Conception The idea for the series was conceived by Dennis Spooner, who had an office adjoining producer Monty Berman at
Elstree Studios. They had already collaborated on
The Champions. In March 1968, the pair conceived
Department S. Spooner's interest in the paranormal, inspired by several feature films, contemplated the possibility of a television series featuring a ghost, and he thought a detective series would offer greater scope for storylines. The idea was put to Head of ATV
Lew Grade but he was not enthusiastic as the series lacked a leading American, which he felt would inhibit overseas sales. However, the synopsis caught the eye of
Ralph Smart, who had worked on
The Adventures of Robin Hood,
The Invisible Man, and
Danger Man and he wanted to write the pilot. This convinced Lew Grade to green-light the series.
Casting The role of Jeff Randall, originally named Steven Randall, was considered for the comedian
Dave Allen who had made
Tonight with Dave Allen for Lew Grade's ATV. When Dave Allen signed for the
BBC, attention turned to Mike Pratt, who had appeared in a number of episodes of various
ITC series, and he was deemed to be right for the part by the production team, including
Cyril Frankel, creative consultant on the series. Marty Hopkirk proved to be more difficult to cast, and several actors were considered after the creators scoured the pages of casting resources
Spotlight. Cyril Frankel was at a new Italian restaurant in
Soho, London and sitting at the next table was Kenneth Cope, with his wife, and Cyril Frankel thought he would be right for the part. Cyril Frankel told Monty Berman, and then directed a screen test, and Kenneth Cope got the part. Jean Hopkirk, not in the original concept, is portrayed by Australian actress Annette Andre. She was well known to the production team, having appeared in six episodes of
The Saint as well as
The Baron. She had been short listed for one of the lead roles in
The Champions, but lost to
Alexandra Bastedo, reportedly at the whim of an American
CBS executive.
Filming and locations Filming commenced with the pilot in May 1968 with the aim to shoot a 48-minute episode over a fortnight working Monday to Friday from 8:30a.m. to 5:30p.m. with some filming on alternate Sundays. The bulk of filming with the main cast was on two sound stages at
ABC Elstree in Borehamwood where
Department S and other series were also in production. Establishing shots would use library footage. Location sequences were usually filmed by a second unit using stand-ins or the guest cast who were only needed for one episode filmed by one director while the main cast were completing the previous episode with another director. To keep costs down, a simple
jump cut was used to make Marty Hopkirk disappear and reappear. Walking through walls was costly and time consuming using an image reflected on plain glass at an angle in front of the camera, an effect often used in the theatre called
Pepper's ghost. The exterior of the Randall & Hopkirk's office was a doorway at the side of Adam's Furniture Fabric on the corner of Kymberly Road and Springfield Road in Harrow, now completely redeveloped as St George's Shopping Centre. Jeff Randall's flat was located at Hanover House, close to the corner of St John's Wood High Street, and Jean Hopkirk's flat was on
Lauderdale Road, Maida Vale, London. Numerous country houses in the northern Greater London and Hertfordshire area were used for the external shots of the many mansions featured in the series. In the episode "
For the Girl Who Has Everything", the exterior of
Hilfield Castle in
Aldenham was used for Kim Wentworth's (
Lois Maxwell's) home. The Tudor-looking Edgwarebury Hotel on Barnet Lane in Elstree, now The Manor Elstree, was used in the episodes "
Who Killed Cock Robin?" and "
The House on Haunted Hill" and a plethora of other ITC series. The exterior of the Lambert Clinic in the comical episode "
A Disturbing Case", written by Mike Pratt himself, is now the Institute of Grocery Distribution in
Letchmore Heath, Hertfordshire. The Seaton Residence, a large white house with Doric columns at the front used in "
The Smile Behind the Veil" episode is the
Dyrham Park Country Club, the club house of a golf club in Galley Lane,
Barnet.
Woburn Abbey in
Woburn, Bedfordshire, is featured in the episode "
The Man from Nowhere" and is visited by Jeannie and a Marty imposter.
Cars The car Jeff Randall drove was a white
Vauxhall Victor, with the registration number . It was also used in two episodes of
Department S; in that series
Joel Fabiani's character Stewart Sullivan drove a white Vauxhall Ventora with the registration RXD 997F. The red Mini used by Jean Hopkirk was registered in May 1964 and had been used in an episode of
The Saint (1968), an episode of
Department S (1969) and driven by
Tony Curtis's character Danny Wilde in an episode of
The Persuaders! (1970).
Music The theme music was composed by
Edwin Astley, who in the previous years had composed many themes and incidental music for film series produced and distributed by
ITC and its forerunners. Astley used the harpsichord because of its distinctive sound and used the C minor key because of the "death" part in it. In all Astley composed 188 numbered cues used throughout the series. Music composed by Astley from
The Champions was briefly used, as was music by
Albert Elms from the same series. Music was also used by Astley from his own library of music, the
Chappell library, and other music composed by
Robert Farnon,
Johnny Hawksworth,
Sidney Torch,
Vivaldi. ==Characters and cast==