User Reviews

I have just watched The Champions episode 'To Trap A Rat', directed by Sam Wanaker. I remember seeing it before some time ago, and found it to be one of the better episodes, possibly because there was more use of outside locations in London, rather than the action just taking place on a film set. I also found the story more plausible than in the average episode, with there being a drugs syndicate to break, rather than a madman intent on world domination.

The Champions themselves certainly did stretch their powers rather more than usual in this episode to my mind. Notable events for me include Sharron Macready and Richard Barrett discovering a remote location by listening to sounds coming through a telephone while they held someone on the line, Richard hypnotising a gunman with his stare after failing to win a fight (never seen that power before!) and Richard again foiling the escape of a bad guy by lifting up the driving wheels of his getaway Jaguar, Bionic Man style. However, being fresh from watching this episode I disagree somewhat with the previous correspondents comments about 'where were Richards magic powers' when he failed to look away, when parked outside the flat of a pretty girl who Craig had just gone in with, when she looked straight out of the window at him, suspicious that she had just seen Craig signalling someone. The answer is, and it was in the dialogue, that the pair were deliberately setting themselves up to be trapped, so that the ring leaders would expose their own identity when they tried to discover who Craig was working for and how much he knew. Richard Barrett did not look away because he wanted the suspect girl to know she was being spied on, so that she would contact her suppliers and get Craig caught.

Other than what is for me, an above average storyline for this series, (even though I like it most of the time!) I like it because it is crammed full of 1950's and 1960's classic cars and lorries, going about their daily business, since most of the action takes place on the streets of London or in an underground car park. Jaguars, Hillmans, Zephyrs, Cortinas', a vintage MG, a VW Karmann Ghia, and a 1950's Rolls Royce or two either feature prominently or pop up at the roadside as the 'on location' action unfolds. For any classic car fan, this is an excellent period TV programme.

The Champions put their considerable abilities to use as they go up against a drug syndicate dealing tainted narcotics and death on the streets of London.

To Trap a Rat is a different sort of episode. It's more "realistic" than the others I've seen so far. There aren't any nuclear devices or Chinese spy missions or old Nazis in a cave. The drug dealers presented here probably aren't that far from what you'd find on the streets in mid-1960s London. When the episode started, I wasn't too sure how it would work for me. Usually, the more outlandish the plot and set- pieces in something like The Champions, the better. But I quickly realized I was wrong. To Trap a Rat is probably my favorite episode far.

A couple other things I liked: 1. Tracking the baddies – The way Sharron and Richard tracked down the bad guys by listening to sounds on the phone was really sweet. 2. Edina Ronay – Wow! 3. Let's go outside – not only were the plot themes realistic, but the extensive use of outside locations throughout the episode added to the realism. It's always cool to see shots of swinging 1960s London.

A couple of things I didn't like: 1. Too many powers - It seemed to me that there were several new powers presented in To Trap a Rat that hadn't been hinted at before the episode. It just seemed so random. 2. Actually, there's not a #2.

Overall, an 8/10 (verging on a 9/10) from me.

Another solid little episode, this time taking a look at the usual Swinging Sixties society. Kate O'Mara guest stars and has a nicely dramatic role but Edina Romay is the real stand-out here; she's stunning. The drug dealing storyline offers something afresh and it's a nice snapshot of its era.

'To Trap A Rat' is one of the more unusual 'Champions' episodes. Instead of stolen submarines, ghost planes, and missing scientists, it deals with what then would have been a fairly new social problem - drug addiction. It opens in London with a confused girl - 'Jane Purcell' ( Kate O'Mara ) - venturing into a discotheque in search of drug dealer 'Frank Edwards' ( Michael Standing ). Having gotten what she wants, she climbs into her sports car and drives off, only to crash seconds later. She is not hurt, but could easily have been killed. Jane is the latest person to buy drugs from a dirty consignment, possibly coming from abroad. Presently, only a handful of people have had their lives blighted by it, but as the availability increases, the number will escalate to hundreds, possibly thousands. The Champions are assigned to find out who is supplying the drugs, and put them out of business for good. Using Jane as bait, Sharron pretends to be an addict so she can get to Frank and put a 'tracer' on his person. He in turn leads NEMESIS to a peanut vendor ( Toke Townley, for many years 'Sam Pearson' on 'Emmerdale Farm' ), to garage employee 'Sandra Hurst' ( the stunningly beautiful Edina Ronay ), and finally to the man at the top - urbane 'Walter Pelham' ( Guy Rolfe ).

'Rat' benefits from a good script by 'Danger Man' deviser/producer Ralph Smart, and stylish direction from actor Sam Wanamaker. Reportedly, he went so far over his allotted filming schedule he was not asked to work on the show again ( he did direct a 'Return Of The Saint' ten years later ). Some very impressive location work in London, and a number of memorable sequences - animals in a zoo going berserk because of the noise ( which only they and the Champions can hear ) of Frank's tracer, Richard hypnotising Frank simply by staring at him, Craig and Richard lip-reading over a fair distance, Richard and Sharron identifying the location of the arch-villain's house by phoning him and listening to background sounds such as a coal-man on his rounds, and Craig almost being torn in two when his arms are tied to the bumper of a car and his feet to an underground garage wall.

'Rat' was the first 'Champions' shown on U.S. television and while it is a strong episode, it probably confused viewers over there ( though, in fairness, David Bauer's post-titles narration does mention the Champions' back-story ).

Possibly its only flaw is that, due to the era's strict broadcasting standards, a realistic depiction of drug addiction was impossible, hence O'Mara and Bastedo have to look merely emotionally overwrought when by rights they should have been crawling about in the gutter and vomiting and so on. A good effort, all the same.

The Champions venture to London and tackle the drug trade.

With this episode (and after Sharron's complete shut-out in OPeration Deep-Freeze, as well as her partial appearance in The Survivors), Sharron does get a bit more to do, imitating a druggie (notice how she slightly resembled the future Joanna Lumley on Absolutely Fabulous), but then we see her completely removed from the adventure once again, never mind that she was now more powerful than the man they were chasing.

This episode seemed to mark a slight change in the progress of the show.

Since the show was filmed in London, we get more exterior shots here than we have in other 'international' episodes, but we also see a slight comedic side begin to emerge with William Gaunt (Richard Barrett).

But then, oh, we have a terrible Champions power faux pas.

Richard waits for Craig, who is inside with the young girl who will get them inside the den of iniquity where the drugs are dealt, but then the pretty young lass is able to peer out the window and spy on Richard who is still looking up from down in the street.

What happened to that perceptive Champion vision that should have told Richard to look away when he sees the blonde looking down at him? An explanation? Of the trio, Richard (thus far, again, their powers may have been developing) hasn't displayed any visionary abilities yet, so perhaps his hadnt developed to that extent by then.