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Poster for The Secret Service

The Secret Service

Seen it?

1969 | 1 seasons | 30 min | Animation, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Family

Weeknight Watchearly rating

Why it’s a Weeknight Watch

With a short run with a modest audience and little lasting buzz, it's a mixed bag. Fine if it's on; don't plan your night around it.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for sci-fi fans, action fans and families. If you loved Phineas and Ferb or Star Wars: Clone Wars, start here.
The mood
Feel-good.
The pace
1 season: a few weeks of evenings, short, snackable episodes, about 7 hours in all.
What might put you off
  • No age rating on record, so check it first for young kids.
  • Made in 1969: an older pace and style.

The Secret Service is a 1969 British children's espionage television series, produced by Century 21 / ITC Entertainment for Associated Television, Granada Television, and Southern Television. Created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, and produced by David Lane and Reg Hill, it was the eighth and final Century 21 production to feature Supermarionation. Under the direction of Gerry Anderson, who wanted to compensate for the inadequacies of Supermarionation and increase the realism of the format, The Secret Service incorporates footage of live actors for long-distance shots. Father Stanley Unwin, voiced by and resembling the real-life comedian of the same name, is the parish priest of a rural English village. But Unwin is in fact a secret agent for BISHOP, a covert British Intelligence branch that battles international criminal and terrorist threats. Aided by junior operative Matthew Harding, Unwin answers to his London-based superior 'The Bishop', as he would in his public profession.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsNot counted

    Not enough reviews on record yet

  • AudiencesNot counted

    Not measured yet: not enough ratings

  • AwardsNot counted

    No major awards or nominations

  • Reach & staying powerBelow par

    Ran for 1 season and reached a small audience so far; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactBelow par

    About 24K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Created by Gerry Anderson, Sylvia Anderson

  • Stanley UnwinFather Stanley Unwin (voice)
  • Gary FilesMatthew Harding / Various Characters (voice)
  • Jeremy WilkinThe Bishop / Various Characters (voice)
  • Sylvia AndersonMrs Appleby / Various Characters (voice)
  • David HealyVarious Characters (voice)
  • Keith BuckleyAgent Blake / Various Characters (voice)