The Human Jungle (TV series)

This article is about the British TV series. For the 1954 film of the same name, see The Human Jungle (film).

The Human Jungle
series titles over Dr Corder entering his office
GenrePsychological drama
Created byRonald J. Kahn
Starring
Theme music composerBernard Ebbinghouse
Opening themePlayed by John Barry and his Orchestra
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series2
No. of episodes26 (list of episodes)
Production
Producers
CinematographyBert Mason
Running time49–51 minutes
Production companyIndependent Artists for ABC Weekend TV
Original release
NetworkITV
Release30 March 1963 (1963-03-30) –
13 May 1965 (1965-05-13)[1]

The Human Jungle is a British TV series about a psychiatrist, made for ABC Weekend TV by Independent Artists.

Starring Herbert Lom as Dr Roger Corder and Sally Smith as his daughter Jennifer, it comprised 26 50-minute episodes and ran for two series 1963–1965.

Outline

Most episodes focused on one patient, whose psychological ailment Dr Corder would treat using a humane yet idiosyncratic approach that mixed Freudian psychoanalysis with the contemporary methods associated with the then-fashionable theories of R. D. Laing.[1] Several psychiatric techniques, such as word association, group work, role-play and hypnotherapy, were featured in the series. Frequently, Corder's initial patient in a story would turn out not to be the character with the pressing mental health issue.

Because of the constraints of a 50-minute television episode, it was often suggested that Corder would continue to see his patients after the denouement.

Cast

Main

  • Herbert Lom as Dr Roger Corder M.D., D.P.M.
  • Michael Johnson as Dr Jimmy Davis
  • Sally Smith as Corder's daughter, Jennifer
  • Mary Yeomans as secretary, Nancy Hamilton
  • Mary Steele as personal assistant, Jane Harris

Guests (in surname order)

Production

The series was created by Ronald J. Kahn, credited on screen as "assistant to the producers", and produced by Julian Wintle and Leslie Parkyn.[2]

The theme music was composed by Bernard Ebbinghouse, and arranged and recorded by John Barry and his Orchestra.[3]

Several high-profile guest stars appeared in his surgery or as hospital patients, including Joan Collins, Margaret Lockwood, Flora Robson, Roger Livesey, Rita Tushingham and André Morell.[4]

The first series was filmed at Beaconsfield Studios, which closed down shortly after production ended; the second series was shot at the Associated British Studios in Elstree owned by ABC's parent company Associated British Picture Corporation.

The script editor was John Kruse.[5] The advisor on psychiatric content was Dr Hugh L. Freeman, on behalf of the National Association for Mental Health (now Mind).[4]

Episode list

Series one

Air date is for ABC Weekend TV.[6] ITV regions varied date and order. Episode order is given as per the Network DVD release.

Episode No. Title Directed by Written by Original airdate
1"The Vacant Chair"James HillBill MacIlwraith30 March 1963 (1963-03-30)
Stars Ronald Leigh-Hunt, Lloyd Lamble, Keith Pyott, Geoffrey Palmer, Edward Evans, Hamilton Dyce and Jonathan Burn
2"The Flip Side Man"Sydney A. HayersRobert Stewart6 April 1963 (1963-04-06)
Stars Jess Conrad and Michael Ripper
3"Run with the Devil"Vernon Sewell
  • David T Chantler
  • John Kruse (story)
13 April 1963 (1963-04-13)
Stars Derek Farr, Jenny Laird, Andrée Melly, Walter Hudd and Harry Fowler
4"Thin Ice"John Ainsworth
  • Bill MacIlwraith
  • Robert Stewart (story)
20 April 1963 (1963-04-20)
Guest stars Janina Faye, George A. Cooper and Cyril Chamberlain
5"The Lost Hours"John AinsworthJohn Kruse27 April 1963 (1963-04-27)
Stars Leonard Sachs, Ursula Howells, Frank Jarvis, Larry Martyn, Robin Hawdon, Stacy Davies and June Murphy
6"A Friend of the Sergeant Major"Don SharpLewis Davidson4 May 1963 (1963-05-04)
Stars Alfred Burke, Richard Leech, Cavan Kendall, John Harvey and Steven Scott
7"14 Ghosts"Sydney A. HayersLeo Leiberman11 May 1963 (1963-05-11)
Stars Avice Landon, André Morell, Justine Lord, William Marlowe, Peter Bathurst and Bernard Davies
8"Fine Feathers"Vernon SewellRobert Stewart18 May 1963 (1963-05-18)
Stars Jane Merrow and Philip Gilbert
9"The Wall"James HillJohn Kruse25 May 1963 (1963-05-25)
Stars Jeremy Spenser, Catherine Feller, Blake Butler, Arnold Diamond, Rosamund Greenwood and Hana Maria Pravda
10"A Woman with Scars"James HillRobert Stewart1 June 1963 (1963-06-01)
Stars Jeanne Moody, Frank Lawton, John Glyn-Jones, Rosalie Crutchley and Robin Hughes
11"Time-Check"Alan CookeLewis Davidson8 June 1963 (1963-06-08)
Stars Melvyn Hayes, Gerald James, Fabia Drake, Warren Mitchell, John Arnatt, Douglas Blackwell and Mitzi Rogers
12"The Two Edged Sword"Vernon SewellBill MacIlwraith15 June 1963 (1963-06-15)
Stars Susan Burnet, Pauline Yates, Frederick Piper, Beatrice Varley, William Kendall, Roger Delgado and Glynn Edwards
13"Over and Out"Vernon Sewell
  • John Kruse
  • Lewis Davidson (story)
22 June 1963 (1963-06-22)
Stars Ian Bannen, Eddie Byrne, Zena Marshall, June Barry, John Boxer, Simon Lack and Gerald Andersen

Series two

Air date is for Associated-Rediffusion.[7] ITV regions varied date and order. ABC Weekend Television was broadcast two days later. Order as for the Network DVD release.

Episode No. Title Directed by Written by Original airdate
1"Struggle for a Mind"Sydney A. HayersJohn Kruse18 February 1965 (1965-02-18)
Stars Joan Collins, Clifford Evans, Derek Godfrey and Margaret Whiting
2"Success Machine"Sydney A. HayersJohn Kruse25 February 1965 (1965-02-25)
Stars Edward Judd, Sylvia Syms, Harold Goldblatt, Jack Smethurst, Philip Latham, Ruth Trouncer and Wanda Ventham
3"The 24-Hour Man"Robert DayRobert Stewart4 March 1965 (1965-03-04)
Stars Johnny Sekka, Dolores Mantez, Inigo Jackson, Donald Morley, Frank Coda and Mark Lester
4"Solo Performance"Roy BakerBill MacIlwraith11 March 1965 (1965-03-11)
Stars Margaret Lockwood, James Villiers, Rona Anderson, Terence Brook and Malcolm Tierney
5"Ring of Hate"Charles Crichton
  • John Kruse
  • Leo Lieberman (story)
18 March 1965 (1965-03-18)
Stars Dudley Sutton, Bernard Lee, Francis Matthews, Walter Gotell, Jimmy Gardner, Peter Diamond
6"Conscience on a Rack"Roy BakerBill MacIlwraith25 March 1965 (1965-03-25)
Stars Flora Robson, Megs Jenkins, Ronald Hines and Adrienne Posta
7"The Quick and the Dead"Roy BakerJohn Kruse1 April 1965 (1965-04-01)
Stars Richard Johnson, Robert Beatty, Andrew Keir, David McAlister and Moray Watson
8"The Man Who Fell Apart"Roy BakerJohn Kruse8 April 1965 (1965-04-08)
Stars Rita Tushingham, Barbara Shelley, Alan Dobie, Patrick O'Connell, Griffith Davies
9"Dual Control"Roy BakerAnne Francis15 April 1965 (1965-04-15)
Stars Peggy Cummins, Dennis Price, Annette Andre, Rona Anderson and Yvonne Antrobus
10"Skeleton in the Cupboard"Roy BakerBill MacIlwraith22 April 1965 (1965-04-22)
Stars Roger Livesey, Ann Firbank, Allan Cuthbertson, Russell Waters and Donald Pickering
11"Wild Goose Chase"Vernon SewellMarc Brandel29 April 1965 (1965-04-29)
Stars Francesca Annis, Vladek Sheybal, Faith Brook, Gary Watson, Aimée Delamain and Tony Steedman
12"Enemy Outside"Roy BakerBill MacIlwraith6 May 1965 (1965-05-06)
Guest star Lloyd Reckord, Tony Tanner, Avis Bunnage, Barbara Ferris and Rona Anderson
13"Heartbeats in a Tin Box"Roy BakerRobert Stewart13 May 1965 (1965-05-13)
Stars Susan George, Gerald Harper, Ray McAnally, John Junkin, Donald Eccles, Tenniel Evans and Arnold Ridley

DVD

The complete series was released in November 2012 as a 7 DVD (Region 2) boxset with accompanying series guide by Andrew Pixley.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b Mark Duguid "Human Jungle, The (1963–65", BFI screenonline, retrieved 21 November 2012
  2. ^ series guide by Andrew Pixley in the DVD set, p.4
  3. ^ Pixley, p.9
  4. ^ a b "BFI Screenonline: Human Jungle, The (1963-65) Credits". www.screenonline.org.uk.
  5. ^ "The Flip Side Man (1963)". BFI. Archived from the original on 20 September 2018.
  6. ^ Before 1968, ABC was broadcast weekends in the Midlands and in the North. See History of ITV
  7. ^ Before 1968 Associated-Rediffusion was broadcast Monday to Friday in the London region. See History of ITV
  8. ^ "Human Jungle (The): The Complete Series: Network DVD". 5 February 2012. Archived from the original on 5 February 2012. Retrieved 11 June 2024.