Major changes occurred for the fourth series. Not only had Marker been sent to prison but he then relocated to Brighton. It was previewed in the article below from The Sunday Mirror through an interview with Alfred Burke. As always Alfred has interesting things to say about his character, notably about how his independence leads him into a solitary existence and away from relationships.
The Daily Mirror noted the opening episode on 30th July, highlighting the arrival of Mrs. Mortimer (Pauline Delany) as Marker's landlady and first real friend. Over the next few years the paper, in common with its tabloid cousins and to a fair degree The TV Times often accompanied its listings for the show with pictures of the young attractive guest actresses, commonly in glamorous poses. This was very much the style for those less enlightened - or more politically correct and inhibited if you prefer - times. For example a picture of Stephanie Beacham adorned the lising for My Life's My Own while Deborah Grant was featured on the day of the final episode A Fixed Address. Unfortunately the Mirror did not review episodes in detail but it did regard Public Eye very positively and most episodes attracted some remark or picture.
The episode itself brought a mixed review by the same paper. Writer M. Malone seemed to feel the opener, documenting Marker's uneasy release from prison was too slow-paced. The character was perceptively praised - "Marker is an introverted, peculiar man - a loner, hard to get to know. But once known, never forgotten." However he remarked the story, "seemed to forget the indelible impression he made first time round. An hour concentrating on his character was wasted time."
Virginia Ironside in The Daily Mail (31.7.69) though offered a rather harsher verdict. She argued the programme was guilty of "head-in-the-clouds naivete" in its supposedly sanitised depiction of prison - "It was as if they wrote to the public relations officer for Her Majesty's prisons". It's not clear whether Ms. Ironside was a regular viewer of Public Eye - perhaps she was expecting a very different sort of production. The episode was more concerned with depicting Marker's attempt to rejoin life outside than to offer a warts-and-all account of prison life. In any event a mainstream though realistic series like Public Eye was not Play For Today or intended as the sort of radical drama that might show the most brutal aspects of life inside. The events do show the psychological wounding that prison has inflicted on Marker, and later stories were to make this even clearer. It was very clear that jail had been deeply traumatic for him. However even in the scenes outside she was unimpressed, claming them to be "cliched" although accepting overall that the programme was "well-intentioned". It was rare for such a unsympathetic critique as this.
Much more positive was James Thomas in The Daily Express on the same day after this opener. He painted the remarkable background of Marker's imprisonment and described him as "still one of the most remarkable characters to be spawned by television adventure... a character who defies sympathy and yet demands it. His sullen, battered atttitude to life is a reflection of the way many of us feel but only Marker parades it like a badge." Writer Roger Marshall was praised and Thomas stated, "This series again brought to the usually banal stretch of TV adventure a real strength."
Henry Raynor offered a very brief account of the episode Divide And Conquer in a more clearly positive vein than the last one in The Times. Beware this contains spoilers if you haven't seen the story.
Long-standing aficianado Maurice Wiggin (Sunday Times, 10.8.69) responded positively to this episode as well, using it to offer further insight into the series. Referring to Alfred Burke he observed, "He and his writer Roger Marshall have created the most unlikely, the most surprising, and in some ways the most interesting of all popular heroes." He noted, "This latest revival started rather dubiously but picked up strongly this week," - indicating that Welcome To Brighton? had generally not made a good impression.Summing up Marker's appeal he stated, "He epitomised integrity."
A few weeks later The Comedian's Graveyard deservedly brought a warm appreciation from long-standing fan Peter Black in The Daily Mail (4.9.69). He described it as "honest and unsentimental" and was impressed by Joe Melia's performance as the comedian "with a sardonic appreciation of his shortcomings." The story made great use of Brighton, another point finding favour with the critic.
The opening episode of Series 5 (A Mug Named Frank) saw Marker move from Brighton to Windsor where he was to stay for twenty nine stories. The Daily Mirror used the episode to note the arrival of "23 year old Brenda Cavendish" as Nell Holdsworth. The Morning Star reviewed this briefly. Most of the attention is to the show in general, the episode itself only referenced by a cool remark about the "thin plot".
Nancy Banks-Smith (The Guardian, 8.7.71) was taken by this opener. She joined in the universal acclaim for Alfred Burke and said, "There is no reason why Public Eye should not go on for ever." Marker was "Clearly in need of the love of a good woman. Helen Mortimer might have fitted the bill but she noted, "The first episode of the fifth series saw him dispensing firmly of the love of a good woman. Her and her hotpot."
In The Daily Telegraph the same day Peter Wright stated, "It is a programme which breaks all the rules of the TV crime but still makes good viewing. Its strong feature is the utter authenticity it gets into its backgrounds and the depth of relationship among its characters." He concluded, "The series may not generate a lot of heat with its downbeat tale of one man's integrity at odds with the world but it is always watchable and often shows up the empty glossiness of its rivals." James Thomas of The Daily Express (8.7.71) was another pleased viewer.
Well - There Was This Girl, You See, the second episode of the 1971 series, though saw an extensive and very positive review by the highly respected Chris Dunkley. It concentrates on an excellent, perceptive analysis of the show's style and broad merits. The final paragraph refers briefly to the episode - once again beware a spoiler if you haven't seen it.
The Daily Mirror noted the appearance of Susan Broderick in the above episode. The paper regarded the show in a very good light. Matthew Coady said, "The series owes a great deal to Alfred Burke's marvellously disciplined performance."
Stephen Phillips in The Daily Express (15.7.71) was another reviewer of the same story and provided a witty and appreciative account. "There is a creepy reality about thrillers from Thames Television. Ice-cold Callan and sleazy Frank Marker belong to a staggeringly different world from that inhabited by Paul Temple, Simon Templar and Jason King. It is not glamorous and it breaks all the rules of escapist TV. Cocktails don't flow freely in Marker's uncarpeted office. He even runs out of instant coffee. But since most people run out of instant coffee more often than they run into beautiful foreign spies at society parties as in the other breed of TV adventure Marker is the more credible." Referring to the reward Marker pursued he said, "Simon Templar would have wanted three noughts added to make him interested." He also highlighted Susan Broderick of whom he said, "No man in his right mind would scorn." There was a small, final note of reservation, "I do find Public Eye a little depressing. It is sometimes reassuring to have a hero who wins his fights."
Two weeks later (29.7.71) Richard Last in The Daily Telegraph commented appreciatively on I Always Wanted a Swimming Pool. In his general observations he noted, "The low key of Public Eye is what sets it apart from other television 'tec series and makes it enormously more credible. Everything about Alfred Burke's Frank Marker is small time: his seedy office, the cases he handles, his own gentle almost gauche manner."
On 1st August The Sunday Mirror ran a feature on Alfred Burke entitled "Marker Puts Ena In Her Place". This was prompted by the second episode of the series (Well.. There Was This Girl You See) beating Coronation Street to top the ratings for that week, noting that the last drama series to do so was Callan two years earlier. Alfred suggests that the gap between series aided its quality and said he liked the fact that the show was originally set in the South East London where he grew up. Intriguingly he referred to a forthcoming LP of him singing Irving Berlin and other thrities songs! Whether that ever saw the light of day is not known.
Stewart Lane (14.8.71) gave due acclaim to Come Into the Garden, Rose saying, "It holds up through astute casting even when the plot might be weak." He astutely explained, "Madge Ryan was perfect in the role of Rose, expressing a moving dignity in a humiliating situation and doing so with style and conviction. Matching her in every way was George Sewell... The strength of the series is the fact that none of this weakened the central position of Alfred Burke as Frank Marker - on the contrary it strengthened it."
Returning to The Daily Mirror, on 18th August it stated "Only Coronation Street kept it off top place in the ratings last week". There was a brief but warm preview of the night's episode - And When You've Paid the Bill You're None the Wiser. The next episode (Who Wants To Be Told News) was applauded by Sean Day-Lewis of The Daily Telegraph (26.8.71) for its bold take on race relations: "It is good that television is now sufficiently adult to show wry plays... where coloured characters are shown to be less than noble." He hinted at perhaps a lack of realism in that often openly racist time though, referring to, "town traders free of prejudice or alternatively feeling guilty about it."
On 15th September a glamorous picture of guest star Luan Peters in a bikini was featured alongside the listing for Transatlantic Cousins. As the series closed on 29th September it noted that it was "still high in the ratings."
A final, insightful comment on the fifth series well worth recording is by an anonymous writer in The Observer from the summer of 1971:
"Marker - the shabby, down-at-heel inquiry agent, mucked about by everyone and too prone to misgivings of conscience for his own good. This is possibily the best thought-out and realised piece of popular acting to be seen regularly on the box. Alfred Burke gives the character a solidity quite independent of script. Which is not to under-rate the script-writers."
Comparing the show favourably to its Thames stablemate Callan he continued:
"Obviously somebody there specialises in this breed of hero, the seedy outsider over whom the establishment has some murky hold, but who is nonetheless given to explosively rebellious crises of conscience about the role imposed on him."
The return of the sixth series (Wednesday 8th November 1972) was noted in The Times preview:
"Marker, the home counties private eye, returns in Public Eye to counter-balance the other channel's transatlantic Cannon. An acquired taste but many like him."
The
Daily Mirror continued to be impressed, describing Marker as "one of the most compelling characters on the small screen." The preview for
Girl In Blue (15th November) had director Dennis Vance describing how he "had to make a blue movie without a single dirty shot." A publicity picture of Rosalyn Elvin in a mini-dress, who played the eponymous character, was alongside. Ann Curthoys was pictured for
Many a Slip two weeks later. The following week Jean Kent, star of
Mrs. Podmore's Cat, explained that she now lived in Malta but had no problems commuting to Britain for work.
On 31st January ("Home And Away") The Times preview observed, "The underestimated Brian Pringle should tempt extra viewers to this week's episode of Public Eye, the private eye saga." The Daily Mirror was more effusive, stating that "The stories on Public Eye get better and better."
The final series saw the greatest and most appreciative press attention. The Daily Mail marked the opener with an analysis of the show and its appeal. Most notably Alfred Burke talks about how some viewers write to him believing he is Marker and can help with their problems!
Predictably a picture of guest actress Judy Buxton appeared for the preview in the
Daily Mirror of
Nobody Wants To Know (6.1.75). Marker was referred to as "
TV's shabby private eye." The
following day it praised this stark opener and offered some interesting insights. Referring to Marker it said "
He brings out the bully in the people he meets," and "
having doubled his rate for the risk of violence he had to earn it."
On 27th January it noted a complaint from the manager of the Eton and Slough employment exchange who said that Frank would never have been treated as harshly by staff as he was in
How About a Cup Of Tea? when he went looking for work. Thames staff though replied that no particular place was mentioned and one fears that people like Frank did occasionally meet such a response in some job centres.
The writer of
The Fall Guy, Brian Finch, was featured on 3rd February. The article explained that he had three peak-time shows on ITV that evening (
Coronation Street,
The Life Of Riley and
Public Eye.) The latter he praised as "
one of the best things on television." It also explained he was a former press officer for the BBC.
On 15th February a piece on Rosalind Ayres observed how she had become known for playing "
downtrodden" parts in shows such as
Coronation Street and
Within These Walls. Oddly it made no reference to such a part a few weeks earlier in
Public Eye as Mrs. Grant, the penniless, deserted young mother in
How About a Cup Of Tea?. Two days later the debut episode in Chertsey - Hard Times - highlighted Veronica Carlson but surprisingly there was no picture of the glamorous blonde actress. On 3rd March the paper heralded the "
splendid Alfred Burke" but that was the last comment on the show, with even the final episode passing with no particular mention. All the same it had been one of its strongest supporters over the years.
The Times offered great comments. Every single episode warranted at least a comment in the brief preview of the day's TV - an impressive achievement and only the penultimate one is less than positive, although the opening comment - "curiously popular" - is a little ambiguous.
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"Public Eye, the curiously popular saga of a private detective, is back to stir the seamy side of life." (6.1.75)
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"It is good to see Marker back in Public Eye, a compelling hour of seedy drama." (13.1.75)
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"Public Eye is as good as ever." (20.1.75)
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"Marker is better than ever in Public Eye." (27.1.75)
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"Public Eye becomes more compulsive." (3.2.75)
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"The ever good Public Eye." (10.2.75)
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"Kojak is lined up against the popular Public Eye. Frank Marker - back on his own again - should have no problem in beating his American cousin." (17.2.75)
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"Public Eye is even better now Marker is back on his own again." (24.2.75)
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"Even the bald, lollipop-sucking 'tec (Kojak) must find it hard going against the incomparable Frank Marker in Public Eye." (3.3.75)
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"The usual excellent Monday night representatives - Z Cars, Public Eye and The Goodies." (10.3.75)
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"Z Cars and Public Eye are consistently enjoyable slices of Britain's seamier side." (17.3.75)
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"Unfortunately Frank Marker has lost that edge of seediness which made the series compulsive viewing." (24.3.75)
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"Regret for the end of another series of Public Eye and Frank Marker".
That proved to be the final episode of all but a nice farewell from the paper. It is worth concluding with a review by Alan Coren of the show from Tuesday 28th January 1975. There is no reference to the previous night's episode but an enthusiastic appraisal of the show. It isn't as searching or perceptive as that by Chris Dunkley above but is still perceptive and a fine tribute.
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