MovieChat Forums > Public Eye (1965) Discussion > New Book on the series.

New Book on the series.

posted 11 years ago by stuartfanning
8 replies | jump to latest

Public Eye: Six Guineas a day plus expenses - The Definitive Account of a Remarkable Series by Andrew Pixley.

http://www.networkdvd.net/product_info.php?products_id=1645

[–] Riding46 10 years ago

Thanks for the info Stuart. I take it that the book is part of "extra" in a DVD box set?
As I have found it on Amazon but they are asking £50 for it!
Well I just about buy every DVD of the show for that.
Does anybody have any info on the book as the link is no longer valid.

[–] stuartfanning 10 years ago

Yes originally you could buy it as part of a DVD Box Set, or separately from the Network website. I checked the website and it looks like the book itself in now out of print. Sometimes the book comes up for sale on Amazon, ebay or Abebooks. None of those sites have it at the moment unfortunately.

[–] Riding46 10 years ago

Thanks for the reply, are you aware of the book written by Audley Southcott?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Public-Eye-Cross-That-Palm/dp/0722180349/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1390689802&sr=1-1&keywords=public+eye

I understand that one of the co-creators of the show, Anthony Marriott, wrote a novel based on the series but I've not been able to find that on amazon.

The book you talk about is part of this DVD box set, and as it contains every surviving episode is probably worth the £50+ it costs to buy it.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Public-Eye-Box-Named-Frank/dp/B008R9XOQS/ref=sr_1_2?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1390757803&sr=1-2&keywords=public+eye

[–] stuartfanning 10 years ago

Yes the Marriott book 'Marker Calls the Tune' is impossible to find anywhere. Some more information on it here (scroll down the page).

http://www.contquots.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/1w.html

[–] frank-270 9 years ago

"Marker Calls The Tune" was on Amazon marketplace a few days ago, for the grand sum of one hundred Great British pounds.

[–] Riding46 10 years ago

Thanks, I just came across that site last night and it's a mine of information on the show!
Also the wikipedia entry has great links on it too!
I was thinking about e-mailing the owner of the site but wonder if he is still active as he mentions a message board on the series but there does not seem to be one.

[–] trevski2001 7 years ago

I had been toying with the idea of purchasing some of the individual series of 'Public Eye' from Network for a while when last autumn they had a sale amongst which was 'A box named Frank' - all surviving episodes of 'Public Eye' plus a few extras over 17 DVD's plus the paperback book by Andrew Pixley for £30. Definitely a bargain so I purchased it and have started watching it over the last few days.

If I remember rightly, in my neck of the woods 'Public Eye' alternated with 'The Avengers' in a prime Saturday night slot in the late 1960's. I liked them both in their different ways but while 'The Avengers' has had several repeats, 'Public Eye' has been largely forgotten. Thanks to Network for making what is left available - and many other classic British shows.

The series is not my typical fayre and may not 'stand out' for the uninitiated. So far I've watched the five remaining ABC episodes and just watched the first Thames episode, 'Welcome to Brighton?'. Despite their age and low-tech 60's monochrome the quality of the production and excellent scripts grab your attention in a way few modern series do. Despite the bigger budgets and high tech, nothing can substitute for the skill of the master storyteller, which seems to be something of a dying art.

Needless to say, I thoroughly recommend this box set.

[–] Riding46 (71) 6 years ago

"Welcome to Brighton" and the next two episodes that follow it are the finest 3 surviving episodes.
Glad you enjoyed the show! Terrible shame it's largely been forgotten but in TV timing is everything and Public eye was probably old hat by 1975. Can you believe they wanted to revamp the show, with Marker turning into a Reagan (from the Sweeney) type figure? No wonder Alfred Burke quit, who would have believed that Marker could get heavy?