U.S. TITLE: MY PARTNER THE GHOST

There's something different about this pair of private eyes....one of them is dead!

Jeff Randall and Marty Hopkirk are best friends and business partners in a small London private investigative office. The partnership seemingly ends when Marty is killed in a hit-and-run accident in front of his home. Not so, as Marty's ghost returns, visible only to Jeff, to track down his murderer. They succeed in trapping Marty's killer, but in the process Marty falls victim to an ancient curse: "Cursed be the ghost who dares to stay and face the awful light of day / Ye shall not to the grave return until a hundred years be gone."

THE CHARACTERS:

Jeff Randall is a good detective, but not the luckiest man on earth (in his job or in love). His primary occupation at times seems to be not a detective but staying one step ahead of his creditors. On more than one occasion he is cheated out of his fee. He also has an eye for women that sometimes causes him to get distracted from a job. On top of all of that, he is perceived by some to be "odd" at least because he's frequently seen "talking to himself". Sometimes the hardest part of a successfuly-solved case is providing a rational explanation for the information Marty has provided. He served in the Army.

Marty Hopkirk was a devoutly married man with a jealous streak toward wife Jean. His ghost maintains both that devotion and possessive nature toward her (even though she is unaware that he is present). Besides jealousy, his traits include loyalty to Jeff and a nose for probing deeper when things don't seem right (which is what got him killed in the first place).

Jean Hopkirk was just a housewife until Marty's death, then she got 50% of the Randall and Hopkirk partnership. She faces the struggle of dealing with the loss of her husband as well as becoming a partner in a private detective agency, a job she occasionally has to learn on the fly as she finds herself in dangerous situations.

THE ACTORS:

Mike Pratt was a veteran of numerous movies and shows, including many ITC series. Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) was his only starring role. He died July 10, 1976 at the young age of 45 from lung cancer.

Kenneth Cope began his career in the mid-1950s. He was a cast member of the BBC's ground-breaking satire show That Was the Week That Was and was featured in Coronation Street prior to winning the role of Marty Hopkirk. He continued acting after the end of Randall and Hopkirk, and even branched out into writing and restaurant ownership. His most recent recurring role was on Brookside.

Annette Andre almost didn't get to play Jean Hopkirk, because she was the original choice for the role of Sharron Macready in another ITC show, The Champions. The role, instead, went to Alexandra Bastedo, and Annette landed the role as Marty's widow. She was a frequent guest star on The Saint and in other ITC shows. She retired from acting and moved with her husband to the U.S.

THE LEGACY:

A gentle mix of drama, suspense, romance and humor, Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) had but one series of 26 episodes. The show, however, was syndicated world-wide, and subsequent video and DVD releases have earned the program two generations of fans. A remake, Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) (2000) starring Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer, ran for 13 episodes over two seasons on BBC and was later shown on BBC America.

THEME MUSIC:

The theme music was composed by Edwin Astley (1922-1998), who was the father-in-law of Who guitarist/composer Pete Townshend.

FURTHER READING:
In 1994, Geoff Tibballs wrote a detailed book on Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) that included interviews with Kenneth Cope and Annette Andre and show-by-show synopses. Although the book is out of print, it is currently readily available through used book sites and auction sites in both the U.S. and the U.K.

VIDEO:
The entire Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) series is available on DVD from Umbrella Entertainment in Australia. The 7-DVD box set is not region coded and features a number of extras including scripts, promotional material, U.S. My Partner the Ghost opening credits, and interviews with cast members Kenneth Cope and Annette Andre.

The first 13 episodes are available from A&E video. These episodes have no extras, and are region 1 coded (playable only in the U.S. and Canada).

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U.S. TITLE: MY PARTNER THE GHOST

There's something different about this pair of private eyes....one of them is dead!

Jeff Randall and Marty Hopkirk are best friends and business partners in a small London private investigative office. The partnership seemingly ends when Marty is killed in a hit-and-run accident in front of his home. Not so, as Marty's ghost returns, visible only to Jeff, to track down his murderer. They succeed in trapping Marty's killer, but in the process Marty falls victim to an ancient curse: "Cursed be the ghost who dares to stay and face the awful light of day / Ye shall not to the grave return until a hundred years be gone."

THE CHARACTERS:

Jeff Randall is a good detective, but not the luckiest man on earth (in his job or in love). His primary occupation at times seems to be not a detective but staying one step ahead of his creditors. On more than one occasion he is cheated out of his fee. He also has an eye for women that sometimes causes him to get distracted from a job. On top of all of that, he is perceived by some to be "odd" at least because he's frequently seen "talking to himself").

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