Strange has two part time assistants, Evelyn MacLean (Wills) an artist and model who lives in an adjoining apartment. Sometimes she helps in the investigation, but more often provides light relief in an avuncular relationship with Strange, supplying food, and comforting females in distress. Wills is very good in this (her final appearance as an actress) and her character works very well providing colour to Strange’s rather laid back manner.

The other assistant Ham Gynt (Garas) is a part time forensic scientist who works in the laboratory in Strange’s apartment. I feel Garas is miscast in this role (alternatively there is a basic flaw in the character that the screen plays cannot put right). It seems to me Garas is stifling his larger than real life personality and this inhibits his performance. This is not a major weakness but is the reason I have downgraded the rating to four stars .

There are many delights amongst the supporting actors, Martin Shaw three years out of drama school in his first (and quite substantial) TV role, a very young Keith Baron, an immediately post “Redcap” John Thaw, Barbara Murray who was better known at the time as John Wilder’s wife in “The Power Game”, together with all the regulars of the late 60s.

An aborted second season was planned to be filmed in Hollywood, but one cannot help wondering how this essentially English series (heavily reliant on London and other very English locations) could possibly have been filmed in America.

The series was filmed in 16mm, and the original high quality camerawork has been excellently restored.

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