Review of Champions, The: The Complete Series (Box Set)

Introduction

Sharon MacCready (Alexandra Bastedo) has it all, expensive designer clothes, perfect makeup and a job that involved kicking ass big time. She is one of The Champions, an elite special team that works for Nemesis on a series of international assignments. As an equal alongside Craig Sterling (Stuart Damon) and Richard Barratt (William Gaunt) and with her brief tragic back-story to explain her presence Sharon has an amazing experience. When the team crash after a difficult assignment in Asia they are helped by a mysterious oriental. Coming round in the snow they soon realise that they have been given special powers. Although the three remain in the employ of Nemesis they can now use their powers to fight evil. They also keep the powers secret which occasionally result in bemusement from their Boss, Tremayne (Anthony Nicholls in a false beard)

So begins the story of the Champions that coloured the childhoods of those born in the 1960s. It was a time of powerful females presaging the rise of woman as an equal of man. Long before Buffy the "teenage vampire slayer" these women like Emma Peel and Sharon McCready gave us strong role models to live up to.

I confess, for me, it was a toss up between being Destiny Angel or Sharon MacCready; Emma didn`t really get a look in. The Champions was the sort of show that launched a thousand fantasies and I was young enough to believe in every single word.

So after many years the complete series finally comes to DVD. First the surprise, the show only lasted one season. It was sold around the world but cancelled even before the first series hit the screens in the UK.

There are only 30 episodes and of course there is no conclusion to their story due to the nature of the series demise. All went on to other projects. Stuart Damon has been a long time member of the General Hospital cast; William Gaunt appeared in popular sitcoms. Alexandra Bastedo recently made a cameo appearance in Absolutely Fabulous and Batman Begins; quite a mixture. She has also spent a long time running an animal sanctuary and seems to be an all-round good egg.

There are 30 episodes altogether and writers include such luminaries as Terry Nation and Brian Clemens. The cast always includes familiar faces from British television including a very young Kate O`Mara.

Video

If you are a student of recent history rather than a fan of the series you will find some fun in watching some of the backgrounds of these dramas. If you are a student of fashion then the costumes and make-up of "La Bastedo" are a visual treat. Oh and the guys are always in suits even in their leisure time. (sigh)

The actual show has not aged well, in particular the use of stock footage for backgrounds and linking shots is looking very tatty.

Audio

Suitably dramatic and very often over the top music marks this drama out as one put into an action series. It`s a bit much on occasions but just accept that this is part of the era.

As for the scripts, the writers may have gone on to be famous but most of these scripts are unlikely to win any awards. They are workmanlike and the plots often tortuous and very slow. There is little by way of character development in the episodes, The closest we get to any deeper knowledge about the trio is the opening episode and in The Interrogation. The rest offer only hints about their life outside of missions; there would be seven seasons worth of episodes in this scenario these days; unless it didn`t make the first season cut.

Features

The Legend of the Champions-included as an extra.

This film issued in 1983 is actually a compilation of the first episode of the series and another called The Interrogation. It is not drama`s finest hour but does at least explain the original plot. (Useful for me as I wasn`t sent the complete set).

There are other extras on the box set, including a reunion of the trio. Now that I would like to see. There are also commentaries on the episodes though how they can remember anything from nearly 40 years ago beggars belief; I forget what I need as soon as I open the kitchen cupboard!

For your information this is as per our news page:

"Special features on the DVD are: `We Were The Champions`, a brand new documentary on the making of the series contributions from William Gaunt, Alexandra Bastedo, Stuart Damon, Johnny Goodman, Malcolm Christopher, Ken Baker, Cyril Frankel and Brian Clemens. An audio commentary on The Beginning featuring Stuart Damon, Alexandra Bastedo and William Gaunt; An audio commentary on Autokill featuring Stuart Damon, Alexandra Bastedo and William Gaunt; A second audio commentary on Autokill featuring Malcolm Christopher, Ken Baker and Roy Ward Baker. Previously unseen extended version of `The Beginning` featuring specially shot bookend sequences; Artistes test footage; Nearly thirty minutes of incidental music by Edwin Astley, Robert Farnon and Albert Elms, prepared as a musical suite and accompanied by an extensive image gallery including many behind the scenes stills; The Legend of the Champions - a feature-length compilation of The Beginning and The Interrogation, made by ITC for the overseas market in the early 1980s; Episodic Trailer gallery - a gallery of the nineteen remaining Champions trailers (with UK and US soundtracks), specially transferred from the original film elements for use in this set. Generic trailer gallery - a gallery of various generic trailers of differing lengths which have been transferred from the original film elements for use in this set. Specially filmed `Channel 9` promos; Merchandise Image Gallery of Champions memorabilia showcasing images of the merchandise produced for The Champions during the sixties and early seventies. It includes the full fronts and backs of all the Champions trading cards. Annual Material PDF - The Champions featured as an ongoing strip in the Joe 90 Top Secret comic; Reconstructed ad-caps; Variant Titles featuring unused title music composed by Robert Farnon. A commemorative booklet featuring an in-depth essay on the making of The Champions by Mike Richardson."


I`m sure they were very nice-I`m not bitter…

Conclusion

It was long ago and far away and this show seems to come from another universe. Like many memories from childhood it does not live up to them but Craig Sterling still rings my bell in his smooth American way. Certainly it`s corny and dated and the plots do take a long time to get anywhere. They sure don`t compare to modern dramas but seen as part of their time they did open the eyes of young people to the possibilities of life, if not the possibility of superpowers.

The extras will be a good selling point for this set especially for the nostalgic. It`s a pity I can`t tell you if they are any good. Looks like I will be buying my own set.