Public Eye

Roger Marshall and Anthony Marriott created Public Eye, which concerns a world-weary private detective Frank Marker (Alfred Burke). 87 episodes were made over ten years from 1965, each portraying the life of a private eye with as much grit, realism and dour charm as possible. The theme music and graphics reflect the downbeat, grass-roots nature of the series. Dressed in his shabby raincoat Marker was usually forced to operate from low-rent offices. He even spent two and a half years in prison for a crime he did not commit, after a crooked solicitor framed him for a robbery. Series four, the first to be made by Thames, begins with his release. Of the 87 episodes, just five of the 41 ABC-made shows remain. The later Thames episodes exist in full. Clips show #1.2 (30/01/1965, ABC) and #4.1 (30/07/1969, Thames).