Biggles

The adventures of Major James Bigglesworth, better known in flying circles as "Biggles", were written by Captain W. E. Johns (February 5, 1893 - 21 June 1968) an English pilot and writer of adventure stories who created his air ace hero in the story "The White Fokker", published in the first issue of 'Popular Flying' magazine in March 1932. 

This 1960 series, made by Granada Television, was a children's adventure transmitted in an early evening slot (initially Fridays at 6.30pm and later twice a week with the second episode being added and then going out on Wednesday's and Friday's at 7.00pm). The story featured a post-war Biggles (played by Nevil Whiting) who had left the RAF to join the CID, heading up a crack unit of investigators that comprised himself, Bertie (Lord Bertram Lissie) and Ginger (Ginger Hebblethwaite), who would traverse the globe to solve crime. Ginger was played by John Leyton who, on the back of this success, turned pop star and had a Number One hit the following year with the haunting 'Johnny Remember Me'. But even more notable than that was that one of the writers of this series was Tony Warren-who, whilst working on Biggles was also creating a 13-part soap called Florizel Street, but later (wisely) renamed Coronation Street. Actor William Roache also worked on the series and was spotted by Warren who then cast him as 'The Streets' Ken Barlow.

Published on November 29th, 2018. Written by Laurence Marcus for Television Heaven.