The Plane Makers 

The day-to-day story of a multi-million pound aerospace company, its new jet plane, its test-pilot, its workers and its ruthless and hard-nosed managing director John Wilder, the embodiment of modern, unflinching capitalism.

Stars:

Jack Watling, Patrick Wymark, Norma Ronald

Cast

Series cast summary:
Jack Watling	...	Don Henderson 28 episodes, 1963-1965
Patrick Wymark	...	John Wilder 27 episodes, 1963-1965
Norma Ronald	...	Kay Lingard 24 episodes, 1963-1965
Reginald Marsh	...	Arthur Sugden / ... 19 episodes, 1963-1964
Robert Urquhart	...	Henry Forbes 17 episodes, 1963-1965
Norman Tyrrell	...	Sir Gordon Revidge 13 episodes, 1963-1965

Storyline

The day-to-day story of a multi-million pound aerospace company, its new jet plane, its test-pilot, its workers and its ruthless and hard-nosed managing director John Wilder, the embodiment of modern, unflinching capitalism.

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Plot Keywords:

partially lost tv series | aeronautics | industry | boardroom | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Sixteen out of the seventeen editions made for the first series are not known to survive in the archives. The sole exception is the opener, "Don't Worry About Me".

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Connections

Followed by The Power Game (1965)

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Soundtracks

Citizens Of The World: March
(uncredited)
Composed by Trevor Duncan
Performed by The New Concert Orchestra
[Series theme tune for second and third seasons]

User Reviews

Soaring Series!!

Bought this along with "The Power Game" but have only just got around to watching this. Series may seem a bit patchy because only one episode of the first series survives. While "The Power Game" is all big business with Wilder's Machivellian machinations in taking control of Bligh Constructions this series, initially, has a bosses vs workers theme.

Reginald Marsh is superb as Sudgeon, the managing supervisor who is suddenly thrust onto the board, as his old union chum says "we need someone like you on the board to fight for us but the workers will hate you"!! So while Wilder (Patrick Wymark) episodes are to do with wheeling and dealing in the board room and he is portrayed as ruthless, Marsh shows a man who is fair and human, although as in "Don't Stick Your Head Out" gets a glimpse into how Wilder operates. Once the series settles in it becomes a slice of life into the many departments of the Scott Furlong Air Company. In "Any More for the Skylark?" Wilder tries to put a stop to the practice of issuing free passages on test flights and a young clerk (Rodney Bewes) finds courage he never knew he had. "A Matter of Self Respect" finds Sudgeon giving a helping hand to a friend who has just been released from prison for manslaughter - this is particularly emotive as the man struggles to cope with his first visit to his young daughter!!

Unfortunately mid way through series 3 Sudgeon is forced to resign - I noticed that throughout the start of the season Marsh's role was diminished and Alan Dobie who played the icy David Corbett gained prominence. Corbett was as coldly calculating as Wilder but he just didn't have the older man's passion and emotion to say nothing of charisma - I found him impossible to warm to. So without a character who audiences could relate to - the ying to Wilder's yang, the edginess went out of it and I can understand why the show ended when it did!!

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 February 1963 (UK)

Also Known As:

Den stora fabriken

Company Credits

Production Co:

Associated Television (ATV)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min (58 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1