Dial 999 is a British television series that ran for one series of 39 episodes from 1958 to 1959.
The series was a co-production between ITV contractor ABC Weekend TV, and American television producer Ziv Television Programs.
Synopsis Named after the emergency telephone number for the United Kingdom, Dial 999 stars Robert Beatty as Canadian Mountie Mike Maguire, and follows his work fighting crime alongside London's police. Beatty was essentially reprising his role in the 1946 film Appointment with Crime, in which he played Detective Inspector Rogers, a Canadian police officer attached to Scotland Yard. The show contrasted Beatty's muscular brand of policing with that of his British colleagues, but failed to sell to North American markets.
Cast
Robert Beatty – Detective Inspector Michael McGuire Duncan Lamont – Detective Inspector Winter John Witty – Detective Sargeant West
Each episode had a different supporting cast. Notable actors who appeared include Michael Balfour, Adrienne Corri, Vera Day, William Hartnell (who had appeared in Appointment with Crime), Arthur Lowe, Patrick Magee, Sidney Tafler, Patrick Troughton and Sam Kydd
Episodes Episode Title Writer Director 1 "The Killing Job" Ted Willis Alvin Rakoff 2 "Special Edition" Tony O'Grady Bernard Knowles 3 "Illegal Entry" Brock Williams Terence Fisher 4 "The Great Gold Robbery" Peter Holiday Terence Fisher 5 "Thames Division" Brock Williams Alvin Rakoff 6 "Missing Persons" Ken Taylor Bernard Knowles 7 "Honeymoon" Neville Dasey and Ken Taylor Bernard Knowles 8 "Commando Crook" Gil Winfield Terence Fisher 9 "77 Bus" E.J. Mason Terence Fisher 10 "Night Mail" Jack Pulman Bernard Knowles 11 "Escape" Gilbert Winfield Bernard Knowles 12 "The Big Fish" Peter Holiday Don Chaffey 13 "Special Branch" Jack Rock Terence Fisher 14 "The Mechanical Watchman" Ken Taylor Bernard Knowles 15 "Ghost Squad" Neville Dasey and Peter Yeldham Terence Fisher 16 "50,000 Hands" Ian Greaves Terence Fisher 17 "Fashions in Crime" Ken Taylor Terence Fisher 18 "Rolling Racketeers" Tony O'Grady Bernard Knowles 19 "24 Hours a Day" Edward J. Mason Alvin Rakoff 20 "Hunter, Hunted" Gilbert Winfield Robert Lynn 21 "A Mined Area" Tony O'Grady Robert Lynn 22 "The Barge Burglars" Paul M. Jack Robert Lynn 23 "Old Soldiers Sometimes Die" Neville Dasey Bernard Knowles 24 "Extradition" Neville Dasey and Peter Yeldham Bernard Knowles 25 "Gun Rule" Peter Yeldham Bernard Knowles 26 "Key Witness" Tony O'Grady Bernard Knowles 27 "Down to the Sea" Ken Taylor Bernard Knowles 28 "The Exception to the Rule" Tony O'Grady Bernard Knowles 29 "Deadly Blackmail" Paul M. Jack Bernard Knowles 30 "Payroll Job" Gilbert Winfield Robert Lynn 31 "The Motorbike Bandits" B.P. Royle Robert Lynn 32 "Living Loot" Edward J. Mason Bernard Knowles 33 "An Inside Job" Gil Winfield Bernard Knowles 34 "Picture Puzzle" Peter Yeldham Robert Lynn 35 "Rat Trap" Frank White Robert Lynn 36 "Heads or Tails" Neville Dasey Charles Saunders 37 "Radio Active" Tony O'Grady Robert Lynn 38 "Robbery with Violence" Peter Yeldham Alvin Rakoff 39 "Death Ride" Philip Monroe Bernard Knowles
Production Dial 999 was filmed at Elstree Studios, and on location in London. The programme credits acknowledge the cooperation of the Metropolitan Police.
Home media In 2021, Network DVD released all the episodes of the series on DVD in a five disc set.
See also Dragnet - similarly-themed monochrome crime drama set in Los Angeles.
References
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