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Reviews
Hereward the Wake (1965)
I never missed an episode!
Much has faded from my memory after 53 years, but three scenes remain vivid.
1) When Hereward is declared "outlaw", he flees for his life. He stops to rest in the woods when he hears running footsteps approaching, and draws his sword. He demands the identity of the unknown man, who replies "It is I, Martin Lightfoot, your father's messenger, and I have something for you". Hereward says warily "What is it?" Martin unwraps a bundle of cloth and says "It is your father's axe. It is made of Damask steel, and whosoever holds it is possessed of an ungovernable urge to kill!". Martin Lightfoot asks Hereward to allow him to travel with him, and Hereward agrees.
2) In a later scene, Hereward is confronted by a Polar Bear. He confronts the bear, brandishing his father's axe. The bear attacks Hereward, who swings the axe and kills the bear. Wild-eyed with blood-lust, he turns to Martin and bellows "With a single blow, Martin! With a single blow!"
3) When Hereward and Martin hear of the Norman capture of Hereward's village, and the murder of his parents, they return, only to find the severed head of Hereward's brother displayed on a gable. Hereward carries his brother's head into the Great Hall where the Normans are feasting. As he walks up to the Norman head honcho, the revelry falls silent. Hereward slams his sword onto the table, and says to the Norman "I thank thee for my brother's head, cur!", and thrusts his sword through the Norman's belly. Mayhem ensues.
It was blood-curdling stuff, which is why I still remember it after all these years.
Moonstrike (1963)
The first episode?
After a gap of 50 years, (I was 12 years of age in 1963 when "Moonstrike" started) my memories of "Moonstrike" are somewhat hazy, but I seem to recall that the first episode featured a fighter pilot who had been badly injured during the Battle of Britain, and who was told that he would never fly again. He persisted in his attempts to return to flying duty, and was told something along the lines of "You may wish to speak to these people, they may be able to offer you employment". Which led him to fly a Lysander for SOE. I remember the series always had one on the edge of one's seat, and it was gritty in the extreme. The theme music was written by the Australian composer Dudley Simpson, (who went on to write the "Dr. Who" music), and it's haunting, edgy theme perfectly matches the subject material. You can hear this music on Youtube as "Moonstrike".Alan Knight