History Series / Callan

** Michael Goodliffe in Series 2
** Derek Bond as John Ramsey in Series 2

The Hunters are played by:
** Ronald Radd in "A Magnum for Schneider" and Series 1, with guest appearances in Series 2 and 4)

** Derek Bond in Series 2

** [[spoiler: Edward Woodward in Series 4]]

* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler:Cross.]]

* ReunionShow: Edward Woodward and Russell Hunter reprised their roles as Callan and Lonely in a 1981 TV film entitled "Wet Job".

[[caption-width-right:262:The main cast as of Series Four[[note]]\\

British spy series that ran four series on Creator/{{ITV}}, from 1967 to 1972. Creator/EdwardWoodward is the eponymous hero, David Callan, an agent employed by "The Section", a shadowy arm of the British intelligence services during the UsefulNotes/ColdWar. Callan was introduced in a one-off play, "A Magnum for Schneider", which became in effect a pilot for the series; there was also a movie based on the pilot (or the novelisation of it) and a reunion episode, "Wet Job", in 1981.

* MindRape: [[spoiler:Callan]] is captured by the KGB and put him on a drug that will slowly drive him insane to the point where he will be begging to give them information. Fortunately, he's traded for before this goes too far.

* NotSoDifferent: Callan and Richmond acknowledge this on their first meeting, and rather find they like and respect each other.

%%* ThePigPen: Lonely

->'''Lonely:''' Did you shoot him, Mr. Callan?
->'''Callan:''' No. I hit him, and he died of it.

-->Callan: Do you know why I am so good at this job? I was trained never to take anyone on trust. You start off on one simple premise: Everything smells -- yourself, the job you're doing, and the man who tells you to do it.

->'''Lonely:.''' Did you shoot him, Mr. Callan?

The Section specializes in disposing of enemies of the state by dubious methods like blackmail, extortion and murder, and Callan is its most highly regarded operative. He is helped and hindered in his work by his boss, code-named Hunter [[spoiler: except for a brief period during season 4 when Callan is Hunter]], fellow agents such as the sadistic Toby Meres and the cocky James Cross, and a malodorous little small-time crook named Lonely.

* BerserkButton - Don't touch Callan's model soldiers.

* BrainwashedAndCrazy: [[spoiler: Callan becomes this after KGB agents abduct him, torture him, and subject him to a plethora of drugs to manipulate him into killing the current Hunter.]]

-->Callan: "Do you know why I am so good at this job? I was trained never to take anyone on trust. You start off on one simple premise: Everything smells -- yourself, the job you're doing, and the man who tells you to do it."

* DeadpanSnarker - Most of the cast, but Callan in particular.

* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep - The head of the Section is always called "Hunter" (or addressed by his codename "Charlie") and never known by any other name [[spoiler: except of course for Callan himself in season 4]].

* IDidWhatIHadToDo - On more than one occasion Hunter makes it clear that he doesn't like the orders he's giving Callan any more than Callan does, but he expects them to be carried out nonetheless.

* IncrediblyObviousTail - Justified when agents follow a Russian diplomat around in order to harrass him.

** JerkWithAHeartOfGold: [[spoiler: Strangely enough, Meres is an example of this. Though he usually tries to make everyone's lives miserable and enjoys seeing others in pain, he does eventually build and display a sense of camaraderie towards Callan, even showed concern in the second season finale when it seemed that The Section had turned on Callan, and even reluctance and sadness when he was forced to shoot a BrainwashedAndCrazy Callan.]]
* JustFollowingOrders: Cross lampshades this trope [[spoiler: after Callan has been promoted to Hunter mentioning that now Callan can't use this excuse for the assassination of their targets since he's the one now issuing the orders.]]
* KickTheDog - Callan has to "Rebuke" Lonely on occasion. On the other hand...
** PetTheDog - ... Callan also does his best to protect the little man, going so far as to tell his superiors that if they try to kill Lonely, [[BadassBoast they'll have to take him down first.]]
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler: Cross.]]
* LeaderWannabe: Meres has always had his eye on the position of Hunter. [[spoiler: When Callan has the role of Hunter, this rather rubs Meres the wrong way as he believes himself to be the natural replacement and Callan UnfitForGreatness.]]

* MakeItLookLikeAnAccident - The Section is not above arranging this.

* MindRape: [[spoiler: Callan]] is captured by the KGB and put him on a drug that will slowly drive him insane to the point where he will be begging to give them information. Fortunately, he's traded for before this goes too far.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Callan has a major one of these [[spoiler: after he realises he's been tricked and manipulated into killing one of the least bastardly Hunters.]]

* ThePigPen - Lonely
* PointyHairedBoss - Both played straight and averted; some of the Hunters are a good deal more capable than others.
* PrisonerExchange - The opening episode of season 4.

* PutOnABus: Meres, we're informed in the first episode of series 3, took an assignment in the U.S., but
** TheBusCameBack: he returns as a regular in series 4.
* TheRat: Lonely.

* ScreamDiscretionShot: Well, more of a groan discretion shot [[spoiler: when Callan is captured by KGB agents and they start a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown]].

* ShellShockedVeteran: Callan.
* SlidingScaleOfCynicismVersusIdealism - Pretty cynical on the face of it, although Callan's insistence on knowing what his intended victims have done and his trying to avoid casualties suggest he is more idealistic than he cares to admit.
* SmugSnake: Cross.
* SpyFiction - the bitterest of Stale Beer. Even more so than ''Series/TheSandbaggers'' in a way, since Burnside at least believes in what he does, while Callan only does it because he'd be unemployable in any other job, and the Section would probably have him killed if he tried to quit.
* TheSpymaster - The Section's Boss, Hunter, and ''his'' boss, Bishop.
* SpySpeak - The KGB are "The Opposition" for example.

* TheseHandsHaveKilled

* TyrantTakesTheHelm - On finding out that the original Hunter, played by Ronald Radd, has been temporarily reappointed, Callan is so appalled that he promptly announces he's going on leave. Needless to say he isn't allowed to.

* WhatTheHellHero - As cold blooded murder is in Callan's job description, instances of this hardly stand out, but systematically wrecking a couple's marriage to facilitate a defection in "The Little Bits and Pieces of Love" and making an engaged couple break up (resulting in the woman committing suicide) probably counts.

The creator (and primary writer of the series) James Mitchell also wrote several {{Tie In Novel}}s about Callan which were, if anything, DarkerAndEdgier than the series itself. In 2017 Creator/BigFinish, best known for ''BigFinishDoctorWho'', announced they were reviving the series, with adaptations of James Mitchell's son Peter's short ''Callan'' stories for the Sunday Express.

The creator (and primary writer of the series) James Mitchell also wrote several {{Tie In Novel}}s about Callan which were, if anything, DarkerAndEdgier than the series itself.

** RealitySubtext: Edward Woodward was actually an avid wargamer.

* SpyFiction - the bitterest of Stale Beer. Even more so than TheSandbaggers in a way, since Burnside at least believes in what he does, while Callan only does it because he'd be unemployable in any other job, and the Section would probably have him killed if he tried to quit.

Tropes:

British spy series that ran four series on Creator/{{ITV}}, from 1967 to 1972. Edward Woodward is the eponymous hero, David Callan, an agent employed by "The Section", a shadowy arm of the British intelligence services during the UsefulNotes/ColdWar. Callan was introduced in a one-off play, "A Magnum for Schneider", which became in effect a pilot for the series; there was also a movie based on the pilot (or the novelisation of it) and a reunion episode, "Wet Job", in 1981.

British spy series that ran four series on Creator/{{ITV}}, from 1967 to 1972. Edward Woodward is the eponymous hero, David Callan, an agent employed by "The Section", a shadowy arm of the British intelligence services during the ColdWar. Callan was introduced in a one-off play, "A Magnum for Schneider", which became in effect a pilot for the series; there was also a movie based on the pilot (or the novelisation of it) and a reunion episode, "Wet Job", in 1981.

* ColdBloodedTorture: What would the spy genre be without it? Meres enjoys perpetrating it.

The Section specializes in disposing of enemies of the state by dubious methods like blackmail, extortion and murder, and Callan is its most highly regarded operative. He is helped and hindered in his work by his boss, code-named Hunter [[spoiler: except for a brief period during season 4 when Callan is Hunter]], fellow agents such as the sadistic Meres and the cocky Cross, and a malodorous little small-time crook named Lonely.

** JerkWithAHeartOfGold: [[spoiler: Strangely enough, Meres is an example of this. Though he usually tries to make everyone's lives miserable and enjoys seeing others in pain, he does eventually build and display a sense of camaraderie towards Callan, even showed concern in the second season finale when it seemed that The Section had turned on Callan, and even reluctance and sadness when he was forced to shoot a BrainwashedAndCrazy [[HeGotBetter Callan]].]]