About this season
The first of a trilogy of police procedurals produced in the 1960s by Granada TV, linked by the presence of pompous but increasingly genial police Chief Inspector Charles Rose, The Odd Man initially dealt with the investigations of theatrical-agent-cum-detective Steve Gardiner, and his encounters with the police in the form of Chief Inspector Gordon and DS Swift. By season three, Rose takes Gardiner's place.
Episodes (8)
1. The Raggle-Taggle Gipsy
Aired 11 May 1962 • 50 min
When an ex-Hungarian turns up mysteriously after having been missing for a whole year, is taken ill and then dies from an overdose of drugs, Gardiner sets out to retrace the man's footsteps - and discovers a sinister clinic run by an ex-SS doctor.
2. South American Way
Aired 18 May 1962 • 50 min
When Gardiner organises a British tour for a South American dance company and discovers a plot to discredit their patron, he intervenes on the British Government. But South, a hired killer, stalks his every move.
3. The Circular Escape
Aired 25 May 1962 • 50 min
When Professor Preece is sent to prison for passing secrets to a foreign agent but escapes to settle accounts with the real traitor (his son), a chance meeting with Judy alerts Gardiner to Preece's plans.
4. A Hundred Foot of Film
Aired 1 June 1962 • 50 min
Before Gardiner can arrive at a sleazy hotel to keep a rendezvous with a man claiming to have important news, South kills the informer. Gardiner discovers the man's body and a reel of film - which sets him on the trail of a powerful adversary.
5. Francis the Third
Aired 8 June 1962 • 50 min
A young boy 'adopts' Judy and declares that he will stay with the Gardiners, and then produces a £100 note to pay rent. This odd event leads Steve to uncover an uncover an assassination plot against a French politician, whom South has been hired to kill.
6. A View to Death
Aired 15 June 1962 • 50 min
When Judy has a nightmare during which she is murdered by a mute killer and then meets South, the man from her dreams, in a train corridor, Steve finds far more than he bargained for on his return home.
7. The Great Big Question Mark
Aired 22 June 1962 • 50 min
Gardiner is approached by a young girl who asks him to sign a petition on behalf of South, who is applying for a reprieve. They argue and the incident places both in danger when Gardiner is mistaken for an American journalist.
8. The House of D'Arblay
Aired 29 June 1962 • 50 min
The body of an actor, covered with flowers and found in a car, leads Gardiner to bait a trap for South.