Series 4 — Episode 16
Small Game for Big Hunters

Production

Production dates: 16/09 — 1/10/1965

Once again, Programme Controller Brian Tesler disliked another Philip Levene script. The first draft was sent to him on May 25 and returned on June 2 with the verdict that even though he found the finale enjoyable, it was too wordy without enough action for the first three quarters (presumably because he couldn’t use his usual science fiction complaint).

A second version was dispatched on June 29 but once again revisions were requested; it may have been shelved for a while as it was not until September 14 that the final script was sent, and accepted two days later without further comment, which was lucky as they were about to start filming.

Gerry O’Hara returned to direct his second episode, which would be his last for the show. In contrast to the previous episode, there was a lot of location filming done for the episode, with the house Starveacres in Radlett doing double duty as both Dr. Gibson’s house (the front and driveway) and Colonel Rawlings’ house (the back of the house and extensive formal garden). The teaser and tag scenes were filmed at the familiar haunt of Tykes Water Lake.

This episode saw a lot of the special John Bates monochrome outfits for Mrs. Peel and she truly looks magnificent in them. They would go on sale to the public after a splash of photo shoots of Diana Rigg wearing them hit the press 26-7 September 1965.

Regional broadcasts

TV Times listing

International broadcasts

Italy did not show this episode in the 1960s, the Italian titles are from the Tele Torino International broadcast in the 1980s, and DVD releases.

Episode Rating

A wildly improbable scheme, but it just might be possible. Jungle fights and silk sarongs enhance a rip-snorting episode (a lot of the snorting coming from Bill Fraser). Another episode that reminds me of The Goodies, so bonus points there.

The Fashions

The Cars

Who’s Killing Whom?

Click a name to see the face

Continuity and trivia

1. 1:13 & 1:22 — The establishing shot of the woods pans past the same tree twice.
2. 2:00 — The Goodies stole the idea of a man fleeing through the jungle, only to end up by a milestone outside London for their episode, “The Lost Tribe” — only they played it for laughs.
3. 5:59 onwards — the Kalayan symbol used throughout the episode was used by W. Somerset Maugham on the cover and titlepage of his books. Originally a Moorish symbol called the hamsa which depicts Fatima’s hand warding off the evil eye. Used upside down, as in this episode, it is supposed to bring bad luck. Maugham had it printed on his book The Hero upside down by mistake, quickly corrected for the second printing.
4. 
   ©1961–9
   16:04 — When Lieutenant Razafi ransacks Steed’s Bentley, he opens a War Department archive box containing the file on Colonel Rawlings, which strangely also contains one of the files from the Colonel Psev incident — Two’s A Crowd — spelled the same way and with the same serial number, 56079.
5. 19:42 — Kalaya is in Africa, so why is there a tiger’s head on the clubhouse wall? Actually, where is Kalaya? The native population vary between African, American and Asian, the clubhouse has lions, tigers, warthogs, a zebra, and a leopard and an array of native implements and weapons — Zulu and Indian — I’m sure I saw a knobkerry, and the poison darts seem to be South American.
6. 22:16 — As Steed and Simon Trent first enter the indoor Kalayan jungle, the foliage in the upper right foreground moves quite noticeably as the boom bumps into it while moving backwards.
7. 22:23 — The old favourite prop, the cast-iron spiral staircase makes another appearance.
8. 22:48 — Emma is reading “Tribal Customs of Kalaya” by E. D. W. Grantham, it looks to be a hand-painted prop.
9. 23:14 — The sign outside the Colonel’s hut reads:

   Kalayan Settlers
   and
   Ex-Servicemen’s Association

   ---

   Club House
   Members and Guests only
   Pres. Colonel P.R. Rawlings. Late 17th Fusiliers.

10. 27:18 — Post-modernism: Colonel Rawlings dreams of returning to Mother England and buying a house in Hertfordshire, which is of course what he’s already done.
11. 37:08 — the telephone at Gibson’s cottage is labelled Buckby 489.
12. 40:34 — It seems a bit bright for midnight when Emma crosses the garden.
13. 
    ©1961–9
    46:52 — That’s not Patrick Macnee swinging out of that tree, it’s his stunt double Rocky Taylor (best seen in Escape in Time). Rocky also does Steed’s fight with Trent at 47:26. Trent, I think, is being played by Terry Richards in the fight scene.
14. 49:49 — the river backdrop behind then in the back projection epilogue is from too low a point of view, making it look like their canoe must be half under water.
15. 50:10 — back on location at Tyke’s Water Lake.
16. Running time: 51′09″