This is one of the better episodes. All our stars get something to do, but William Gaunt gets the most screen time in this episode. The challenge our heroes face is worthy of their high abilities. As usual, all three make a good team.
5 Reviews
The Champions Go Undercover
bensonmum223 March 2017
When a very prominent scientist is found dead in the streets of London, Nemesis is called in to investigate. Richard goes undercover as an electronics expert and is hired by a secret research project known only as Project Zero. He boards a plane, gets knocked unconscious by a gas, and arrives at an underground laboratory in an undisclosed location. Richard discovers a group of scientists working on a weapon capable of destroying nuclear devices from a considerable distance. After his cover is blown, Craig and Sharon are forced to also go in undercover to find him. Can they escape, catch the baddies, and destroy the weapon?
Project Zero is one of my favorite episodes from The Champions. It does most everything right. To start with, Project Zero lets The Champions use more of their powers than most episodes. And, all three members of the team get an equal chance to shine. Sharon actually gets an opportunity to do more than play the all too frequent damsel in distress. Here, she saves the day. The episode is packed with all the goodness you could ask for - action, intrigue, fight scenes, and some real spy-type stuff. The writing in Project Zero is as good as I've seen in the series. I've gone back and checked it out and Tony Williamson seems to have been responsible for some of the better episodes in the series. Direction is also as good as I've seen in the series. Don Sharp, director of some really nice Hammer films, does fantastic work on Project Zero. And the supporting cast is top notch, with Rupert Davies and Jan Holden making particularly good villains. I also got a real kick out of seeing Nicholas Smith, albeit in a small role, playing a killer. Overall, it's a fantastic episode.
In writing about recent episodes of The Champions, I've highlighted new powers that each episode presented. In Project Zero, we learn in the pre-credit sequence that Sharon has the ability to distinguish between vintages of wine. While it's impressive, I'm not sure how handy that would prove in a fight against a super- villain.
Project Zero is one of my favorite episodes from The Champions. It does most everything right. To start with, Project Zero lets The Champions use more of their powers than most episodes. And, all three members of the team get an equal chance to shine. Sharon actually gets an opportunity to do more than play the all too frequent damsel in distress. Here, she saves the day. The episode is packed with all the goodness you could ask for - action, intrigue, fight scenes, and some real spy-type stuff. The writing in Project Zero is as good as I've seen in the series. I've gone back and checked it out and Tony Williamson seems to have been responsible for some of the better episodes in the series. Direction is also as good as I've seen in the series. Don Sharp, director of some really nice Hammer films, does fantastic work on Project Zero. And the supporting cast is top notch, with Rupert Davies and Jan Holden making particularly good villains. I also got a real kick out of seeing Nicholas Smith, albeit in a small role, playing a killer. Overall, it's a fantastic episode.
In writing about recent episodes of The Champions, I've highlighted new powers that each episode presented. In Project Zero, we learn in the pre-credit sequence that Sharon has the ability to distinguish between vintages of wine. While it's impressive, I'm not sure how handy that would prove in a fight against a super- villain.
One of the best episodes.
Sleepin_Dragon19 July 2023
A prominent Scientist, Albert Travis is killed and dumped on The Streets of London. Travis had been working secretly in Scotland on Project zero, Richard goes undercover to investigate.
A great episode, I'd put this one in the top three, it's intriguing, exciting and very well paced. It opens up with a wonderful Avengers style sequence, The troubled Travis and sinister Postmaster, it then transforms into a very decent action thriller.
Much better use of the characters as a team, each has an input. Finally Sharron is starting to feature more, and getting more to do, Craig and Richard flap a little, she's the one that's calm and collected throughout.
Some good special effects, I loved the sets they used, it has an almost sci fi feel to it, it looks great.
There are so many recognisable faces here, you'll see Reginald Jessup, Nicholas Smith, Rupert Davies, Peter Copley and more.
9/10.
A great episode, I'd put this one in the top three, it's intriguing, exciting and very well paced. It opens up with a wonderful Avengers style sequence, The troubled Travis and sinister Postmaster, it then transforms into a very decent action thriller.
Much better use of the characters as a team, each has an input. Finally Sharron is starting to feature more, and getting more to do, Craig and Richard flap a little, she's the one that's calm and collected throughout.
Some good special effects, I loved the sets they used, it has an almost sci fi feel to it, it looks great.
There are so many recognisable faces here, you'll see Reginald Jessup, Nicholas Smith, Rupert Davies, Peter Copley and more.
9/10.
Flight to nowhere
ShadeGrenade21 September 2006
Warning: Spoilers
The late Tony Williamson was, in my view, the best writer on I.T.C.'s 'The Champions'. He seemed to understand perfectly that it was not just another British spy show. His four episodes - the others being 'Shadow Of The Panther', 'The Dark Island', and 'The Experiment' - are hugely entertaining comic-book style romps.
'Project Zero' begins on a remote Scottish island. A terrified man in a white lab coat is running along a quiet country road. Coming to a small deserted village square, he heads for the Post Office, and tries to make a call, but while his back is turned, the Postmaster ( Nicholas Smith, of 'Are You Being Served?' ) shoots him dead. The ear piece is left dangling in mid-air. The man's body is later found dumped in a London street. He was 'Dr.Albert Travis', one of several scientists, all experts in their field, who have mysteriously disappeared. The only clue is the phrase 'Project Zero'. Posing as a physicist, Richard Barrett attends an interview for a post in what he believes to be a top secret British Government project. He boards a plane with others and is gassed. When he awakes, he is at an unknown location. An elevator whisks him to a underground establishment. The project's director - Dr.Voss ( Rupert Davies ) - has developed a fission gun - a laser weapon capable of destroying stockpiles of nuclear material over vast distances - and can now wipe out the world's super-powers or, if he so wishes, either one of them. Barrett's cover is broken, and he is made to wear a collar containing an explosive device that will go off if he either tries to remove it or tell anyone else that the project is a fake. Back at NEMESIS H.Q., Tremayne - annoyed that the homing device planted on Barrett's person failed to work - orders that Craig Stirling and Sharron Macready follow their colleague down the road to Project Zero...
Reminiscent at times of the 'Danger Man' classic 'Colony Three', 'Project Zero' is one of the Champions' most memorable adventures. Richard's slide rule homing device is probably a dig at the 007 school of spy gadgets - it breaks during the flight to Scotland, and Craig is forced to alert his friend using a dog whistle! Good direction from the late Don Sharp - his only contribution to the series. Davies - best remembered for his role as Georges Simenon's 'Maigret' in the early '60's - is suitably menacing as the villain, while Jan Holden is well cast as his ice maiden assistant 'Miss Davies'. There is genuine suspense in the scene where Craig attempts to remove Richard's collar.
Spot The Mistake: in the scene where the scientists throw tear gas phials at the guards, one of them slips and falls over!
A literally explosive ending, however, with Sharron getting the last word for once!
'Project Zero' begins on a remote Scottish island. A terrified man in a white lab coat is running along a quiet country road. Coming to a small deserted village square, he heads for the Post Office, and tries to make a call, but while his back is turned, the Postmaster ( Nicholas Smith, of 'Are You Being Served?' ) shoots him dead. The ear piece is left dangling in mid-air. The man's body is later found dumped in a London street. He was 'Dr.Albert Travis', one of several scientists, all experts in their field, who have mysteriously disappeared. The only clue is the phrase 'Project Zero'. Posing as a physicist, Richard Barrett attends an interview for a post in what he believes to be a top secret British Government project. He boards a plane with others and is gassed. When he awakes, he is at an unknown location. An elevator whisks him to a underground establishment. The project's director - Dr.Voss ( Rupert Davies ) - has developed a fission gun - a laser weapon capable of destroying stockpiles of nuclear material over vast distances - and can now wipe out the world's super-powers or, if he so wishes, either one of them. Barrett's cover is broken, and he is made to wear a collar containing an explosive device that will go off if he either tries to remove it or tell anyone else that the project is a fake. Back at NEMESIS H.Q., Tremayne - annoyed that the homing device planted on Barrett's person failed to work - orders that Craig Stirling and Sharron Macready follow their colleague down the road to Project Zero...
Reminiscent at times of the 'Danger Man' classic 'Colony Three', 'Project Zero' is one of the Champions' most memorable adventures. Richard's slide rule homing device is probably a dig at the 007 school of spy gadgets - it breaks during the flight to Scotland, and Craig is forced to alert his friend using a dog whistle! Good direction from the late Don Sharp - his only contribution to the series. Davies - best remembered for his role as Georges Simenon's 'Maigret' in the early '60's - is suitably menacing as the villain, while Jan Holden is well cast as his ice maiden assistant 'Miss Davies'. There is genuine suspense in the scene where Craig attempts to remove Richard's collar.
Spot The Mistake: in the scene where the scientists throw tear gas phials at the guards, one of them slips and falls over!
A literally explosive ending, however, with Sharron getting the last word for once!
Engaging
Leofwine_draca2 January 2022
Another familiar but engaging story, lifted by lots of familiar faces in the supporting cast and some good suspense elements. I was particularly surprised to see a bomb collar, trendy today in the likes of BATTLE ROYALE.
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