Like others I have seen the re-runs of the "The Zoo Gang" on ITV4. I remember the series the first time round, but I am lead to believe that it has never been repeated until now because of who owns the rights to the series. To date, the sad thing is, only one member of the zoo gang is alive today (Barry Morse). I truly loved the series, the warmth that emulates while watching it, yes, it has that 70's kitch feel, but that what gives it it's charm, it's innocent safe detective fun, the smell of money, the glamour, the wide flares and neck-o-chiffs. It was a sad situation that only six were ever produced, maybe it was a good thing?, as unlike other TV programs made around this time of 72/73 this one remains a bit exclusive, more so as to the stars that played the leading roles.
7 Reviews
Not quite forgotten but...
jimpayne19676 June 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I had not seen this show for a second time until recently- the first since its original run.
I like the old ITC shows from the sixties and seventies and although some stand up better than others most still retain their watchability at the very least. The Zoo Gang was almost the last throw of Lew Grade's dice. After the failure of the Persuaders in the US budgets were cut for Jason King (better than you remember). The Protectors ( as bad as you remember) and the Adventurer (few even remember him or it) Grade tried a slightly different tack with a show that money was spent on. Mostly filmed on location, a theme tune composed by Paul and Linda McCartney, weel kent faces in starring and guest roles and adapted from a recently published novel written by a bestselling author. It should have been a smash.
The Zoo Gang only ran to 6 episodes unlike most of the ITC series which ran to 24 to 30 episodes. Quite a few of these longer lasting series have too many episodes - the 16 episodes of Strange Report seems about right to avoid repeating the same basic story in the same series but enough to build up some character development - and arguably 6 was not enough for The Zoo Gang as 2 of the four main characters as played by Brian Keith and Barry Morse (both more than capable performers) hardly make it to a second dimension.
The premise is though a good one. 4 former comrades in the French Resistance reunite after the man who killed one of their gang in the war turns up on the French Riviera 30 years later. The opening episode is pretty good but what follows is pretty average although I liked the last episode too. The lack of character development does not help- other than John Mills whose code name had been the Elephant ( he never forgets) I cannot tell you the animal each of the other three main characters was given although Lilli Palmer as the bar owning mother of a senior policeman is good as the best written of the characters. Mills is pretty good too and is very much the star. The two younger regulars as played by Michael Petrovich ( the policeman son of Palmer but an actor I had forgotten) and Seretta Wilson fare even less well than Keith and Morse. Miss Wilson in particular seems a pointless addition unless you think looking good (which she does) is enough.
The stories stroll along at a leisurely pace with plenty of shots demonstrating that the series was filmed in a foreign country - the third episode, The African Misfire, in particular feels like a half hour story stretched out to fill a longer slot- and the only two episodes which really grip are the first and last both of which hark back to the gang's wartime activities. Admittedly the second episode, Mindless Murder, does feature a bravura guest star appearance from the great Ingrid Pitt but otherwise the episode just feels like a rehash of an episode of the Roger Moore era The Saint called a Better Mousetrap. The only other guest stars of note are Peter Cushing and Roger Delgado who died in a car accident not long after filming with even normally reliable stalwarts like Philip Madoc, Bernard Kay and Ann Lynn don't make too much of an impression.
The McCartney's theme tune is not one of Sir Paul's ( or ITC's) more memorable efforts either. Like the show itself, it's nothing more than okay.
The Zoo Gang is less well remembered than some of its ITC predecessors and unlike , for examples, Department S and The Baron it does not really deserve to be remembered more- all these shows have a certain 'of their time' feel but I have a feeling that even in 1974 the Zoo Gang felt dated.
It should have been better.
I like the old ITC shows from the sixties and seventies and although some stand up better than others most still retain their watchability at the very least. The Zoo Gang was almost the last throw of Lew Grade's dice. After the failure of the Persuaders in the US budgets were cut for Jason King (better than you remember). The Protectors ( as bad as you remember) and the Adventurer (few even remember him or it) Grade tried a slightly different tack with a show that money was spent on. Mostly filmed on location, a theme tune composed by Paul and Linda McCartney, weel kent faces in starring and guest roles and adapted from a recently published novel written by a bestselling author. It should have been a smash.
The Zoo Gang only ran to 6 episodes unlike most of the ITC series which ran to 24 to 30 episodes. Quite a few of these longer lasting series have too many episodes - the 16 episodes of Strange Report seems about right to avoid repeating the same basic story in the same series but enough to build up some character development - and arguably 6 was not enough for The Zoo Gang as 2 of the four main characters as played by Brian Keith and Barry Morse (both more than capable performers) hardly make it to a second dimension.
The premise is though a good one. 4 former comrades in the French Resistance reunite after the man who killed one of their gang in the war turns up on the French Riviera 30 years later. The opening episode is pretty good but what follows is pretty average although I liked the last episode too. The lack of character development does not help- other than John Mills whose code name had been the Elephant ( he never forgets) I cannot tell you the animal each of the other three main characters was given although Lilli Palmer as the bar owning mother of a senior policeman is good as the best written of the characters. Mills is pretty good too and is very much the star. The two younger regulars as played by Michael Petrovich ( the policeman son of Palmer but an actor I had forgotten) and Seretta Wilson fare even less well than Keith and Morse. Miss Wilson in particular seems a pointless addition unless you think looking good (which she does) is enough.
The stories stroll along at a leisurely pace with plenty of shots demonstrating that the series was filmed in a foreign country - the third episode, The African Misfire, in particular feels like a half hour story stretched out to fill a longer slot- and the only two episodes which really grip are the first and last both of which hark back to the gang's wartime activities. Admittedly the second episode, Mindless Murder, does feature a bravura guest star appearance from the great Ingrid Pitt but otherwise the episode just feels like a rehash of an episode of the Roger Moore era The Saint called a Better Mousetrap. The only other guest stars of note are Peter Cushing and Roger Delgado who died in a car accident not long after filming with even normally reliable stalwarts like Philip Madoc, Bernard Kay and Ann Lynn don't make too much of an impression.
The McCartney's theme tune is not one of Sir Paul's ( or ITC's) more memorable efforts either. Like the show itself, it's nothing more than okay.
The Zoo Gang is less well remembered than some of its ITC predecessors and unlike , for examples, Department S and The Baron it does not really deserve to be remembered more- all these shows have a certain 'of their time' feel but I have a feeling that even in 1974 the Zoo Gang felt dated.
It should have been better.
Blast from my past is still a blast!
kietsie2 June 2018
Saw this show first time way back when I was a teenager in South Africa, dubbed into Afrikaans as "Drie Plus Een". Finally managed to get the series again on DVD and love it even more as I did then. Barry Morse is my favorite, but all the actors did a great job. I always regretted that there were only 6 episodes, but rather 6 well written episodes than 20 bad ones. The location is beautiful. Mostly love the fact that the "heroes" are middle aged, ordinary folks. Lovely "feel-good" series with some memorable scenes.
release of the series on video or DVD
chisum213 November 2002
As a big fan of the short lived series, I would like the series released again on video or DVD. I have the first two videos but the third was(I was told) never released the two episodes were the twisted cross and the counterfeit trap. the counterfeit trap was released on a seventies tape by ITC with an episode from The Protectors, Jason King and Father Brown mysteries. I would very much like to see the twisted cross as when the episodes were shown on T.V I was 10 years old.
brilliant!!!
nailtechusa13 October 2020
Mystery thriller set in Europe in the early to mid 1970's
davidwhitlam10 July 2006
The series is currently being shown on ITV4. I saw a episode on 8th July 2006 in the early evening. I am not sure of the title of the episode but the plot concerned the alleged theft of a diamond belonging to an actress who assumed (wrongly) that her husband, a film director, was trying to steal the diamond to give to another woman who was to star in his latest film. The story contained the usual plot and counter-plot with plenty of red herrings and characters running off in the wrong direction before the truth was established. The acting was par for the course and the story lines predictable.It was interesting to watch and is typical of the early 1970's mystery TV shows such as Columbo, The Persuaders, Banachek and Macmillan and Wife. It does look dated and is formulaic. I must have missed the series the first time around although as a teenager I was an avid fan of this type of programme. Makes for good viewing when chilling out on a Saturday afternoon. It reminded me particularly of the Persuaders (Roger Moore and Tony Curtis) and the Protectors (Robert Vaughn and Tony Anholt) as it was set in the hip areas of Europe in the 1970's. In fact the story lines are interchangeable across the different programmes. It was good to see an Amercian actor (Brian Keith) with two British Actors (Barry Morse and John Mills) and Lily Palmer who I think is German.
This was a pilot for a series
chaosrat616131 December 2004
The characters were all intelligence operatives during WWII. Each one had the code name of an animal, hence the name The Zoo Club. The series that spun off from this was pretty good as best I can remember it. One thing that I liked was the fact that all the characters were older, middle age, so that it wasn't just a lot of mindless T&A actors getting thru on looks and hormones. I've not seen the series repeated, or the movie sense its original broadcast. I hope at some point someone will show it again. Brian Keith did a very good job in the series. Barry Morris, who most people will remember as Inspector Gerald from The Fugitive series was good as well.
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