Product Details

• Actors: Edward Woodward, William Squire
• Format: Box set, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 3
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Acorn Media
• DVD Release Date: July 7, 2009
• Run Time: 455 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B001V7YZH0
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #41,898 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The murky world of espionage gets a fascinating and aggressively unheroic treatment in the British series Callan. Callan: Set 1 is actually the third season of this remarkable show from the late 1960s/early '70s; as it begins, agent and assassin David Callan (Edward Woodward) is recovering from being shot in the chest after killing his superior while under the effects of brainwashing. His new boss can’t afford to lose Callan--Callan’s skills are hard to find--but he worries that Callan might have lost his nerve. Callan demonstrates he can still be ruthless, but he suffers from pangs of conscience... and when faced with the grey morality of counterintelligence, makes sometimes futile attempts to balance out the scales of justice.

At first glance, Callan seems like simply a well-made, realistic spy story, in the vein of John le Carre’s intricate novels. But episode after episode subverts your expectations as Callan and his ambitious colleague Cross ruin the lives of innocent people in the name of national security. Callan is a fascinating creation; moody, bad-tempered, prone to treat his flunky/stoolpigeon Lonely (Russell Hunter) with a weird, almost homoerotic mix of possessiveness and abuse. In another actor’s hands, he might be downright unpleasant; but Woodward--who later starred in the series The Equalizer as well as movies like The Wicker Man and Breaker Morant--is a uniquely compelling actor, able to make cruelty and moral queasiness strangely magnetic. Whether he’s planting evidence to ruin a young woman’s engagement or trying to protect a racist politician from assassination, Callan comes across as simultaneously appalling and admirable. Oddly enough, starting with the third season enhances the program, adding to the hidden motives and secret histories. The supporting cast is uniformly superb, particularly Hunter as the squirrelly and aptly-named Lonely, who both loathes and desperately craves the approval of Callan. This series is essential viewing for anyone interested in the spy genre, but may be even more intriguing to people who don’t like tales of ridiculous secret agent derring-do--think of Callan as the anti-James-Bond. --Bret Fetzer

Product Description

For an assassin, loyalty and treachery dictate life and death

In a BAFTA-winning performance, Edward Woodward (The Equalizer) stars as Callan, a brooding, conscience-stricken assassin for a shadowy British intelligence service so secret it doesn’t have a name.

With the Cold War grinding on, agents from the East and West engage in elaborate deceptions, both sides seeking temporary advantage in an endless struggle. No one plays this game better than Callan. His sharp eyes, steely will, and steady hand with a gun make him a valuable asset to his superior, called Hunter (William Squire, Anne of the Thousand Days). But Callan knows his usefulness could end at any moment--especially with the younger, ruthlessly ambitious agent Cross (Patrick Mower, Target) eager to advance. In this amoral world, where men and women serve only as means to another’s ends, Callan fully understands the consequences of failure, seizing each assignment as one more chance to survive.

DVD FEATURES INCLUDE Callan trivia and biography of Edward Woodward.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MASTERFUL SERIES DEPICTING THE DARK WORLD OF SPIES AND INTELLIGENCE IN THE 1970s, July 12, 2009

By 

Harold Wolf "Doc" (Wells, IN United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Callan: Set 1 (DVD)

David CALLAN (Edward Woodward, The Equalizer) was blackmailed by a secret part of the British Security Services known as "The Section". They wanted his skills. He didn't like or want the job, but he had no choice, but he was good at it. This former soldier turned thief, was 'drafted' by "The Section".

The Section head, codename Hunter (William Squire), AKA Charlie, is cold, ruthless, needs Callan, and cares little about who gets killed. Concern is only the how, why, and if anyone finds out.

There's a nucleus of regular cast, but each episode (9 in this Set 1) is primarily a new suspense story involving espionage, murder, blackmail, and all those good black things. Callan is THE top agent (realism, no James Bond or Get Smart stuff here)--kills when ordered--is a deadly shot--with a tinge of conscious, fair play, and justice. It's a bit on the dark side, every man for himself. A collection of individuals in a dark world, void of trust. A climate where right and wrong have no definition. Sometimes Callan has to much personal emotion for his job of deceit and dirty-tricks. That makes for a fascinating character. Great character relationships throughout the series. Well, some relationships turn downright nasty. Callan even has feelings, though never shown, toward a dirty, criminal type, Lonely (Russell Hunter), who is occasional helpful, in all the bad ways of getting the job done.

The "Section's" colour code for files: RED= dangerous, priority, target death; YELLOW= occasional surveillance; BLUE= wrong party; WHITE= put out of action via prison, bankruptcy, mental home, etc. What colour is your file?

Downside: no subtitles. But they'd help little with the British slang used occasionally like: bird=girl, nik=arrest, belt up=shut up, ta=thanks, quid and bob=$$$ but how much?

A fun series for those who remember the late 60's/early 70's. Filmed at that time period, the British scenes, decor, and clothing styles resemble everyday life in the USA about then. This DVD series is NOT a 1970 period drama, just a very good intelligence/spy series created and aired during the 60's to 70's decade change.

This CALLAN SET 1, originally aired April to June, 1970, is the 3rd season. Many of the B/W episodes telecast earlier had been "lost." Acorn Media has saved this season for all of us. TA. Fortunately in 1970 the show went to color.

Episode 1, WHERE ELSE COULD I GO?
2, SUMMONED TO APPEAR
3, THE SAME TRICK TWICE
4, A VILLAGE CALLED 'G'
5, SUDDENLY--AT HOME
6, ACT OF KINDNESS
7, GOD HELP YOUR FRIENDS
8, BREAKOUT
9, AMOS GREEN MUST LIVE
Watch them all if you dare, but periodically check over your shoulder.

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Set 1" is Season 3, June 24, 2009

By 

George Fergus "tv guide" (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Callan: Set 1 (DVD)

In case there is any confusion, this set comprises the 9 episodes of Season 3, which is the first season to be filmed in color.

16 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Callan great; But packaging is misleading., November 22, 2009

By 

Gentleman Auditor (Australia) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Callan: Set 1 (DVD)

Callan was a great series, but the packaging of this product is misleading. "Set 1" is too easily confused with "Series 1". If like me you have already purchased "Series 3" then you will be very upset that you now own two copies of "Series 3". I know the editorial review makes it clear, but when you are a fan you do not think you need to read such reviews... Ok, so next time I will whenever I consider purchasing a product packaged by Acorn Media. Mind you, I will probably not buy on principle.