James William Mitchell (12 March 1926, in South Shields – 15 September 2002, in Newcastle-upon-Tyne) was a British writer, principally of crime fiction and spy thrillers. He is best known for creating Callan (1967–1972) and When the Boat Comes In (1976–1981).
Biography
The son of a shipyard worker, Mitchell also wrote under the pseudonyms James Munro and Patrick O. McGuire. He received BA and MA degrees from Oxford. After graduating he tried numerous jobs, including shipyard worker and civil servant before taking up teaching, in his own words he taught, "for some 15 years in almost every kind of institution from secondary modern school to college of art". In 1968 Mitchell moved to London to concentrate on writing.
Mitchell created the ITV spy thriller Callan, starring Edward Woodward as a remorseful secret service assassin, and the BBC period drama When the Boat Comes In, starring James Bolam as a World War I veteran returning to his Tyneside hometown. These programmes proved to be his most notable, and acclaimed work.
He also wrote many other television scripts, including episodes of The Troubleshooters, the legal drama Justice and The Avengers.
Personal life and death He married twice and had two children. Mitchell died in Newcastle upon Tyne on 15 September 2002. He was 76.
Bibliography
Novels Here's a Villain! (1957), US Title: The Lady is Waiting A Way Back (1959), also published as: The Way Back Steady, Boys, Steady (1960) Among Arabian Sands (1963) Ilion Like a Mist (1969), also published as: Venus in Plastic The Winners (1970) The Evil Ones (1982) KGB Kill (1987) A Woman to Be Loved (1990) An Impossible Woman (1992) Leading Lady (1993) So Far from Home (1995) Indian Summer (1996) Dance for Joy (1997)
Callan A Magnum for Schneider (1969), US Title: A Red File for Callan Russian Roulette (1973) Death and Bright Water (1974) Smear Job (1975) Bonfire Night (2002) Callan Uncovered (2014) and Callan Uncovered 2 (2015) - short story collections edited by Mike Ripley
When the Boat Comes In When the Boat Comes In When the Boat Comes In: The Hungry Years When the Boat Comes In: Upwards and Onwards
Ron Hogget Sometimes You Could Die (1985) Dead Ernest (1986) Dying Day (1988)
as Patrick O. McGuire A Time for Murder (1955) Fiesta for Murder (1962)
as James Munro The Man Who Sold Death (1964) Die Rich, Die Happy (1965) The Money That Money Can't Buy (1967) The Innocent Bystanders (1969)
The hero in his Munro books is a British agent named John Craig, who works, mostly reluctantly, for Department K. Mitchell wrote the screenplay for the 1972 film version of The Innocent Bystanders under his real name.
Filmography Film YearTitleCreditNotes1970The Last GrenadeScreenplay1972Innocent Bystanders ScreenplayAdapted from his "James Munro" novel1974CallanScreenplayAdapted from his novel, "A Red File for Callan"
Television YearTitleCreditNotes1960, 1964Armchair Mystery TheatreWriterEpisodes: "Flight from Treason" and "The Lonely Crime"1961, 1963The AvengersWriter5 episodes1961Kraft Mystery TheaterWriterEpisode: "Flight from Treason"1961, 1967Armchair TheatreWriterEpisodes: "The Omega Mystery" and "A Magnum for Schneider" (the latter served as a backdoor pilot for Callan)1965CraneWriterEpisode: "The Man in the Gold Waistcoat"1965–1967The TroubleshootersWriter5 episodes1966This Man CraigWriterEpisodes: "Live Like a Man" and "Fresh Off the Boat"1968FrontierWriterEpisode: "His Lordship"1967–1972CallanCreator and writerWrote 18 episodes1971–1972JusticeWriter6 episodes1976–1981When the Boat Comes InCreator and writerWrote 39 episodes1981Goodbye DarlingCreator and writerWrote 8 episodes1981Wet JobWriterTV movie, sequel to Callan1983SpyshipWriter6 episodes1989ConfessionalWriter4 episodes
References
External links Platzer, David, 'The Man From Department K', Slightly Foxed, Autumn 2008