Alexandra Bastedo in The Champions - Discussion

[andysmz]

If you remember The Champions (currently being reshown on ITV4) there is one of those bits at the beginning of every episode where they demonstrate their extra powers which involves her giving a lift to a hitch-hiker who slips his hand onto her leg (she has a miniskirt naturally!) and gets duffed up for his trouble - I found the hand on the leg bit extremely exciting at the time, in fact - can somebody pass the tissues!

Oh, and last week's episode where Richard gets kidnapped includes a very nice gratuitous scene of her in a pink bikini - which makes up for the fact that's her only appearance. Sadly I failed to record it.... :-(

[Greenman]

Watched 'The Champions' a few days ago on ITV4 where she pretended to be turned on by this gangster Mr Marco(played by Rentaghost's Mr Meaker-Edward Brayshaw) very sexy especially when she put her hair down.

[popmanstensgaard]

Apparently, when she did The Champions, she was told by the makers to keep her hair up as it made her look older.

[ralphvoss]

If you want to see how time has treated her, she has a tiny bit-part in "Batman Begins" playing a society Southern Belle.

The Champions special edition box set features a reunion between Alexandra, Stuart Damon and William Gaunt, shot two-three years ago.

[ralphvoss]

If you remember The Champions (currently being reshown on ITV4) there is one of those bits at the beginning of every episode where they demonstrate their extra powers which involves her giving a lift to a hitch-hiker who slips his hand onto her leg (she has a miniskirt naturally!) and gets duffed up for his trouble - I found the hand on the leg bit extremely exciting at the time, in fact - can somebody pass the tissues!

Oh, and last week's episode where Richard gets kidnapped includes a very nice gratuitous scene of her in a pink bikini - which makes up for the fact that's her only appearance. Sadly I failed to record it.... :-(

There are several leggy pics of Alexandra in the 30 minute photo+incidental music gallery on "The Champions - Special Edition DVD" set from Network DVD...which you can get for around £30. Many studio/publicity portraits and some in her bikini. It also features some specially shot scenes to frame the pilot that aren't usually transmitted.

[molfluon]

Whilst watching Comedy Map of Britain last night on Watch(satellite) there was a short excerpt featuring Harry Worth(once one of the best comedians in this country) talking at a party with Alexandra-you might be able to find it if the series is repeated-usually ad nauseum across satellite channels)

Wonderful! Two of my favourite stars worked together. I'll definitely look through channel listings for his show :)

My most favourite Harry Worth sketch was a skit on Star Trek. Where the intrepid crew travel back in time once again to abduct HW because they were under the impression he was some kind of super-being. HW then proceeds to confuse and bemuse in his usual style.

Not that I am but one of the reasons why I liked the Champions so much was that looking back with modern eyes on the shows indicates I think a unique occurrence. William Gaunt played his character ever so slightly Gay. I don't think there are any other Gay superheroes.

Although technically the Champions didn't have any superpowers as such. As explained by the old man in the Himalayas they were only as good at things as any one "normal" human ever was. What made them "super" was that they were altered to be geniuses at everything. The "superpower" of telepathy I would assume existed in others in the "Champions Universe". Given what I remember the old man explained.

This is also I think an original concept. Redeeming it in my eyes at least from it's being shot on the skinniest of budgets (even the opening titles had a back projection shot of the Geneva fountain) and a very patchy script indeed. Although there were strangely good patches of writing here and there.

AB had and still has one of the prettiest faces I ever did see. And a nice squishy bum too!

Alexandra Bastedo aka. Sharon Sharon McReady-British Wonder Woman!:D

[ralphvoss]

Re: budgets...The Champions was actually one of the most expensive shows on at the time, with a budget of around £30,000 an episode (the equivalent of 21x25min episodes of Doctor Who at the time.....half a season of Doctor Who back then!... although The Prisoner [also an ITC show] and The Avengers [not an ITC show but in production at the same studio] had higher budgets [£50,000 per episode on The Avengers]). So they would reuse sets to save money, such as the submarine set, which featured in 3 episodes...The Interrogation was recorded in one week (usually an episode took two weeks to shoot) and on minimal sets. Spooner and Berman's next two shows [Department S & Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)] were in parallel production at Elstree, so that sets, vehicles etc. could be used on both and save money.

Some of the finest episodes were written by Tony Williamson, who would work on Spooner and Berman's next shows, Department S, Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased), Jason King & The Adventurer...all of which Alexandra Bastedo guested on. Donald James wrote for those too. Brian Clemens from The Avengers/Danger Man/The Baron/Adam Adamant Lives! wrote a couple. Ralph Smart (creator of Danger Man) wrote for it. I always thought that Philip Broadley would write the weak scripts because his episodes showed the least imagination.

Technically they did have powers, augmented to the peak of human perfection and they had all those talents in one.

Telepathy in others is touched on in Tony Williamson's episode, The Experiment, where a Doctor is developing his own superhumans....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3cPxVsK_ko
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9xU-mhegxQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcBvleIR2ro
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x17xWdNlbFs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fsoeAC_gRw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PASCVkRmKNw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9JnS9RHAFk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hErmjbQvUOM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QD4-zvxv_8I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKhvklK6AGs

[godlek99]

I've recently been watching alot of The Champions on ITV4. It's on before I go to work and normally keeps me on track to leave home.
Alexandra seems to have been added purely as glamour as most episodes sideline her completely (which like Annette Andre in Randall and Hopkirk is rather demeaning) Was it really that expensive to make ? lots of it was shot around the ITC studios and i've seen the same manor house set used in several episodes dressed differently. It doesn't help that ITV4 show The Saint and Randall and Hopkirk as well, as they all use the same sets.

Alexandra still looks amazing.

[Greenman]

Whilst watching the re-runs of "The Champions" myself I couldn't help think which one of the two men would she be attracted to Craig or Richard? Conversely which of them would be vying for her affections too, although we know that Craig is more of a ladies' man than Richard who I think is more the brains of the team. The other thing is I think Alexandra was sexier with her hair down than up-also she should have been a Bond girl.

[NoChance]

I fully agree on the Bond Girl front. She had a minor appearance in one but did not show anything like her full potential.

I have read somewhere that the reason she wore her hair up in The Champions was to make her look older. Presumably to fit the role.

[ralphvoss]

Alexandra seems to have been added purely as glamour as most episodes sideline her completely (which like Annette Andre in Randall and Hopkirk is rather demeaning) Was it really that expensive to make ? lots of it was shot around the ITC studios and i've seen the same manor house set used in several episodes dressed differently. It doesn't help that ITV4 show The Saint and Randall and Hopkirk as well, as they all use the same sets.

It was very expensive for it's time. Shot on 35mm film in colour at Elstree Studios (Other ITC series used Shepperton, Pinewood and Borehamwood Film Studios) and on location. Essentially television with feature film standards but shot more quickly. The BBC couldn't have afforded to do it at the time as an in-house show.

The Saint, Gideon's Way, The Baron, The Champions, Department S, Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased), Jason King & The Adventurer (all with Monty Berman as producer.....except for the later episodes of The Saint episodes [the colour ones]) were all shot at Elstree, so yes there was set and crew sharing. Some of Alexandra's costumes would later be worn by Annette Andre on Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased). Department S and Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) (Alexandra guested on both) were given the go-ahead to be produced in parallel production deliberately to save on costs (as The Saint & Gideon's Way had been. So you sometimes see the same locations/redressed sets/backlot (the backlot town pops up a lot!...as does that sliding red door..)/cars popping up on different shows (shared between Department S and Randall and Hopkirk...Randall's car is in 5 episodes of Department S)....and lots of cars (2!....but clips reused) flying off cliffs. As the shows were completed on a two week turnaround, locations would have to be within easy reach of the studios.

Actually, Jean Hopkirk wasn't in the original outlines for Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased). The Champions was given the go-ahead partly because it was the first ITC show to have three leads, making it different. Department S retained the three leads (two male, one female) plus boss format. But yes, Sharron doesn't get to throw around as many men as Craig and Richard do. Which seems terribly unfair. Especially as she can lift cars too. The three leads do discuss this together on the Network DVDs.

[trekkertos]

Thanks for reminding me of that Jag flew off the cliff in every itv series ithink :)