Callan

Callan is a British action-drama spy television series created by James Mitchell, first airing between 1967 and 1972. It starred Edward Woodward as David Callan, an agent of a state secret service dealing with internal security threats to the United Kingdom. Though portrayed as having responsibilities similar to those of the real-life MI5, Callan's fictional "Section" has carte blanche to use the most ruthless of methods. In the storylines interrogation is by means of torture, while extrajudicial killings are so routine they have a colour-coded filing system. Despite being an assassin who stays in the socially isolating job because it is the only thing he is good at, Callan is a sympathetic character by comparison to his sadistic upper-class colleagues and implacable superiors. The downbeat cover for the Section's headquarters was the scrap metal business of "Charlie Hunter". Produced by ABC Weekend TV and Thames Television, the programme proved extremely popular; as well as four series between 1967 and 1972 there was a a feature-length film in 1974 and a TV film in 1981. Characters David Callan (Series 1–4) – his name is a pseudonym as when meeting with an old acquaintance he remarks (in the episode 'Where Else Could I Go?') that he knew him by a different name during their military service together. He often uses the alias David Tucker who is officially in the scrap metal business but is also a qualified bookkeeper which he uses both to support himself when not working for The Section and occasionally in undercover work. He was born in London, an only child whose parents were both killed towards the end of World War II in a V2 rocket attack. He served as a National Serviceman in the British Army during the Malayan Emergency with the Green Howards, attained the rank of corporal and saved his company commander's life, winning a medal but twice being demoted for fighting with a sergeant and arguing with an officer. Afterwards, he became a bank robber but was caught, served two years in Wormwood Scrubs prison and was subsequently recruited by The Section. He served in Hong Kong and in Beirut where he became romantically involved with a woman who was shot and killed in his arms by an enemy agent. He is a crack shot, normally preferring a snub-nosed Nagouchi .357 Magnum revolver and a karate expert, demonstrating the ability to kill an opponent with his bare hands using only three blows.