Following the transmissions failures that were Joe 90, the show was only sold to a handful of ITV regions and even when shown it was not popular. For The Secret Service, this would be even worse. ITC obviously weren't keen to promote the series since it had been cancelled. Even if the show did run for 26 episodes it wouldn't have made that much difference if so many networks declined Joe 90. ATV Midlands first showed the series on 21st September 1969 at 5:30 PM, who was served the best of the Anderson repeats. Another problem is that the repeats had to fill space for other more popular SUPERMARIONATION programs to be shown. Granada and Southern Television were the only other networks to have shown the series, again around 5:30 PM.
Repeats ended in ATV and Southern in 1972, with Granada in 1975. In fact, most of the transmission orders were made on the ITC Recommended broadcast order as the series has little continuity between itself to set an order for the episodes. There were also repeats in Australia on ATN Channel 7 on Saturday mornings in 1972 - however, these were the only broadcasts outside the UK for the show. Since the 1970s, the series has yet to make a comeback to television in the UK or sold to other broadcasters. Perhaps in the next fifty years, the series may return to television...
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The Secret Service: The Vault
Non-FictionThe Secret Service was a 1960s British children's TV series created by Gerry Anderson and the team of Century 21 studios in Slough, from the makers of Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet and Space: 1999. This was the final of his television series to feat...
