Dial 999 is a British television series that ran for one series of 39 episodes from 1958 to 1959.[1][2]

The series was a co-production between ITV contractor ABC Weekend TV, and American television producer Ziv Television Programs.

Synopsis

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Named after the emergency telephone number for the United Kingdom, Dial 999 stars Robert Beatty as Canadian Mountie Mike Maguire, and follows his work fighting crime alongside London's police. Beatty was essentially reprising his role in the 1946 film Appointment with Crime, in which he played Detective Inspector Rogers, a Canadian police officer attached to Scotland Yard. The show contrasted Beatty's muscular brand of policing with that of his British colleagues, but failed to sell to North American markets.

Cast

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  • Robert Beatty – Detective Inspector Michael McGuire
  • Duncan Lamont – Detective Inspector Winter
  • John Witty – Detective Sargeant West

Each episode had a different supporting cast. Notable actors who appeared include Michael Balfour, Adrienne Corri, Vera Day, William Hartnell (who had appeared in Appointment with Crime), Arthur Lowe, Patrick Magee, Sidney Tafler, Patrick Troughton and Sam Kydd

Episodes

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Episode Title Writer Director
1 "The Killing Job" Ted Willis Alvin Rakoff
2 "Special Edition" Tony O'Grady Bernard Knowles
3 "Illegal Entry" Brock Williams Terence Fisher
4 "The Great Gold Robbery" Peter Holiday Terence Fisher
5 "Thames Division" Brock Williams Alvin Rakoff
6 "Missing Persons" Ken Taylor Bernard Knowles
7 "Honeymoon" Neville Dasey and Ken Taylor Bernard Knowles
8 "Commando Crook" Gil Winfield Terence Fisher
9 "77 Bus" E.J. Mason Terence Fisher
10 "Night Mail" Jack Pulman Bernard Knowles
11 "Escape" Gilbert Winfield Bernard Knowles
12 "The Big Fish" Peter Holiday Don Chaffey
13 "Special Branch" Jack Rock Terence Fisher
14 "The Mechanical Watchman" Ken Taylor Bernard Knowles
15 "Ghost Squad" Neville Dasey and Peter Yeldham Terence Fisher
16 "50,000 Hands" Ian Greaves Terence Fisher
17 "Fashions in Crime" Ken Taylor Terence Fisher
18 "Rolling Racketeers" Tony O'Grady Bernard Knowles
19 "24 Hours a Day" Edward J. Mason Alvin Rakoff
20 "Hunter, Hunted" Gilbert Winfield Robert Lynn
21 "A Mined Area" Tony O'Grady Robert Lynn
22 "The Barge Burglars" Paul M. Jack Robert Lynn
23 "Old Soldiers Sometimes Die" Neville Dasey Bernard Knowles
24 "Extradition" Neville Dasey and Peter Yeldham Bernard Knowles
25 "Gun Rule" Peter Yeldham Bernard Knowles
26 "Key Witness" Tony O'Grady Bernard Knowles
27 "Down to the Sea" Ken Taylor Bernard Knowles
28 "The Exception to the Rule" Tony O'Grady Bernard Knowles
29 "Deadly Blackmail" Paul M. Jack Bernard Knowles
30 "Payroll Job" Gilbert Winfield Robert Lynn
31 "The Motorbike Bandits" B.P. Royle Robert Lynn
32 "Living Loot" Edward J. Mason Bernard Knowles
33 "An Inside Job" Gil Winfield Bernard Knowles
34 "Picture Puzzle" Peter Yeldham Robert Lynn
35 "Rat Trap" Frank White Robert Lynn
36 "Heads or Tails" Neville Dasey Charles Saunders
37 "Radio Active" Tony O'Grady Robert Lynn
38 "Robbery with Violence" Peter Yeldham Alvin Rakoff
39 "Death Ride" Philip Monroe Bernard Knowles

Production

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Dial 999 was filmed at Elstree Studios, and on location in London. The programme credits acknowledge the cooperation of the Metropolitan Police.

Home media

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In 2021, Network DVD released all the episodes of the series on DVD in a five disc set.

References

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  1. ^ "Dial 999". IMDB. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
  2. ^ Palmer, Scott (2022). Dial 999: The Series. Cypress Hills Press. ISBN 9781087992662.
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