The Sydney Morning Herald from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia • Page 53

TELEVISION With Jacqueline Lee Lewes INSIDE: LIFT-OUT GUIDE Master spy made 007 look amateur 1 Neil! stars in series Affair With A Married Woman, begins on a train somewhere in the wilds of Russia. Reilly and two other travellers, the Rev. Thomas (Sebastian Shaw) and his wife Margaret (Jeananne Crowley) are detained by frontier police who are searching MASTER spy Sidney Reilly made James Bond look like an amateur not only when it came to spying but also when it came to women. He had at least 90 mistresses and was married three times, twice bigamously. The creator of James Bond, Ian Fleming, once commented "Bond is just a piece of nonsense I dreamed up a figment of my imagination.

He is not a Sidney Reilly, you know." If he was anything like New Zealand actor Sam Neill's very cool, very deadly portrayal of him in Reilly Ace of Spies, the $4 million 12-part series made by Britain's Thames Television, then no wonder he was such a wow with the ladies. The ABC begins screening the series with a slightly longer than usual introductory episode at 7.30pm, Tuesday. The remaining II episodes will begin at 8.50pm, Tuesdays. Although the subject matter is different, Reilly has a Brideshead Revisited feel about it lavish sets, exotic locations in England, Malta and France, and marvellous period costuming. Like Brideshead, the pace is a leisurely canter, even a trot at times, instead or a break-neck gallop.

For that reason it won't be every one's cup of tea. But for viewers who found that half the pleasure of Brideshead was soaking up the atmosphere, it will be a joy. But who was Reilly? According to producer Chris Burt and Robin Bruce Lockhart (whose book. Ace of Spies, inspired scriptwriter Troy Kennedy Martin to spend 10 years researching the series), fact and fiction are inextricably mingled, always a good basis for a drama. Reilly claimed he was born into a upperclass Russian family in Odessa in 1874.

At the age of 16 when he discovered he was the offspring of an illicit affair between his mother and a Jewish doctor named Rosenblum, he faked his own death and skipped off to South America. A couple of years later he was recruited by the British Secret Service as their first professional spy. In his lifetime he was described on the front pages of British newspapers as "the greatest spy in history" and "one of the bravest men of our time." The first episode of the television series, titled An for plans being smuggled out of Russia by Reilly. He persuades Margaret help him escape and in doing so, she compromises herself and ends np in a Russian prison for three months. Later Margaret became his first wife and it was her maiden name of Reilly that he adopted.

And so the scene is set with the character of Reilly established as a rather dastardly fellow, elegant, persuasive, and menacing, a man who was tender with women yet used them without a qualm. In this first episode we meet others of the regular cast Fothergill (Peter Egan) who recruited Reilly, Cummings (Norman Rodway) who headed the Secret Service, and armaments king Basil Zaharor (Leo McKern). Talking of Reilly, spy-master Cummings says: "He's not a gentleman, he's probably a socialist and he's certainly a Jew." It was an attitude which pervaded the Secret Service and one that explains why people such as Kim Phiiby had such an easy time of it. Beilry, the Master It's great stun and for one, will be spending Tuesday nights for the next three months glued to the ABC and to the ace of spies, Reilly. Spy: Now he's heartthrob.

Sam seeks a shrink-eye view Feet up? Watch all the wildlife The ABC is a whizz at producing those easy-to-watch dramas which have you settled comfortably, feet up and a smile of contentment on your face. they think their mothers have done them." The key to Reilly's success as a spy was that he wasn't a gentleman, said Neill (who plays the gentleman bushranger Captain Starlight in the film and mini-series Robbery Under Anas). "Spying np until Reilly bad been a geatleatea's preoccupation with definite rales of conduct exchanging prisoners at dawn oa the border, that sort of thing," he said. "Bat Reilly didn't believe in any of that He brought a mthlessaess into the business and I don't think has really been the same since." Neill had not beard of Reilly before being offered the role. But, he said, it was not surprising that so little was known about the spy, even now almost 50 years after fab death.

"It was in the early 20s when the British were trying to come to diplomatic terms with Russia and Reilly was doing everything he could do as a spy to topple the Bolshevik Government. He became an rassment. "So I think they rather put bint under the mat Anyway, it's still trie of spying today so-one really admits they do it in spite of the fact that they all do. "I mean, probably the most inflneacial people at large ia the world, and the least known, are spies." Since the series appeared la Britain and the US, Neill has become somthiag of a heartthrob. A couple of months ago be was voted the most popular actor ia Britain by the foar wtiilioa readers of TV Times aad be has received bags of mail, mostly from women.

"That was qaite wove! for aw and some of the mail was fairly anasaal. No, not exactly pornographic bat there has been a certaia anoant of saggestivesess," be said. "There has also been a lot front the US, but more ordinary. Maybe Reilly hit a spot ia the British psyche." Neill finishes Robbery Under Arms ia June aad might thea take a holiday, altboogh there "quite a lot ia the wind, here aad ia the States." AFTfeR being chosen to play superspy Sidney Reilly in Reilly Ace of Spies (see story above), actor Sam Neill went to see a psychiatrist. Not for counselling.

He wanted to know what made Reilly tick. "There are several stories about Reilly's origins he was a great liar bat whether he came from Russia, Poland or England I think it's certainly true that be was illegitimate and that, although Jewish himself, be grew up in an aati-Semitic family," Neill said. "Anyway, I gave what known bout bhn to the psychiatrist and she gave me a good profile of the character. "For instance, there was his attitude towards women. She thought that it was very likely be would become womaniser but that behavior would be founded subsconsiously on a hatred for women.

"I think that's often true or womanisers, don't you? It's compulsive with them because of the injury Zammit is young, enthusiastic, and idealistic. He is also impatient and tends to act first, ask questions later. When he is given the post of Wolfe's assistant, his seniors in the department expect sparks to fly. They do in the first episode but one suspects that as the episodes roll by, a grudging respect will develop. The series also stars Catherine Wilkin as Aggie French, Vikki Blanche as her daughter Kim, and Nina Landis as local schoolteacher Miriam Woods.

Bill Hunter Wolfe is down-to-earth and knows his job and he likes to work alone. Patrol Boat was one and another is Vie Keepers, a nine-part series which begins 7.30pm Thursday. Starring Bill Hunter, who last week was in Eureka Stockade, and David Cameron, last seen in Waterfront, it is about the private and professional lives of two Fisheries and Wildlife officers stationed in a small rural community. Their job is to protect wildlife against the threat eiether deliberate or foolish of man. The environment is a timely issue and judging by the first episode, the series will be enjoyable, with a tinge of not-unpleasant worthiness.

It has all the ingredients conflict, humour and tension. No doubt romance will be included in future episodes. There are also lots of animals, many seldom seen outside a zoo by city dwellers: this is always a draw. The conflict comes from the relationship between Bill Hunter's character. Jack Wolfe, and that played by Cameron, Rick Zammit.

"He will also conduct regular interviews and analyse the impact I In mm v- i and possible consequences of any I Channel 9 and then as a regular on Nine's Sunday program. Now he will be teaming up with Carleton to give "authoritative, hard-hitting, in-depth" political reports. According to Carroll: "Richard will cover the day-to-day events in Canberra and any other stories that may break and Maximilian will report in depth, providing comprehensive background to these stories." Not surprising, as Nationwide executive producer Ian Carroll regards the signing of Walsh as a major coup, a view obviously shared by those in charge of the purse strings. With 30 years in journalism behind him, Walsh has the reputation of being one of Australia's most respected authorities on the political and economic scene. Television viewers got to know him, first as a political analyst on AUNTY has pulled out all stops to push the advent of Maximilian Walsh on Nationwide tomorrow night.

Full-page advertisements in Time magazine and newspapers, billboards featuring Walsh with Geraldine Doogue and Richard Carleton, all those on-air promotions the ABC is taking no chances that Walsh's arrival will go unnoticed. icgibiauun wai may oc ociurc Parliament" Walsh's first contribution to Nationwide tomorrow night will be a report from the Victorian State Labor Conference. Later in the week he will present a profile on Federal Treasurer Paul Keating. I mk 57 THE SUN-HERALD. APRIL 1.

1984. 57.