fortunately he's got a really cheesy "mask" that means he's walking about with his real face most of the time ^^