Homepage Television Heaven Logo
Ron Randell in OSS

O.S.S.

1957 United Kingdom

Ron Randell and Robert Gallico starred as agents Frank Hawthorne and Sgt O'Brien working for the Office of Strategic Services during World War ll. Both men received their orders from Lionel Murton as 'The Chief' and the series was allegedly based on a real organisation of the same name, which was disbanded after the war and was in fact the precursor to the CIA. Co-producer William Eliscu had himself served in the agency, adding some semblance of authenticity to the stories, which usually involved rescue and sabotage missions behind enemy lines. 

The series was distributed by ITC and networked in the United States by ABC

Share on...

Facebook X E-Mail Pinterest LinkedIn Reddit

Published on January 16th, 2019. Written by Laurence Marcus for Television Heaven.

Read Next...

The Adventures of Tugboat Annie

Also released in 1957

Anglo-Canadian sitcom about Annie Brennan, the fog-horn voiced captain of the Narcissus, a tugboat based in a harbour on the Pacific North West of America.

Enemy at the Door

Also tagged Wartime Drama

Drama set around the Nazi occupation of the Channel Islands during the Second World War

Top Secret

Also tagged Spy Series

A British Intelligence agent is engaged by a South American businessman to act wherever the official forces of law and order cannot or will not do so.

A Perfect Spy

Also tagged Spy Series

Magnus Pym is a self-serving, unfeeling individual who leads a life of duplicity and betrayal.

The Girl from UNCLE

Also tagged Spy Series

Inferior spin-off from The Man from U.N.C.L.E. but notable for launching the TV career of Stefanie Powers, The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. was inspired by Peter O'Donnell's British comic strip heroine, Modesty Blaise.

Casey Jones

Also released in 1957

Popular Western series for kids that was made along similar lines to The Lone Ranger, The Cisco Kid and other successfully syndicated US shows of the late 1950's.

The Arthur Haynes Show

Also released in 1957

Britain's foremost sketch-show comedian of the early 1960s in his own series.

Trending

Currently the most visited pages on Television Heaven

Twentieth Century Cop
Articles 1957 United Kingdom

From the crime-ridden streets of London's East End to the writers' room of The Bill, Barry Appleton's Twentieth Century Cop is a gripping memoir of policing, notorious criminals, major investigations, and an unexpected second career shaping British television drama

The Liver Birds
1969 United Kingdom

Two feisty flatmates navigate love, work, and friendship in 1970s Liverpool. The Liver Birds—witty, warm, and wonderfully of its time. A true British sitcom classic!

The A Team TV series
1983 United States

A group of ex-Vietnam Commandos band together to form an unlikely partnership in order to assist the victims of injustice, whilst on the run themselves for a crime that they did not commit.

Heidi
1978 Switzerland, Germany

In the breathtaking Swiss Alps, a spirited orphan melts her stern uncle’s heart with resilience and optimism, in this faithful retelling of a beloved classic

Out of Town
1963 United Kingdom

A series of delightful expeditions through the English countryside

The New Road
1973 United Kingdom

Set in the Scottish Highlands of 1733, The New Road follows young Aeneas Macmaster's quest to uncover the truth about his father's death. Along General Wade's military road, he encounters intrigue, murder, romance, and a changing world

Ike: Countdown to D-Day
2004 United States

As Europe braces for liberation, Eisenhower battles clashing egos, catastrophic setbacks, and the crushing weight of command, ultimately staking his reputation—and the lives of thousands—on the perilous gamble that will become D‑Day

Brights Boffins
1970 United Kingdom

Children's comedy series about a group of scientists who work in a rambling long-forgotten Government establishment called Halfwitt House.

Dandy Nichols
Biographies 1957 United Kingdom

'One of the best and most subtle scene stealers in the business. She could fascinate just by making the most fleeting adjustment to her spectacles or the most furtive sideways glance.'

Laurel and Hardy
1949 United States

Beginning in 1949, television introduced Laurel and Hardy to an entirely new generation of viewers. Their classic films became hugely popular in syndication, ensuring their comedy lived on long after their cinematic heyday and cementing their status as timeless entertainment icons

The Romper Room
1964 United Kingdom

UK version of the popular children's programme where children were invited into the studio to play. Romper Room captivated kids from the age of 3 to 6 for 13 years on Anglia Television and had a waiting list of around a thousand kids

Dick Emery's Comic Characters
Articles 1957 United Kingdom

Dick Emery's characters were some of the best remembered on British television for a number of years. This article looks at how he created these characters utilising his natural flair for mimicry.

The Mind of Mr J G Reeder
1969 United Kingdom

Based on Edgar Wallace's short stories, this classic British series introduces the mild-mannered yet razor-sharp Mr. Reeder—whose mastery of criminal psychology makes him the ultimate nemesis of London’s most devious lawbreakers

1 / 0
YouTube BG_005 Facebook bg001 Instagram bg002