The Champions

After a plane carrying three Agents crashes in the Himalayas, they are rescued by an advanced civilisation secretly living in Tibet who grant them enhanced versions of the ordinary five senses, and intellectual and physical abilities.

The Champions (1968-1969) is a British science fiction adventure series created by Monty Berman and Dennis Spooner for ITV1. After a plane carrying three secret agents crashes in the Himalayas, the survivors are rescued by an advanced civilisation secretly living in Tibet, who grant them enhanced versions of the ordinary five senses along with superior intellectual and physical abilities. Alexandra Bastedo plays Sharron Macready, William Gaunt plays Richard Barrett, and Stuart Damon plays Craig Stirling, three agents who carry these gifts back into the world as a covert team. Anthony Nicholls appears as their commander, Cmdr. W.L. Tremayne, directing missions that pit the agents against shadowy foes. The engine of the show is the tension between ordinary espionage and the strange powers they now possess, with each episode built around a new threat. Running for a single season of thirty hour-long episodes, it offers a self-contained, episodic structure with a memorable premise. Its tone is brisk, earnest and playful, with a retro sixties flavour. Fans of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and The Avengers will find resonance in its blend of spy fiction and gadget-driven fantasy, while the premise recalls The Six Million Dollar Man.

• The Man from U.N.C.L.E.shared espionage agents and superhuman abilities, 1960s action adventure
• The Avengers (1961)shared british 1960s spy adventure with secret agents and science fiction gadgetry
• The Six Million Dollar Manshared science fiction premise of enhanced humans with extraordinary abilities working secretly

Created by

Monty Berman, Dennis Spooner

Release Date

1968-09-25

Episode runtime

60 min

Rating

7.5 / 10 (24)

What is The Champions about?

Three agents gain enhanced senses and abilities from a secret Tibetan civilisation after a Himalayan plane crash.

What is The Champions like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Champions as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.

Is The Champions violent?

Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Champions as mild.

Which shows are like The Champions?

Shows with a similar feel include The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Avengers (1961), and The Six Million Dollar Man.

How long is The Champions?

The Champions: 1 season, 30 episodes.

Is The Champions still running?

No, The Champions has ended.

Where can I watch The Champions?

In United States, The Champions streams on Shout! Factory TV, BritBox Amazon Channel, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel.