James Mitchell (writer) explained

James Mitchell
Pseudonym:Patrick O. McGuire
James Munro
Birth Date:12 March 1926
Birth Name:James William Mitchell
Birth Place:South Shields, England
Death Place:Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England
Occupation:Screenwriter, novelist
Years Active:1957–2002
Notableworks:Callan
When the Boat Comes In

James William Mitchell (12 March 1926, in South Shields  - 15 September 2002, in Newcastle-upon-Tyne) was a British writer, principally of crime fiction and spy thrillers. He is best known for creating Callan (1967–1972) and When the Boat Comes In (1976–1981).

Biography

The son of a shipyard worker, Mitchell also wrote under the pseudonyms James Munro and Patrick O. McGuire. He received BA and MA degrees from Oxford. After graduating he tried numerous jobs, including shipyard worker and civil servant before taking up teaching, in his own words he taught, "for some 15 years in almost every kind of institution from secondary modern school to college of art". In 1968 Mitchell moved to London to concentrate on writing.[1] [2]

Mitchell created the ITV spy thriller Callan, starring Edward Woodward as a remorseful secret service assassin, and the BBC period drama When the Boat Comes In, starring James Bolam as a World War I veteran returning to his Tyneside hometown.[3] These programmes proved to be his most notable, and acclaimed work.

He also wrote many other television scripts, including episodes of The Troubleshooters, the legal drama Justice and The Avengers.

Personal life and death

He married twice and had two children. Mitchell died in Newcastle upon Tyne on 15 September 2002.[4] He was 76.[5]

Bibliography

Novels

Callan

When the Boat Comes In

Ron Hogget

as Patrick O. McGuire

as James Munro

The hero in his Munro books is a British agent named John Craig, who works, mostly reluctantly, for Department K. Mitchell wrote the screenplay for the 1971 film version of The Innocent Bystanders under his real name.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleCreditNotes
1970The Last GrenadeScreenplay
1972Innocent Bystanders ScreenplayAdapted from his "James Munro" novel
1974CallanScreenplayAdapted from his novel, "A Red File for Callan"

Television

YearTitleCreditNotes
1960, 1964Armchair Mystery TheatreWriterEpisodes: "Flight from Treason" and "The Lonely Crime"
1961, 1963The AvengersWriter5 episodes
1961Kraft Mystery TheaterWriterEpisode: "Flight from Treason"
1961, 1967Armchair TheatreWriterEpisodes: "The Omega Mystery" and "A Magnum for Schneider" (the latter served as a backdoor pilot for Callan)
1965CraneWriterEpisode: "The Man in the Gold Waistcoat"
1965–1967The TroubleshootersWriter5 episodes
1966This Man CraigWriterEpisodes: "Live Like a Man" and "Fresh Off the Boat"
1968FrontierWriterEpisode: "His Lordship"
1967–1972CallanCreator and writerWrote 18 episodes
1971–1972JusticeWriter6 episodes
1976–1981When the Boat Comes InCreator and writerWrote 39 episodes
1981Goodbye DarlingCreator and writerWrote 8 episodes
1981Wet JobWriterTV movie, sequel to Callan
1983SpyshipWriter6 episodes
1989ConfessionalWriter4 episodes

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Obituary: James Mitchell. The Guardian . 19 September 2002.
  2. Web site: Biography . 20 February 2022.
  3. News: Obituary: James Mitchell. The Guardian . 19 September 2002.
  4. Web site: The British Theatre Guide: Writer James Mitchell Dies . 11 November 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150923194732/http://www.britishtheatreguide.info/news/jamesmitchell.htm . 23 September 2015 .
  5. Web site: Obituary. The Telegraph. 20 September 2002 . 1 January 2016.