It is 1908. Adam Llewelyn De Vere Adamant ( Gerald Harper ), adventurer extraordinaire, is lured into a trap by arch-enemy The Face ( Peter Ducrow ), a villain whose features are concealed by a leather mask. The gloating fiend has Adam's beloved Louise ( Veronica Strong ) inject him with a serum designed to put him to sleep, before entombing him in a block of ice.
In 1966, workmen discover Adam's frozen body. The news makes the papers. Adam escapes from hospital, and is bewildered by the sights and sounds of the modern world. A young woman, Georgina Jones ( Juliet Harmer ), takes him back to her trendy flat. Adam does not have much time to acclimatize himself to Swinging London, however, as he is shortly to encounter lady gangster Margot Kane ( Freda Jackson ) and her henchmen Hicks ( Frank Jarvis ) and Hoggett ( Ivor Salter )...
Originally the first episode of 'Lives' had Ann Holloway ( later to appear in the Patrick Cargill sitcom 'Father Dear Father' ) as 'Georgina', and with a radically different plot in the second half as Adam thwarts The Face's attempts to kill The Home Secretary. Sydney Newman, whose idea the show was, ordered that it be scrapped, rewritten and re-shot ( though the opening was retained ). It is impossible for me to say whether I think Holloway would have been better or worse than Harmer, but the latter is very good, a wide-eyed 'Mod' whose very '60's catchphrase ( used each time she is surprised ) is "Zoink!". Her flat is similar to the one 'Tara King' ( Linda Thorson ) later had in 'The Avengers'.
As Adamant, Harper cuts a dashing figure ( reminding me a little of David Tennant's 'Dr.Who' ). The idea of a man fighting modern-day criminals armed with only a sword-stick and a passionate belief in good old British justice may strike some as ludicrous, and indeed they often regarded him as a joke - until he got the better of them. The fight scenes ( indeed those of the whole of Season 1 ) look a little scrappy, but that was sorted out the following year when a stunt team called 'Havoc' ( who also worked on Jon Pertwee's 'Dr.Who' ) was brought in.
Right up until the introduction of Kane, this is an excellent episode; the opening in which The Face traps Adamant is stylishly shot ( that dwarf looks really creepy ), and the sequence where Adam staggers round London, bewildered at everything he sees, is marvellous. Unfortunately, 'Kane' herself is simply not a very good villain; with her hat and cigar, she bears a striking resemblance to Joan Sims' 'Delia Capone' from 'The Goodies' episode 'Come Dancing'. It comes as a relief when she finally falls off a roof.
You can see here that this had the makings of a really good comedy adventure series ( Mike Myers later nicked the 'man out of time' idea for his 'Austin Powers' movies ), and indeed many episodes are first-rate. Being a B.B.C. series hurt it though. With a decent budget, this could conceivably have been a strong rival to 'The Avengers' on I.T.V.
Two seasons were made in total. The British Empire may have gone, but thanks to D.V.D., Adam Adamant still lives!
In 1966, workmen discover Adam's frozen body. The news makes the papers. Adam escapes from hospital, and is bewildered by the sights and sounds of the modern world. A young woman, Georgina Jones ( Juliet Harmer ), takes him back to her trendy flat. Adam does not have much time to acclimatize himself to Swinging London, however, as he is shortly to encounter lady gangster Margot Kane ( Freda Jackson ) and her henchmen Hicks ( Frank Jarvis ) and Hoggett ( Ivor Salter )...
Originally the first episode of 'Lives' had Ann Holloway ( later to appear in the Patrick Cargill sitcom 'Father Dear Father' ) as 'Georgina', and with a radically different plot in the second half as Adam thwarts The Face's attempts to kill The Home Secretary. Sydney Newman, whose idea the show was, ordered that it be scrapped, rewritten and re-shot ( though the opening was retained ). It is impossible for me to say whether I think Holloway would have been better or worse than Harmer, but the latter is very good, a wide-eyed 'Mod' whose very '60's catchphrase ( used each time she is surprised ) is "Zoink!". Her flat is similar to the one 'Tara King' ( Linda Thorson ) later had in 'The Avengers'.
As Adamant, Harper cuts a dashing figure ( reminding me a little of David Tennant's 'Dr.Who' ). The idea of a man fighting modern-day criminals armed with only a sword-stick and a passionate belief in good old British justice may strike some as ludicrous, and indeed they often regarded him as a joke - until he got the better of them. The fight scenes ( indeed those of the whole of Season 1 ) look a little scrappy, but that was sorted out the following year when a stunt team called 'Havoc' ( who also worked on Jon Pertwee's 'Dr.Who' ) was brought in.
Right up until the introduction of Kane, this is an excellent episode; the opening in which The Face traps Adamant is stylishly shot ( that dwarf looks really creepy ), and the sequence where Adam staggers round London, bewildered at everything he sees, is marvellous. Unfortunately, 'Kane' herself is simply not a very good villain; with her hat and cigar, she bears a striking resemblance to Joan Sims' 'Delia Capone' from 'The Goodies' episode 'Come Dancing'. It comes as a relief when she finally falls off a roof.
You can see here that this had the makings of a really good comedy adventure series ( Mike Myers later nicked the 'man out of time' idea for his 'Austin Powers' movies ), and indeed many episodes are first-rate. Being a B.B.C. series hurt it though. With a decent budget, this could conceivably have been a strong rival to 'The Avengers' on I.T.V.
Two seasons were made in total. The British Empire may have gone, but thanks to D.V.D., Adam Adamant still lives!
