The Mask of Janus:

Why Not Call Me Kruschev? 1965

 

Director: David Sullivan Proudfoot

 

Writer: Tony Williamson

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Rôle: Dr Kapaka

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Broadcast: 10 December 1965 BBCTV

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Synopsis: Counter espionage agent, Richard Cadell (Dinsdale Landen) is brainwashed into forgetting his real identity and into believing that he is a Russian.

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Background: The Mask of Janus was a British television series produced by the BBC in 1965, and starred Dinsdale Landen as counter espionage agent Richard Cadell. The series was set in the fictional European country of Amalia. Unlike programmes such as Danger Man, The Mask of Janus dealt primarily with the intricacies of espionage as opposed to action, with storylines involving defection to the West (under the guise of Trade Delegations and Exhibitions), awakening "Sleepers", the exchange of captured agents and the leaking of official secrets.

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An entertaining series which cultivated a healthy audience, the programme featured script contributions from the likes of Roger Marshall, Bill Barron, Brian Degas and Tony Williamson (who would later be responsible for the highly-popular series The Protectors for ITV). The series was produced by Terence Dudley, with directorial contributions from William Slater, David Proudfoot and Eric Hills. A spin-off series, The Spies, premiered two weeks after the conclusion of the series, and was equally as successful.

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Availability: Seven of the original eleven episodes of this programme are still missing from BBC archives, but it is unknown if a copy exists of this episode.