As a member of the Intergalactic Maintenance Squad, Captain Don Quick (Ian Hendry) is dissatisfied with his mundane position. He roams the universe in his capsule accompanied by his dutiful subordinate, Sergeant Sam Czopanser (Ronald Lacey). On each new world they visit, Quick appoints himself an ambassador for humanity and attempts to correct what he perceives as local injustices, but his ill-conceived interventions invariably disturb the social order and conclude in failure.
This series transplanted the characters of Cervantes’ Don Quixote to a space-opera framework, substituting alien civilisations for the windmills of the original text. The production featured guest appearances from actors such as Kate O’Mara, Anouska Hempel, Madeline Smith and a pre-Doctor Who Colin Baker, and was notable for its ambitious special effects, including a thirty-foot spaceship built in the studio. However, a deficiency of effective comedy led most ITV regions to move the programme away from its prime-time broadcast slot. Only the first episode, directed by a young Mike Newell, is known to have survived.
Broadcast: ITV – London Weekend Television, 6 Episodes, Saturdays, 31 October – 5 December 1970
Based on characters from the novel by: Miguel de Cervantes
Written by: Peter Wildeblood, Keith Miles, Kenneth Hill, Charlotte Plimmer, Dennis Plimmer
Director: Mike Newell (Ep. 1)
Executive Producer: Peter Wildeblood
Main Cast: Ian Hendry (Capt. Don Quick), Ronald Lacey (Sgt Sam Czopanser)
