Spy-Catcher (1959–1961)

Stars:

Bernard Archard, John Breslin, Peter Jesson

Cast

Series cast summary:
Bernard Archard	...	Lt. Col. Oreste Pinto (24 episodes, 1959-1961)

Storyline

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Plot Keywords:

spy | partially lost tv series

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 September 1959 (UK)

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min 30 min (24 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

User Reviews

How to make the best of a sparse set and a low budget

Each episode in this series featured a lengthy interrogation by Colonel Pinto ( played expertly by Bernard Archer) to test whether an apparently genuine Allied serviceman or refugee was, in reality, a German spy. His ingenious methods invariably resulted in the suspect giving himself away. Despite the inevitability of the outcome, the series was a fascinating study of psychological tension. Like the later detective series `Columbo', this was not so much a `who-dun-it?' as a `how-will-he-do-it?'. The series was based on real life - Colonel Pinto was a Dutch intelligence officer working in Britain during the war who was generally regarded as the best in his field. Despite the sparse set (there was just one room, with a table and two chairs), and the small cast, this was an excellent and memorable series.