The Champions Logo 'The Beginning'
by Dennis Spooner
Champions Cast

China: Craig Stirling, Sharron Macready and Richard Barrett, three members of the international security organisation Nemesis, break into a top-secret Chinese scientific research centre and steal samples of insects being used for germ warfare. The trio escape in their airplane, but are then shot down over the snowy mountain wastes of Tibet; Craig, Sharron and Richard survive the crash but then quickly succumb to the freezing cold, and collapse into unconsciousness… But when they later come to, they find that not only have their wounds been healed, but they now possess great physical and mental skills and share a telepathic link with each other. It seems that an ancient and mysterious race of beings living in the mountains are responsible for their rescue and for bestowing their powers upon them; the three agents decide that they must keep the existence of their new abilities a secret. However, the Chinese military are still pursuing them - the three Champions must find a way to evade capture or it will mean their certain death...

Stuart Damon (Craig Stirling), Alexandra Bastedo (Sharron Macready), William Gaunt (Richard Barret), Anthony Nicholls (Tremayne), David Bauer (Opening Voice-overs)*, Felix Aylmer (The Old Man), Kenneth J. Warren (Whittaker), Joseph Furst (Chislenkan), Eric Young (Ho Ling), Burt Kwouk (Chinese Major), Anthony Chinn (Chinese Commander)
*Uncredited

Directed by Cyril Frankel

Produced by Monty Berman


TX:
UK (ATV Midlands):
25th September, 1968 @ 8.00 pm - 9.00 pm

Notes:
*Introducing Craig Stirling, Sharron Macready, Richard Barrett and Tremayne

*An alternative version of this episode exists for use as a repeat, in which Richard Barrett records a tape for Tremayne detailing how he, Craig and Sharon got their powers; the episode then takes the form of a flashback

*Unlike all the other episodes, there is no intro-sequence for this story