Gideon's Way
| Company type | Television series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television production |
| Founded | 1964 |
| Founder | ITC Entertainment |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Products | Crime drama television series |
Gideon's Way is a UK crime drama television series produced by ITC Entertainment and aired on ITV between 1964 and 1966. It serves as a follow-up to the 1958 movie Gideon's Day. Both the film and the series draw inspiration from novels authored by John Creasey under the pseudonym 'J. J. Marric', focusing on Commander George Gideon of Scotland Yard. Production took place at Elstree Studios, concurrently with The Saint, which was also produced by Robert S. Baker and Monty Berman.
Synopsis
Commander Gideon is depicted as a devoted family man whose demanding role at Scotland Yard often disrupts his domestic life in a comfortable detached residence located in Tufnell Park.
Cast
The lead role of Commander George Gideon is portrayed by John Gregson. Supporting cast includes Alexander Davion as Detective Chief Inspector David Keen, Reginald Jessup in the role of Detective Superintendent LeMaitre, Ian Rossiter as Detective Chief Superintendent Joe Bell, and Basil Dignam playing Commissioner Scott-Marle.
Gideon's wife Kate is played by Daphne Anderson, while their children Malcolm, Matthew, and Pru are portrayed respectively by Giles Watling, Richard James, and Andrea Allan.
Guest stars
The series featured distinguished British actors in guest appearances, such as Patrick Allen, Keith Baxter, George Cole, Gordon Jackson, Ronald Lacey, Anton Rodgers, Rosemary Leach, Gerald Harper, Victor Maddern, Richard Carpenter, and John Hurt. Early episodes included a guest spot by Donald Sutherland in "The Millionaire's Daughter". Several performers like Mike Pratt, Angela Douglas, Jean Marsh, and Kay Walsh appeared multiple times portraying different characters.
Production
Filming incorporated extensive on-location shoots throughout London during the mid-1960s. When broadcast in the United States under the title Gideon CID, the series featured unique opening sequences highlighting violent crime, differing from the British versions which emphasized character introductions. The theme music was composed by Edwin Astley, who repurposed musical cues from The Saint and later adapted similar compositions for The Baron.
Episodes
Production of episodes spanned from June 1964 to May 1965, utilizing various London locations alongside sessions at Elstree Studios. By December 1964, fifteen episodes (#101–#115) had been completed, followed by a hiatus before filming resumed in January 1965 for the final eleven episodes (#116–#126). All installments were produced in black-and-white.
Broadcast dates refer to ATV Midlands transmissions; actual ITV regional scheduling varied. The initial episode aired on ATV London on 17 October 1964 titled "The 'V' Men".
United Kingdom
Repeat airings recommenced in October 2019 at 9 pm on Talking Pictures TV, concluding on 18 February 2020 with "The Nightlifers". This episode included an onscreen homage to guest star Derek Fowlds following his death in January 2020. The channel re-aired the series during Spring 2021, April 2022, with plans for further broadcasts in 2025.
Australia
The broadcasting rights for Australia are owned by the Nine Network, which has aired numerous reruns over several decades, mainly during off-peak time slots. Since 2012, episodes have been regularly broadcast in the early morning hours on Gem, a digital channel operated by Nine Network, occasionally airing twice each morning. The reruns of Gideon's Way are scheduled alongside the British series Danger Man and the Canadian production Seaway.
DVD
Network Distributing issued all 26 episodes on Region 2 DVD in August 2005.
External links
- Articles with short description
- 1960s British crime television series
- Television shows shot at Associated British Studios
- Television series by ITC Entertainment
- ITV television dramas
- John Creasey characters
- Television shows based on British novels
- British detective television series
- 1960s British drama television series
- 1966 British television series endings
- 1965 British television series debuts
- Black-and-white British television shows
- British English-language television shows
- Cultural depictions of Metropolitan Police officers