The Baron (TV series)
An antiques dealer works informally for British intelligence.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
The Baron is a British television series produced by ITC Entertainment, aired in 1965 and 1966. Based on the book series by John Creasey (under the pseudonym Anthony Morton), the show starred American actor Steve Forrest as John Mannering, an antiques dealer who occasionally works undercover for British Diplomatic Intelligence. Thirty colour episodes were produced and exported to the American ABC network.
- field
- Television series
- nationality
- British
- known_for
- Spy-adventure series based on John Creasey's novels
- years_active
- 1965–1966
- episodes
- 30
- network
- ITV (UK), ABC (US)
Lore & Background
The series starred Steve Forrest as John Mannering, an American antiques dealer who drives a Jensen C-V8 with the personalised number plate 'BAR 1'. In the show, Mannering is an occasional undercover agent for the head of British Diplomatic Intelligence, Templeton-Green (Colin Gordon), assisted by Cordelia Winfield (Sue Lloyd) and David Marlowe (Paul Ferris). Unlike the original novels, where Mannering is a British reformed jewel thief, the television version presents him as absolutely straight, with no past criminality. The episode 'Red Horse, Red Rider' reveals he served as a US Army Captain in the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives program during World War II, recovering art from the Nazis, and later owned three antique stores.
Reader's Guide
The Baron was the first ITC live-action series produced entirely in colour, though all UK broadcasts were in black and white until colour transmissions began in November 1969. The show shared production crew with other ITC series such as Danger Man and The Saint, and many scripts were written by Dennis Spooner and Terry Nation. Despite its export to ABC, the series did not perform well enough and was syndicated mid-run, ensuring no second series. Two feature films were compiled from two-part episodes for international cinema distribution. The series was last repeated in colour by Great! Action in 2026.
Did You Know?
- The Baron was the first ITC live-action series produced entirely in colour.
- Steve Forrest, who played Mannering, was an American actor from Texas.
- The car driven by Mannering was a silver Jensen CV-8 Mk II with registration BAR 1.
- Two feature films were compiled from two-part episodes: Mystery Island and The Man in a Looking Glass.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Baron (TV series) about?
It is a British spy-adventure show following John Mannering, an antiques dealer who moonlights as an informal operative for British Diplomatic Intelligence. The series ran for thirty colour episodes across 1965 and 1966, produced by ITC Entertainment.
Who wrote the original stories behind The Baron?
The television adaptation was based on a novel series by John Creasey, who published those books under the pen name Anthony Morton.
Who played the lead role in The Baron?
American actor Steve Forrest starred as John Mannering, the antiques dealer who slips into undercover assignments for British intelligence.
Where and when did The Baron air?
The series was broadcast on ITV in the United Kingdom during 1965–1966 and was also exported to the American ABC network.
Why is The Baron notable in British spy television?
It belongs to the same ITC-produced spy-adventure lineage as The Saint and The Man from U.N.C.L.E., pairing a civilian cover profession with high-stakes diplomatic espionage. Its thirty-episode run gave it a solid catalogue for fans of the era.
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