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Telegraph
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Why Paul Temple is the detective we all need right now
For three decades from the 1940s, Paul Temple ruled the airwaves. This urbane amateur detective was a mainstay of the BBC Home Service, solving all manner of dastardly deeds with aplomb. Listeners relished the world of metropolitan sophistication which Temple offered, a world of cravats, sports cars and post-prandial cocktails. In fact, Temple's habitual exclamation 'By Timothy!' and the programme's inimitable, frenetic theme music (Coronation Scot by Vivian Ellis), not to mention the frightfully posh RP accents, feel like significant cultural markers in the post-war British landscape. The suave crime novelist and spare time sleuth had first appeared on the radio before the Second World War (in Send for Paul Temple – an eight-part serial broadcast in 1938), but it was austerity Britain that lapped him up, with 20 more serials being made. And despite the impeccably English credentials of Temple (Rugby and Oxford) and his (oddly named) wife Steve (a journalist who used her Fleet Street pseudonym), the serials were also exceedingly popular on the Continent, especially in Germany, the Netherlands and Italy. Paul Temple was created by Francis Durbridge, a prolific writer of thrillers and one of the most successful authors of the mid-20th century. Born in Hull in 1912 into a middle-class family, Durbridge enjoyed a career of astonishing longevity, one spanning six decades and many mediums. A Birmingham University graduate, he began writing for radio in 1933 with children's stories and romantic sketches, but his breakthrough came the following year with Promotion, a play about life in a large department store. In addition to his voluminous output for radio, Durbridge was also an accomplished writer of TV thriller serials. One of the most popular was Melissa (1964) in which the uxorious Guy Foster finds himself the prime suspect when his eponymous wife is murdered. He also wrote for the stage, with Suddenly at Home (1971) running in London's West End for nearly two years. Durbridge's work offered fans of detective fiction high-octane plots which kept the mind guessing and the pulse racing, together with flamboyant, memorable protagonists, elusive villains, nail-biting climaxes and big, set-piece reveals. This combination set him apart from contemporaries such as Desmond Bagley and Helen MacInnes, and enabled him to tap into Britain's insatiable desire for crime thrillers, be they on radio, TV, stage or in print. But it was Temple, one of his earliest creations, that was also his most successful. In some ways the stories, written for radio, represent the best and worst aspects of genre fiction. They can be formulaic (Durbridge had a predilection for recycling his plots, as well as for the inclusion of copious red herrings). Yet this formula was also part of the series' success and leant itself perfectly to the radio which established thrilling cliffhangers(such as in Paul Temple and the Madison Mystery where, with Steve kidnapped, Temple is involved in a high-speed boat chase on the Thames). As with the majority of Agatha Christie's fiction, the identity of the murderer is concealed until the denouement. So does Paul Temple deserve to be seen as more than mere genre fiction? The prose is often muscular, and the characters are surprisingly well-rounded (Temple is, by turn, cerebral, doughty, jocular, imperious and supercilious), while the depictions of skulduggery against an ostensibly genteel background offer an offbeat social commentary on upper-class mores. The Paul Temple Mysteries also offer a fascinating social and racial snapshot of post-war Britain. The working classes – as portrayed most favourably in the character of Temple's manservant Charlie, know their place in the rigid social order and when to deferentially doff their caps. Likewise, corresponding with our post-war mindset of paranoia, Durbridge's villains are often swarthy Europeans or international foreign criminal masterminds, and, as epitomised by Temple and his wife, the quintessentially English traits of decorum and fair play reign supreme in both social intercourse and crime fighting. The lost world evoked by Durbridge – in which men dressed for dinner and were chivalrous to their spouses, depict a halcyon England. But Durbridge's England could be ugly, too – an unapologetic and un-PC throwback to a xenophobic, monocultural vision of parochial Englishness in which 'the w—s begin at Calais', to employ that most heinous of period phrases. And this, ironically, was at a time when the British Empire was disintegrating, soon to be dismantled by the independence movements and the 'Winds of Change' sweeping through Africa and the Caribbean. While the books are worth revisiting, it is the radio adaptations, many currently available on YouTube and BBC Sounds, which remain Paul Temple's strongest showcase. Although several actors played Temple in the early days, it was helped by the consistent presence of Peter Coke and Marjorie Westbury as Paul and Steve from 1954 until the end of the series' run in 1968. In addition, the same BBC radio producer – Martyn C Webster – was responsible for every single Paul Temple Mystery, even coming out of retirement to produce the final serial, thereby ensuring a much sought-after continuity of tone and register. Webster is credited with introducing the practice of prohibiting the actors from reading the scripts of the last episode before rehearsal and broadcast, to ensure that the murderer would not be disclosed by any errant inflection in an actor's voice. Meanwhile, Francis Durbridge went from strength to strength. Quick to realise the power of television, he wrote a drama, The Broken Horseshoe, in 1952, which was followed by 19 more exceedingly popular serials for the BBC, all featuring the credit Francis Durbridge Presents before the title. Paul Temple moved to the small screen, too, with Francis Matthews in the title role, appearing between 1969 and 1971 in 52 episodes for the BBC. However, unlike the radio serials, each television episode was self-contained and Durbridge did not actually write them himself, with the result that they were devoid of his assiduously crafted cliffhangers. Durbridge died a year after a major Channel 4 adaptation of Melissa in 1997 and The Times obituary read: 'What Agatha Christie was to the novel, Durbridge was to the radio and television play.' Yet Melissa effectively marked the end of Britain's love affair with Durbridge and sadly he now feels like a mere footnote in the annals of British 20th-century culture. I must confess: the Paul Temple Mysteries have been my guilty pleasure – and my essential bath time listening – for many years, affording me a gloriously indulgent aural treat from a bygone era while I soak in the tub. The stark contrast between Temple's monochrome, upper-class milieu (complete with opulent flat in Eaton Square) and my own multicultural, middle-class existence (complete with infinitely more modest south London bohemian garret) – only adds to their charm. In the same way that Terence Rattigan's exquisitely well-made, emotionally trenchant plays from the 1940s are currently enjoying a well-deserved revival in both the nation's theatres and the national consciousness, the British public are long overdue a Durbridge renaissance. The time is surely now ripe for a rediscovery – and a wider reinvention – of Durbridge's art in radio, TV and film, given that he excelled in all three. At a time when the TV and radio thrillers being ingloriously churned out by the streaming behemoths are painfully formulaic, shamelessly pandering to algorithms at the expense of narrative coherence and dramatic quality, could Paul Temple save the thriller genre from sheer tedium? 'By Timothy! Yes, he could!' The six best Paul Temple radio serials Paul Temple and the Gregory Affair (1946) Temple investigates the murder of a young woman whose body is found in the sea and that of another young woman, found in his own garage, both linked with the message 'With the compliments of Mr. Gregory.' From a secluded Yorkshire clifftop to a salubrious Mayfair nightclub and a warehouse on the Thames, Temple and Steve go in pursuit of a sinister and deadly criminal mastermind. Currently available on YouTube and on BBC Sounds Paul Temple and the Sullivan Mystery (1947) About to travel to Egypt, the Temples are asked by an acquaintance, Miss Raymond, to return an ostensibly ordinary pair of glasses to her cousin Richard Sullivan in Cairo. Yet this act of kindness inevitably leads to subterfuge and murder, and a thrilling adventure which leads them from their stop-over in Sicily to the bustling backstreets of Cairo and a houseboat rendez-vous on the Nile. Currently available on YouTube Paul Temple and the Madison Mystery (1949) Returning to England from America by ocean liner, Temple meets Sam Portland, an amnesiac multi-millionaire whose UK agent Hubert Greene has received notification about Portland's shady past from a private detective called Madison. After Portland dies on board, the dead man's watch chain leads Temple in pursuit of a ruthless gang of international counterfeiters whose blackmail and murderous brutality to protect their lucrative clandestine operation culminates in Steve's abduction, a high-speed boat chase on the Thames and a lethal explosion. Currently available on YouTube. Paul Temple and the Vandyke Affair (1950) Temple is called in to investigate the disappearance of Mary Desmond's baby daughter and her babysitter, Miss Millicent – the only clue being a note left at the scene laconically stating 'A Mr Vandyke telephoned. He left no message.' With the identity of the elusive Mr Vandyke inextricably linked to a doll left in a briefcase in a nightclub cloakroom and the murder of a man impersonating a police officer, the Temples are forced to take a trip to Paris to purchase a pair of gloves, in order to unmask the culprit, apprehend the murderer and ascertain the real reason for the baby's disappearance. Currently available on YouTube Paul Temple and the Gilbert Case (1954) Temple is asked by Wilfred Stirling to investigate the murder of his daughter Brenda, for which her boyfriend Howard Gilbert has already been found guilty and sentenced to hang. As Temple races against time to prove Gilbert's innocence before his impending execution, there are more murders, crucially involving a shoe missing from each victim, a fashionable London nightclub and its shady European owner. Currently available on YouTube Paul Temple and the Margo Mystery (1961) Temple, returning home from New York after an American lecture tour, strikes up conversation with Mike Langdon, who has been entrusted with persuading his employer's 21-year-old daughter, Julia Kelburn, to renounce her boyfriend, a nightclub singer called Tony Wyman, because her father disapproves. Meeting her husband at the airport, Temple's wife Steve is drugged and kidnapped, but released unharmed and left in possession of a designer coat with the label 'Margo'. After Julia's subsequent murder and a bomb sent to their home, Temple and Steve are faced with grave danger in pursuit of an international criminal called The Fence who is behind Julia's murder.
RNZ News
08-07-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Wellington Phoenix clear the decks with departure of overseas players
Olivia Fergusson was the leading scorer for the Phoenix in the 2024-25 season. Photo: PHOTOSPORT The Wellington Phoenix women's football side has had a major cleanout of its overseas players. Portuguese goalkeeper Carolina Vilão, English striker Olivia Fergusson, Americans Maya McCutcheon and Alivia Kelly and Japanese winger Mebae Tanaka won't be returning to the club next season. The Phoenix have already signed experienced Dutch midfielder Tessel Middag , Dominican Republic captain Lucía León and American defender Ellie Walker for the 2025-26 campaign with a fourth visa signing to come. Director of football Shaun Gill said all five of the departing group "had a positive impact on the team, on and off the pitch". "Fergie was our top goal scorer last season, while Maya, Alivia and Mebae all scored their maiden A-League goals for the club and Carolina kept four clean sheets, which is level for the most in the team's history." The Phoenix finished ninth in the 12-team competition last season, recording only seven wins in 23 matches. Coach Paul Temple ended a near decade long association with the club when he wasn't offered a new contract. The club is yet to announce his replacement . Paul Temple Photo: Photosport -RNZ
Times
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Ten years of Talking Pictures: ‘I try to watch modern TV but they mumble'
Prepare to get nostalgic for nostalgia. Talking Pictures TV, the old movie and telly channel, celebrates its tenth anniversary on 26 May — and, yes, it does seem like only yesterday that we pleasantly wasted our first rainy afternoon in front of an easy-to-follow Fifties B-movie. Happily, amid a world of turbulent streamers, after 87,000 hours and 5,000 films, shorts and TV series, Talking Pictures' schedules are a millpond of consistency, in which the monochrome, the well enunciated and the unchallenging thrive. Monday's un-showy birthday line-up is typical, featuring Calling Paul Temple, a 1948 detective film, a documentary on the Dunkirk-faring steamship the Medway Queen, and one of the last Dixon of Dock Greens from 1976, which is about as modern era as
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Western United forgo fourth spot in draw with Phoenix
Western United will have to do things the hard way after their 1-1 A-League Women draw with Wellington Phoenix cost them fourth spot and hosting rights for their elimination final. United entered Sunday's match at a wet and windy Porirua Park knowing the equation was simple - win and fourth spot was theirs, lose or draw and it would be a sixth-placed finish. Sara Eggesvik's powerful header in the 75th minute gave United the lead they were so desperately craving. But just five minutes later Emma Main equalised for Wellington when she made contact with the ball while sliding in the box. United's late attempts to snatch a winner fell short, meaning they will now take on third-placed Adelaide United away from home in an elimination final. The other elimination final will feature fourth-placed Central Coast hosting fifth-placed Canberra United. Ladder leaders Melbourne City and second-placed Melbourne Victory earn direct entry to the two-legged semi-finals. Wellington finish the season in ninth spot, but the come-from-behind draw at least sent off departing coach Paul Temple with something to smile about. What a moment for the @WgtnPhoenixFC in Paul Temple's final match!An 80th minute equalier - and this game is set for a huge #WELvWUN live on 10 Play & Paramount+. — Ninja A-League (@aleaguewomen) April 20, 2025 After the match, 33-year-old Phoenix midfielder Annalie Longo announced it was her final ALW appearance. "It is the last game for me," Longo told Paramount. "I'm proud of the performance. "The energy in the second half was good. For Paul and myself, it's a full circle moment. "I was lucky enough to be coached by him in the Under 17s in the World Cup for NZ. We've gone a long way, it's been a pleasure seeing him grow and develop as a coach."
