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JASON KING (1969)

King_Jason1 King_Jason2
 
Full Name: Jason King
Nationality: British
Organization: Department S
Occupation Agent

Creator: Dennis Spooner, Monty Berman
Time Span: 1969 - 1972

ABOUT THE SERIES

Jason King is an agent for Department-S.

Long before Scully and Muldar investigated cases from the X-Files, Jason King and his associates checked out bizarre and unusual matters that affected international peace and security. Working for an organization called Department S, connected somehow with Interpol, King worked for Sir Curtis Suretse along with an American named Stewart Sullivan and a fellow Brit named Annabelle Hurst. They operated out of Paris though their missions took them to strange places.

The two-book series about this hero has a slightly strange lineage, which considering all the facts is rather appropriate. In 1969, ATV brought to British television an hour-long adventure series about the people of Department S. It contained 28 episodes and lasted one season. The cases were strange, captivating, and confusing but of even more fun that the missions were the characters themselves. The actors made them highly entertaining.

Starring as King, who was just one of the three main agents for the group, was the experienced actor Peter Wyngarde. His portrayal of the character was intriguing enough to both the producers and the audience that when the series concluded its single season, they gave the character/actor his own show. In 1971, King was back, now having left Department S. This series also lasted one year with 26 episodes.

Jason King was a bon vivant, a raconteur, and probably many other French phrases. He loved the good life and made the most of it, paying for it by being the author of a best-selling adventure series about a character named Mark Caine. When he left Department S to go off on his own, it was to gather research material for these novels that King traveled about the world and got into all sorts of trouble. Often this trouble was Department S-related as he was often cajoled or simply forced into returning to his own line of work.

BOOKS

Number of Books:2
First Appearance:1972
Last Appearance:1972

1 Jason King Jason King
Written by Robert Miall
Copyright: 1972

The British government needs the help of retired agent Jason King, vacationing at a winter resort but he wants no part of it. Persistence and skullduggery with the tax people, however, soon force him into helping just to stay out of jail.

2 Kill Jason King Kill Jason King
Written by Robert Miall
Copyright: 1972

Some one or ones is pulling off fantastic robberies all across Europe and the police, along with Interpol, are pointing their fingers at Jason King, a man who just happened to have been where the crimes happened when they happened.

TELEVISION


Number of Episodes:54
First Appearance:1969
Last Appearance:1972
Network:ITV (UK)

REGULAR CAST
"Department S"- [ - ]
Peter WyngardeJason King [ 1 ]
Joel FibianiStewart Sullivan [ 1 ]
Rosemary NicolsAnnabelle Hurst [ 1 ]
Dennis PetersSir Curtis Seretse [ 1 ]
"Jason King"- [ - ]
Peter WyngardeJason King [ 1 ]
Anne SharpNicola harvester [ 1 ]
Dennis PriceSir Brian [ 1 ]
Ronald LaceyRyland [ 1 ]

MY COMMENTS

The two novels about Jason King was written with the same light air that the television show enjoyed and therefore as just as fun to read. King is considered to be an exceptional ladies man and the books confirm it though the encounters are all PG rated as would befit the times.

Fans of old television shows will enjoy these books as will anyone who watched either Department S or Jason King. King is a bit full of himself at times but that is what makes the character so fun.

Episodes of the two shows are very hard to find but if you get a chance, watch just for nostalgia sake.

GRADE

My Grade: C

Your Average Grade:   D+

YOUR OPINIONS

chrisno1 D+ 2016-05-30

I've only seen one episode of Jason King and it was a fairly humdrum if swanky take on 70s Britain with a bit of spying thrown in. The books are tosh, lacking any sort of meat on bare bones. For dedicated fans only.


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