1 9 8 5 – 1 9 8 7 (UK)
1 x 90 minute episode
30 x 60 minute episodes
This dowdy British take on Charlie’s Angels featured a trio of women who operated the Eyes Enquiry Agency – in reality, a cover for the cringingly-titled security squad, C.A.T.S. (Covert Activities Thames Section) who worked for the Home Office.
Ex-policewoman Maggie Forbes (Jill Gascoine) – who had previously been the central character in The Gentle Touch – joined Oxford-educated Pru Standfast (Rosalyn Landor) and fast-driving computer buff Frederica ‘Fred’ Smith (Leslie Ash).
Overseeing their activities was ‘the man from the ministry’ Nigel Beaumont (Don Warrington, Philip from Rising Damp).
The trio of action-ladies came up against the Mafia, the Triads and Russian spies on a regular basis, but any tendency towards glamorous danger was offset by the Thames estuary locations (Gillingham, Rochester, Chatham etc) insisted upon by production company TVS in order to make maximum use of their Maidstone studios.
Season two saw the promotion of Forbes to team leader, replacing the departed Pru Standfast. Tracy-Louise Ward was recruited as Tessa Robinson to maintain the numbers.
A swiftly-commissioned third and final series of just seven episodes aired on Saturdays from 25 April to 6 June 1987.
