About this season
The Troubleshooters is a British television series made by the BBC between 1965 and 1972, created by John Elliot. During its run, the series made the transition from black and white to colour transmissions. The series was based around an international oil company – the "Mogul" of the title. The first series was mostly concerned with the internal politics within the Mogul organisation, with episodes revolving around industrial espionage, internal fraud and negligence almost leading to an accident on a North Sea oil rig.
Episodes (26)
1. A Dirty Old Man And A Rare Bird
Aired 6 January 1969 • 60 min
Zenith drop a bombshell into the world of Mogul. The repercussions will influence the company for a long time to come.
2. Twenty Years Is No Time At All
Aired 13 January 1969 • 60 min
Thornton is sent to Singapore on a secret mission.
3. How Much Is One Man Worth?
Aired 20 January 1969 • 60 min
How much is one man worth? When Ted Kihi is trapped in a Malaysian cave Peter Thornton turns the whole resources of Mogul, and his own skill as an oil man, to the rescue operation.
4. If He Hollers, Let Him Go
Aired 27 January 1969 • 60 min
The lovely Mrs. Foss, wife of Mogul's founder, turns up in London in the middle of a takeover battle. Inevitably she brings chaos and confusion - particularly to Alec Stewart.
5. A Very Special Relationship
Aired 3 February 1969 • 60 min
Stead's plans for expansion in Europe as part of his fight against Zenith take a knock when a French multi-millionaire marries a film starlet.
6. There's A Nasty Word - Love
Aired 10 February 1969 • 60 min
Alec and Roz Stewart find themselves in the uncomfortable world between east and west when they arrive in Japan, where the traditions of a thousand years conflict with life in the twentieth century.
7. You're Not Going to Believe This, But...
Aired 17 February 1969 • 60 min
Why should the manager of Mogul's Malaysian station insult the local sultan? Why does he not remember things? Why does he turn against Thornton, an old friend, when he tries to help? This is one of Thornton's most puzzling assignments, and even when he solves it he does not believe what he finds.
8. Take-Over Is Two Four-Letter Words
Aired 24 February 1969 • 60 min
Mogul faces protests and demonstrations when a group of redundant employees occupy a distribution depot. A situation which starts as something small quickly develops into tension and danger.
9. Everybody Is That Kind Of Man
Aired 3 March 1969 • 60 min
Are Stewart and Stead trying to bribe their way to an important refinery project in Scotland? And what part does Zenith play in the attempts to corrupt a Scots official?
10. So You Think You're One Of Us
Aired 10 March 1969 • 60 min
Angola spells trouble for Mogul when Thornton becomes a pawn in the struggle between African rebels and the Portuguese authorities.
11. They've More Than Their Assets Frozen
Aired 17 March 1969 • 60 min
Thornton faces incredible hardship in Alaska. But added to the dangers and difficulties is the knowledge that the whole future of Mogul could depend on his success or failure.
12. There's This Bird, See...
Aired 24 March 1969 • 60 min
A remote island in the Indian Ocean may seem the perfect drilling location. No population, beautiful weather, not even a foreign government to deal with for it is British owned. But - there's this bird, see.... and birds, feathered of course, spell trouble for Mogul.
13. You Want A Clockwork Nightingale
Aired 31 March 1969 • 60 min
The executives of Mogul's South African subsidiary think their office boy Zeke is only capable of 'totin' barges and liftin' bales', but Willy Izard has other ideas. Zeke has secret ambitions - and qualifications - which Willy decides to further. He expected to come up against apartheid, but another completely unexpected obstacle crops up which calls for uncharacteristic forcefulness from the normally gentle Izard.
14. Don't Ask, Take
Aired 14 April 1969 • 60 min
Eccentric individualists cannot be successfully absorbed into big organisations, but Brian Stead decides to take up the challenge. He realises that an inventor has got something that Mogul needs. The big question is: what has Mogul got that the inventor needs?
15. Doctor Liebling, I Presume
Aired 21 April 1969 • 60 min
Papuan headhunters are not a common danger to Mogul. But they are only one of the hazards Peter Thornton has to face. Why does the Australian District Commissioner try to stop him going to see Dr. Liebling? And what is Dr. Liebling doing there anyway? It takes a terrifying experience to clear up the mystery.
16. You Can't Trust Women
Aired 28 April 1969 • 60 min
Ghislaine Foss's hand is sought by both Zenith and Mogul. Why? Because besides having a young and glamourous millionairess at the end of it it also contains a fistful of Mogul shares. Vital shares as the Mogul - Zenith battle reaches its climax.
17. Really. She Did, She Really Did
Aired 5 May 1969 • 60 min
Brian Stead takes the entire board of Mogul International across the Atlantic on the Queen Elizabeth II. But this is no empty gesture. The moment of decision has arrived in the merger battle. For the crucial board meeting the directors must be away from outside interference.
18. Some Of The Mud Is Bound To Stick
Aired 12 May 1969 • 60 min
Is Alec Stewart a spy? The Algerian authorities think so. It is possible. He travels all over the world, is accepted everywhere without question and he moves in the highest circles. But he has never expressed strong political opinions and he certainly doesn't need the money. So why should he spy?
19. Lord, What A Tangled Web
Aired 19 May 1969 • 60 min
Memories of 1945 come flooding back to Brian Stead when he revisits Berlin, where Mogul are drilling for natural gas. He served there at the end of the war, and an incident twenty-four years old is dragged up in an attempt to discredit him.
20. And One Wise Man Came Out From The East
Aired 2 June 1969 • 60 min
Thornton questions his loyalty when he is lost in the Australian outback without radio and without salt tablets. Struggling to survive he wonders whether Mogul's demands are too great.
21. Let's All Drop Out Together
Aired 9 June 1969 • 60 min
Thornton resigns from Mogul. Lying peacefully on a beach in Fiji he resists attempts from Stead and Izard to change his mind. But Stead has a few tricks to pull before he admits defeat.
22. She'll Be Right Mate
Aired 16 June 1969 • 60 min
Thornton returns to the fold - straight into a row between the New Zealand government and Mogul over the movement of a drilling rig from that country to Indonesia.
23. It's A Very Bad Day For Travelling
Aired 23 June 1969 • 60 min
An important contract can be won in Ceylon. But Mogul's manager there, Henry Burton, doesn't seem to be trying. Thornton must not only find out why but also take the decisions needed to put things right, including sacking Burton if necessary.
24. This Place Is A Paradise, Mister
Aired 30 June 1969 • 60 min
Thornton is taken prisoner on a Caribbean island paradise. 'King' George Watt doesn't want a Mogul invasion and he is supported by French anthropologist Dr. Leduc, who is using the islanders in a dangerous sociological experiment. She helps Thornton escape.
25. They Call Me Israel
Aired 7 July 1969 • 60 min
26. Over The Hill
Aired 14 July 1969 • 60 min