Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)

Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)
Company type	Television series
Industry	Television
Founded	1969; 57 years ago
Founder	Dennis Spooner
Fate	Ended
Headquarters	United Kingdom
Area served	United Kingdom, United States
Key people	Dennis Spooner (creator), Monty Berman (producer)
Products	Television series
Parent	ITC Entertainment

Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) is a British television series focused on private detective work, featuring Mike Pratt and Kenneth Cope portraying detectives Jeff Randall and Marty Hopkirk. The show was created by Dennis Spooner and produced by Monty Berman, originally airing between 1969 and 1970. In the United States, it was broadcast under the title My Partner the Ghost.

Produced by ITC Entertainment, the series consists of a single season with 26 episodes filmed from 1968 to 1969, and aired from September 1969 through March 1970. The pilot episode debuted on 19 September 1969 on ATV in the Midlands, followed by a broadcast on London Weekend Television two days later.

In 2000, the series was revived with a remake starring Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer.

Plot

The initial episode, titled "My Late Lamented Friend and Partner", introduces Marty Hopkirk’s death during an investigation. Marty returns as a ghost visible exclusively to his partner Jeff Randall, and together they pursue the mystery behind Marty’s murder. Marty’s choice to linger on Earth binds him as a spectral presence for a hundred years. Meanwhile, Marty’s widow Jeannie continues her role as Jeff’s secretary, and on rare occasions, minor characters perceive Marty when special conditions such as hypnosis or mediumship occur.

Conception

Dennis Spooner conceived the series while sharing office space with producer Monty Berman at Elstree Studios. Following their collaboration on The Champions, they developed Department S in early 1968. Drawing inspiration from paranormal themes seen in cinema, Spooner imagined a detective drama incorporating a ghost character to enable varied storytelling possibilities.

Although ATV executive Lew Grade initially expressed reservations due to the absence of an American lead—which could hinder international distribution—the pilot script authored by Ralph Smart, known for his work on The Adventures of Robin Hood and Danger Man, convinced Grade to approve the project.

Casting

The role of Jeff Randall (originally named Steven Randall) was initially intended for comedian Dave Allen, who had previously worked with ATV. After Allen transitioned to the BBC, Mike Pratt—who had experience with ITC productions—was selected for the part. This casting decision received endorsement from creative consultant Cyril Frankel.

Finding an actor for Marty Hopkirk proved difficult until Frankel encountered Kenneth Cope at a restaurant in Soho and arranged a screen test, which led to Cope’s casting.

Annette Andre was cast as Jean Hopkirk, a character created subsequent to the original concept. An established Australian actress known to the production team through appearances in The Saint and The Baron, Andre had been shortlisted for a lead role in The Champions but lost out to Alexandra Bastedo due to network preferences.

Filming and locations

Production commenced with the pilot episode in May 1968, aiming for a 48-minute runtime over two weeks of shooting scheduled Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., including occasional Sunday sessions. Primary scenes involving the main cast were filmed on two sound stages at ABC Elstree in Borehamwood, where other series such as Department S were also produced. Establishing shots utilized existing library footage; meanwhile, location sequences were generally handled by a second unit using stand-ins or guest actors who appeared only in single episodes under separate direction from that of the principal cast.

To minimize expenses, Marty Hopkirk’s disappearances were achieved with simple jump cuts rather than more elaborate effects like walking through walls using the Pepper's ghost technique, which were avoided due to their higher cost and time requirements.

The exterior representing Randall & Hopkirk's office was filmed at a doorway adjacent to Adam's Furniture Fabric located at Kymberly Road and Springfield Road in Harrow—an area now redeveloped into St George's Shopping Centre. Jeff Randall’s apartment was situated at Hanover House near St John's Wood High Street, while Jean Hopkirk’s residence appeared on Lauderdale Road, Maida Vale.

Several country estates around northern Greater London and Hertfordshire served as mansion exteriors throughout the series. For instance, "For the Girl Who Has Everything" featured Hilfield Castle in Aldenham as Kim Wentworth's residence. The Tudor-style Edgwarebury Hotel in Elstree (currently The Manor Elstree) appeared in episodes such as "Who Killed Cock Robin?" and "The House on Haunted Hill", among other ITC projects. The building used as the Lambert Clinic in "A Disturbing Case", written by Mike Pratt, is now known as the Institute of Grocery Distribution located in Letchmore Heath. The clubhouse for the Seaton Residence in "The Smile Behind the Veil" is actually the Dyrham Park Country Club clubhouse situated in Barnet. Additionally, Woburn Abbey in Bedfordshire appears in "The Man from Nowhere", visited by Jeannie alongside an imposter posing as Marty.

Cars

A white Vauxhall Victor (license plate RXD 996F) was driven by Jeff Randall and appeared in two episodes of Department S. In the same series, Stewart Sullivan operated a white Vauxhall Ventora bearing the registration RXD 997F. The red Mini, registered in May 1964 and driven by Jean Hopkirk, was featured in The Saint (1968), Department S (1969), and also driven by Tony Curtis in The Persuaders! (1970).

Music

The series’ theme was created by Edwin Astley, renowned for his collaborations with ITC Entertainment. Opting for the harpsichord to achieve a unique tonal quality, Astley composed the theme in C minor to evoke the concept of "death." Throughout the series, he crafted 188 musical cues, integrating pieces from The Champions and works by Albert Elms, as well as selections from the Chappell library. Contributions also included compositions by Robert Farnon, Johnny Hawksworth, Sidney Torch, and Vivaldi.

Characters and cast

Mike Pratt portrayed Jeffrey "Jeff" Randall, a private investigator who is both successful and morally complex. His investigative abilities are enhanced by the supernatural assistance of his deceased partner Marty Hopkirk. Randall is known for his short temper and frequent irritation at Marty’s ghostly interventions.
Kenneth Cope played Martin "Marty" Hopkirk, Jeff’s partner who dies during an investigation but returns as a ghost visible only to Jeff, aiding him in solving cases. Marty’s character is marked by cynicism and occasional annoyance but remains vital to Jeff’s work.
Annette Andre appeared as Jean "Jeannie" Hopkirk, secretary at the Randall and Hopkirk agency and widow of Marty. She is resourceful yet sometimes naïve, often finding herself in perilous situations.
Ivor Dean took on the role of Inspector Large in five episodes. This determined police inspector is suspicious of Randall, frequently attempting to have him arrested but ultimately collaborating to apprehend criminals.
Richard Kerley portrayed Sergeant Hinds across three episodes, serving as Inspector Large’s subordinate.
Judith Arthy appeared as Jennifer in two episodes; she is Jeannie’s sister visiting London.
Garfield Morgan appeared twice in different roles.
Michael Griffiths played Inspector Nelson in two episodes, another inspector who suspects Randall of various crimes.

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Clifford Earl
Meredith Edwards
Christopher Eedy'
[Peter J. Elliott|Peter Jay Elliott']]
[Eva Enger']]
[Norman Eshley']]
[Clifford Evans (actor)|Clifford Evans']]
[Tenniel Evans']]

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[Max Faulkner (actor)|Max Faulkner']]
[Gerald Flood']]
[David Forbes (actor)|David Forbes']]
[Michael Forrest']]
[Dudley Foster']]
[Grazina Frame']]
[John Fraser (actor)|John Fraser']]
[Liz Fraser']]

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[Chris Gannon (actor)|Chris Gannon']]
[John Garvin (actor)|John Garvin']]
[Sue Gerrard']]
[Alan Gifford']]
[Michael Goldie']]
[Michael Goodliffe']]
[Howard Goorney']]
[Romo Gorrara']]
[Michael Gothard']]
[Michael Gover']]
[Michael Graham (actor)|Michael Graham']]
[Danny Green (actor)|Danny Green']]
[Earl Green']]
[Keith Grenville']]
[Michael Gwynn']]

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[ [Carol Rachelle']]
[ [Ronald Radd']]
[ [Michael Radford']]
[ [John Rae (actor)']]
[ [Michael Rathborne']]
[ [Bill Reed (actor)']]
[ [Geoffrey Reed']]
[ [Cyril Renison']]
[ [Marjorie Rhodes']]
[ [John Richmond (actor)']]
[ [Michael Ripper']]
[Colin Rix]
[ [Anton Rodgers']]
[ [Edina Ronay']]
[ [Adrian Ropes']]
[ [Jan Rossini']]
[ [Robert Russell (actor)']]
[ [Madge Ryan']]
[ [Paddy Ryan (actor)']]

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[ [Andrew Sachs']]
[ [Anthony Sagar']]
[ [Leslie Schofield']]
[ [Alex Scott (actor)']]
[ [George Sewell']]
[ [Cyril Shaps']]
[ [Ann Sharp']]
[ [John Sharp (actor)']]
[ [Michael Sheard']]
[ [David Sinclair (actor)']]
Kevin Smith
[ [Walter Sparrow']]
[ [William Squire']]
[ [Tony Steedman']]
[ [Peter Stephens (actor)']]
[ [David Stoll (actor)']]
[ [John Styles (entertainer)']]
[ [Dudley Sutton']]
[ [Ingrid Sylvester']]

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Nik Zaran

Episodes

The listed air dates correspond to London Weekend Television, which was the only ITV region to broadcast all 26 episodes in uninterrupted sequence. Scheduling differed across other ITV regions.

Production took place from May 1968 through July 1969.

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Broadcast

In the United Kingdom, the 26 episodes were transmitted between 26 September 1969 and 31 July 1971; however, ATV postponed the final five episodes after airing the initial 21. Across the United States, the series was syndicated under the title My Partner the Ghost from 1974 until 1983. The program returned to UK television in 2020 via the Sony Channel and later reappeared in 2022 on Great! TV. As of January 2023, every episode is accessible on ITV's complimentary on-demand platform ITVX as well as on Britbox.

Home media

On 2 October 2017, Network issued the entire series on Blu-ray in the United Kingdom, featuring HD remastering from the original 35mm film negatives. Although marked as Region B, these discs are actually region-free across A, B, and C zones, making them playable on North American devices. The episodes are arranged according to their production sequence rather than their initial broadcast order.

Remakes

Between 2000 and 2001, Working Title Films developed a BBC adaptation with a more intricate plotline, casting Vic Reeves as Hopkirk and Bob Mortimer as Randall, with Emilia Fox portraying Jeannie. Two seasons were produced, primarily written and overseen by Charlie Higson, alongside contributions from writers such as Gareth Roberts, Mark Gatiss, Paul Whitehouse, and Jeremy Dyson. While the core concept remained intact, the circumstances surrounding Hopkirk's death were modified.

On 10 May 2010, the SyFy Channel secured the rights to create a pilot episode. By January 2011, Entertainment Weekly revealed that Jane Espenson and Drew Z. Greenberg were tasked with writing it. Espenson characterized their adaptation as "quite different in tone and content," maintaining the ghost detective theme but presenting a fresh take.

External links