Explore TV Series

Colonel March of The Department of Queer Complaints investigates unusual cases, locked-room murders, and mysteries concerning the supernatural.

Whack-O! was a British sitcom TV series starring Jimmy Edwards, written by Frank Muir and Denis Norden, and broadcast from 1956 to 1960 and 1971 to 1972. The series ran on the BBC from 1956 to 1960 and from 1971 to 1972. Edwards took the part of Professor James Edwards, M.A., the drunken, gambling, devious, cane-swishing headmaster who tyrannised staff and children at Chiselbury public school. The Edwards character bore more than a passing resemblance to Sergeant Bilko as he tried to swindle the children out of their pocket money to finance his many schemes.

Educating Archie was a BBC Light Programme comedy show which was broadcast for nearly ten years between June 1950 and February 1960, mostly at lunchtime on Sundays. The programme featured ventriloquist Peter Brough and his doll Archie Andrews. The show was very popular, despite its unlikely central premise of a ventriloquist act on radio. Educating Archie averaged 15 million listeners, and a fan club boasted 250,000 members. It was so successful that in 1950, after only four months on the air, it won the Daily Mail's Variety Award. This series is lost.

Captain of 'The Shipwreck' Grant Mitchell runs a cargo business, but finds himself often called on for help against problems, intrigue, and villainy on the choppy waters of his trade.

The Adventures of Twizzle is the very first television show produced by AP Films and specifically Gerry Anderson, after being approached by author Roberta Leigh and her colleague Suzanne Warner. Sources vary as to who directed the series. In addition to his production duties, Anderson also directed the action whilst photography was directed by Arthur Provis, Anderson's founding partner at AP Films. The music for the songs were written by Leslie Clair, the music was scored by Barry Gray, art direction came from Reg Hill and special effects were by Derek Meddings, all of whom would become long-time collaborators with Anderson.

The Sandman's everyday life, travels and fantastic adventures. The character often showcased socialist technological achievements, such as the use of awe-inspiring vehicles like futuristic cars and flying devices. Together with his friends, Pittiplatsch, Schnatterinchen, the dog Moppi, Herr Fuchs and Frau Elster. Premiered in DFF on November 22, 1959.

New York Confidential is a British-American crime drama series that aired from 1958 to 1959. The series aired in syndicated in the United States and was broadcast on London's local ITV station, Associated-Rediffusion, in the UK. It was co-produced by ITC Entertainment, Metropolis Productions, Inc., and Television Programs of America.

Whicker's World is an award-winning British television documentary series that ran from 1958 to 1994, presented by journalist and broadcaster Alan Whicker. Originally a segment on the BBC's Tonight programme in 1958, Whicker's World became a fully-fledged television series in its own right in the 1960s. The series was first shown by the BBC until 1968, and then by ITV from 1969 to 1983, when it was produced by Yorkshire Television, in which Whicker himself was a shareholder. The series returned to the BBC in 1984, and to ITV again in 1992.

A half-hour anthology series.

Widowed Mrs Martingale and her four children inherit a castle in the will of an elderly relative. When they move in they find dear old Miss Button, the housekeeper, a whole host of cats and, odder still, a boy called Christopher Sixpence who keeps appearing and disappearing. What is he doing there?

Garry Halliday is a British television series for children that ran on the BBC from 1959 to 1962. The show starred Terence Longdon as airman Garry Halliday. The episodes were closely based on the books by Justin Blake.

...Not very long ago, in the top left-hand corner of Wales, there was a railway. It wasn't a very long railway or a very important railway, but it was called The Merioneth and Llantisilly Rail Traction Company Limited, and it was all there was. And in a shed, in a siding at the end of the railway, lives the Locomotive of the Merioneth and Llantisilly Rail Traction Company Limited, which was a long name for a little engine so his friends just called him Ivor..." ...And that was how it began, back in 1959: one of Oliver Postgate's most loved creations, Ivor the Engine. It was a series about the Welsh adventures of a little green railway engine and his many friends. But Ivor wasn't an ordinary steam engine. He pretty much wished he was a person and ended up doing things like singing in a choir and swimming in the sea! One season of six, 10 minute, Black and White films was made for and screened by Associated-Red.

Glencannon is the chief engineer on the old Inchcliff Castle. Each week he connived to get rich on some outlandish scheme. Montgomery is the only 1 who is really on to him and is forever trying to put a stop to him, however that is not so easy!

Familie Schölermann is a German television series.

Beginning in 1959 as Bruce's Show, mixing music, dancing and comedy in the time honoured tradition, this series focused on laughter, glamour and big name guests.

Based on the diaries of the naval adiminister Samuel Pepys, it portrays life at the court of Charles II during the 1660s.

About Religion was a UK religious affairs programme on Associated Television (ATV) 1958–1965. It was usually hosted by interviewer Julian Grenfell, with David King and John Brooking. An anthology of interviews was published in 1963.

Oh Boy! was the first teenage all-music show on British TV airing in 1958 and 1959. It was produced by Jack Good for ITV. Good had previously produced 6.5 Special for the BBC Television, but wanted to drop the sport and public-service content from this show, and concentrate on the music. The BBC would not accept this, so Good resigned. ABC allowed Good to make two pilot all-music shows, which were only broadcast in the Midlands. These pilots were successful, so the programme was given a national ITV slot on Saturday evenings, from 6.00 – 6.30 PM, in direct competition with 6.5 Special, but starting slightly earlier. The hosts were Tony Hall, a jazz record producer and critic, and Jimmy Henney, and the artists covered a broad spectrum of music including ballads, jazz, skiffle and rock and roll. The show was broadcast live from the Hackney Empire. Each week Oh Boy! featured resident artists plus a selection of special guests. The residents included Cuddly Dudley, who sang on 21 shows, Cliff Richard, The Drifters, Marty Wilde, and The Dallas Boys. Guests included Billy Fury, Tony Sheridan, Shirley Bassey and Lonnie Donegan; with occasional US stars, such as The Inkspots, Conway Twitty and Brenda Lee. The solo artists were supported by a specially created house band Lord Rockingham's XI, who went on to have hits in their own right, including a No 1 single "Hoots Mon". Performers were also supported by the singing and dancing of The Vernons Girls, the Dallas Boys and Neville Taylor's Cutters

Scotland Yard was perhaps the best-known series to emerge from Anglo-Amalgamated’s output of crime drama. Shot as cinema support features at the company’s Merton Park Studios in South Wimbledon, these half-hour thrillers – based on real-life cases from the vaults of London’s Metropolitan Police headquarters – were a successful regular feature in cinemas over nearly a decade from the early 1950s onwards. Like sister series Scales of Justice, Scotland Yard is introduced by celebrated writer and criminologist Edgar Lustgarten and presents case after intriguing case, with many solved onscreen by the redoubtable Inspector Duggan (played by Australian-born Russell Napier).

Orson Welles' Sketch Book is a series of six short television commentaries by Orson Welles for the BBC in 1955. Written and directed by Welles, the 15-minute episodes present the filmmaker's commentaries on a range of subjects. Welles frequently draws from his own experiences and often illustrates the episodes with his own sketches.

Bleak House is the first BBC adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel of the same name. It was adapted by Constance Cox as an eleven-part series of half-hour episodes first transmitted from 16 October 1959. It stars Andrew Cruickshank in the role of John Jarndyce, Diana Fairfax as Esther Summerson and Colin Jeavons as Richard Carstone. The complete series still exists.

Blaulicht is a German crime television drama series, whose 29 episodes were based on crime case files.

Adam Knight is a young man who, having tried several jobs, decides to set up an agency, 'Knight Errant '59', to solve other people's problems - whatever they may be. There's plenty of scope and, assisted by former reporter Liz and idealistic young writer Peter, the latter-day Sir Lancelot is kept busy with a variety of curious and exciting cases. The series had two titles, Knight Errant '59 and Knight Errant Limited of which only two episodes exist out of the 75 produced.

Starr and Company is a BBC television drama series aired in 1958. It was a soap opera, aired twice a week, Monday and Thursday. 77 episodes were made. The series was set in a buoy-making firm established by retired naval engineer Joseph Starr in the fictional town of Sullbridge in South East England.

The Errol Flynn Theatre is a short-lived anthology series presented by Errol Flynn, who would also play the lead in every fourth show. His then-wife Patrice Wymore and son Sean also made appearances. It was shot in England at Bray Studios but was made for the American market.

Noggin the Nog is a popular British children's character. Noggin himself is a simple, kind and unassuming King of the Northmen in a roughly Viking-age setting, with various fantastic elements such as dragons, flying machines and talking birds.

Robin Hood was produced in 1953 by the BBC, during which time these episodes were transmitted live and then re-acted the following Saturday or Sunday in order for a repeat to be shown. However, in some cases, television programmes were recorded onto 16mm film; the age and technology used in order to film titles such as Robin Hood mean that they no longer survive in their original quality, which means that transmission of these episodes by today's standards would be deemed as 'unacceptable'. However, short clips of this serial have aired as recently as 2007 as part of a documentary presented by Jonathan Ross, covering Robin Hood from its beginnings to the more recent BBC production, and shown as an example of television production in the BBC series of documentaries entitled Children's T.V. On Trial The 1950s. The show lasted only for one season, and starred Patrick Troughton as Robin Hood. Later was aired the TV series The Adventures of Robin Hood.

This is a real treasure for the countless fans of this flamboyant pianist and singer whose talent was almost overshadowed by his glittering stage productions. With his dazzling piano virtuosity and sparkling personality, Liberace endeared himself to millions. Dressed in his exotic suits and with a candelabra always present on the piano, he brought a special magic and charm to everything he played, whether it be the classics or the latest popular song. Here he runs the full gamut... from Chopin to Tin Pan Alley and all in his own unique style.

This short-lived French TV series from 1950 features police investigations tinged with astrology. In nine episodes of about ten minutes each, in a humorous style, a duo of private detectives investigates a series of murders involving a marriage agency.

Murder Bag debuted in 1957, featuring Detective Lockhart and his iconic murder bag for forensic investigations.

This French TV series from the 1950s and 60s explored historical events using dramatic reenactments, bringing history to life for its viewers.

British expatriate John A. Hunter leads safari tours in Africa.

Boy Meets Girls was a UK popular music TV show which was launched in September 1959 replacing the earlier show Oh Boy!. The show was presented and produced by Jack Good. Marty Wilde was the principal resident male artist and The Vernons Girls were the female residents. Joe Brown made regular appearances. Other artists appearing included Terry Dene, Freddy Cannon, Little Tony & His Brothers, Adam Faith and Cliff Richard. The director was Rita Gillespie for ABC Weekend Television part of the ITV network. It closed in 1960; all 26 episodes were subsequently wiped, and none survive in ITV's archive as of 2009.

A team of scientists search for the origin and purpose of a mysterious capsule found on a building site.

Set in the near future against the background of a British space programme, the story of the first crewed flight into space, supervised by Professor Bernard Quatermass of the British Experimental Rocket Group.

Professor Bernard Quatermass of the British Experimental Rocket Group is sought to examine strange meteorite showers. His investigations lead to his uncovering a conspiracy involving alien infiltration at the highest levels of the British Government. As even some of Quatermass's closest colleagues fall victim to the alien influence, he is forced to use his own unsafe rocket prototype, which recently caused a nuclear disaster at an Australian testing range, to prevent the aliens from taking over mankind.

Our Miss Pemberton is a British television programme which aired on the BBC from 1957 to 1958. A drama, it was about life in a small town. All 56 episodes were broadcast live and no telerecordings appear to have survived, leaving them lost.

The investigations of two French detectives. Filmed in Paris, the series is also known as `World Crime Hunt.'

The programme ran on BBC in 1952-53, returning in '55 after a hiatus. "Before Your Very Eyes" featured comic monologues and simple skits, of the sort which had been popular in English music hall between the wars. Askey was ably assisted by Dickie Henderson, soon to become a major comedian in his own right.

What was the secret of the great deserted house overlooking the sea from the lonely peninsula on the Scottish coast? Why was the house so closely guarded by the silent men who would have no dealings with their neighbours' in the village below? In Judith Kerr's adaptation of John Buchan's most exciting novel Huntingtower you can see how chance brought together strange partners to solve the mystery. A retired grocer, a poet, and a band of tough, ragged Gorbals Boy Scouts combine forces to uncover the secret. Huntingtower by John Buchan was adapted as a six-part BBC Television Children's serial by Judith Kerr and first broadcast on the BBC-tv network on Sundays (5.35–6.05pm) from 16 June to 21 July 1957. It starred James Hayter and Richard Wordsworth.

Italian frogman and scientist Paolo Rocello is found dead on a houseboat. The owner of the boat, Mr. Cooper, has disappeared without a trace. The English boarding school town of Medlow is now in turmoil. Of all people, the likeable boarding school teacher David Henderson is increasingly suspected of murder. This is because Katherine Walter, the niece of Dr. Sheldon, saw him on the boat on the day of the murder. However, Dr. Sheldon himself also becomes a suspect. Inspector Ford and Sergeant Broderick are in the dark – until another murder occurs and a completely new perspective on the events emerges...

The New Adventures of Charlie Chan is a British-American crime drama series that aired in the United States in syndicated television from June 1957, to 1958. The first five episodes were made by Vision Productions in the United States, before production switched to the United Kingdom under ITC Entertainment and Television Programs of America.

The Black Brigand' (1956) - starred William Devlin as Carl the White King, Laidman Browne as Don Rogano and Anthony Newlands played Fernando. Carl the White King was a Macchiavelian figure who ruled the country with cruelty and oppression. Don Fernando, exiled from court, was a Robin Hood/ Zorro type figure who redressed ordinary people's grievances, but whose identity was unknown to the King. Series is believed to be lost.

Inspector Paul Derek is based in Nairobi, Kenya but travels throughout the colonial territory solving crimes. The nature of the bad behavior is often unique to the African locale. The phone number at the office is 1356.

Armchair Theatre is a British television drama anthology series of single plays that ran on the ITV network from 1956 to 1974. It was originally produced by Associated British Corporation, and later by Thames Television from mid-1968.