Danger UXB

Danger UXB
Series titles over an unexploded bomb
Created byJohn Hawkesworth and John Whitney
Based onstories by Major A. B. Hartley
Starring
ComposerSimon Park
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes13
Production
ProducerJohn Hawkesworth
Cinematography
  • Norman Langley
  • Tony Mander
  • Peter Jessop
  • Ian Wilson
Running time49-51 minutes
Production companyEuston Films for Thames
Original release
NetworkITV
Release8 January (1979-01-08) –
2 April 1979 (1979-04-02)
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Danger UXB is a 1979 British ITV television series set during the Second World War. It was developed by John Hawkesworth and starred Anthony Andrews as Lieutenant Brian Ash, an officer in the Royal Engineers (RE).

The series chronicles the exploits of the fictional 97 Tunnelling Company,[n 1] which has been made a bomb disposal unit, and specifically 347 Section of the company, to deal with the thousands of unexploded bombs ("UXBs") in London during the Blitz. As with all his fellow officers, Ash must for the most part learn the techniques and procedures of disarming and destroying the UXBs through experience, repeatedly confronted with more cunning and deadlier technological advances in aerial bomb fuzing. The series primarily features military storylines, though among them is a romantic thread featuring an inventor's married daughter, Susan Mount (Judy Geeson), with whom Ash falls in love, and other human interest vignettes.

The programme was partly based on Unexploded Bomb - The Story of Bomb Disposal, the memoirs of Major A. B. Hartley, MBE, RE; its episodes were written by Hawkesworth and four screenwriters. The series was filmed in 1978 in and around the Clapham, Streatham and Tooting areas of south London.[1] Lt. Col. E. E. Gooch, RE (AER), rtd. was the technical adviser.

The programme appeared on the US PBS as a segment of Masterpiece Theatre from 4 January to 5 April 1981. It was also screened in Australia by the public broadcaster ABC Television, and in New Zealand by Television New Zealand.


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  1. ^ Hartley (1958), p. 272