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''The Flashing Blade'' (french: Le Chevalier Tempête) is a French television serial made in the late 1960s. It was first broadcast in the UK on
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
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children's television during the 1960s, with several re-runs throughout the 1970s. The British version of twelve 22 minutes episodes was created from the original four French 75-minute episodes.
The fictional story is based upon historical events during the
War of the Mantuan Succession
The War of the Mantuan Succession (1628–1631) was a related conflict of the Thirty Years' War, caused by the death in December 1627 of Vincenzo II, last male heir in the direct line of the House of Gonzaga and ruler of the duchies of Mantua ...
(1628–1631) between France and
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
and its allies.
Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy
Charles Emmanuel I ( it, Carlo Emanuele di Savoia; 12 January 1562 – 26 July 1630), known as the Great, was the Duke of Savoy from 1580 to 1630. He was nicknamed (, in context "the Hot-Headed") for his rashness and military aggression.
Being ...
, a supporter of Spain, laid siege to
Casale, the capital of
Montferrat
Montferrat (, ; it, Monferrato ; pms, Monfrà , locally ; la, Mons Ferratus) is part of the region of Piedmont in northern Italy. It comprises roughly (and its extent has varied over time) the modern provinces of Province of Alessandria, ...
on the Savoie (Savoy) border. Despite numerous attempts to scale the defences, the beleaguered garrison held out. The Savoy army was eventually defeated by a French relief force on 18 March 1629.
The castle of Casale, seen being besieged in the opening credits, was filmed at
Château Gaillard
Château Gaillard () is a medieval castle ruin overlooking the River Seine above the commune of Les Andelys, in the French department of Eure, in Normandy. It is located some north-west of Paris and from Rouen. Construction began in 1196 unde ...
in France.
Plot
The series revolves around the efforts of a dashing French spy to engineer the garrison's rescue. François, the Chevalier de Recci, and his servant Guillot are trapped in a besieged castle on the border between France and Spain. When the Spanish elite hear of a possible truce between France and Spain, some of them do not want a truce because the capture of the castle has greater strategic importance. They begin a bombardment in order to capture the French castle before any form of ceasefire agreement is signed. The garrison commander, General Thoiras, recruits François and Gullot to break through Spanish lines to get word of the attack to the French Army. The pair, with their superior swordplay and horsemanship, embark on a daring mission evading capture, enemy spies and pursuing soldiers to deliver their message. The series ends with the Chevalier bringing news of the peace conference's decision to the Spanish Forces surrounding the castle.
Cast
Production
Several cast members from ''The Flashing Blade'' appeared in similar serialised action productions for French children's TV. ''Desert Crusader'' was virtually identical to ''The Flashing Blade'' but set in 12th-century
Palestine during the
Third Crusade
The Third Crusade (1189–1192) was an attempt by three European monarchs of Western Christianity (Philip II of France, Richard I of England and Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor) to reconquer the Holy Land following the capture of Jerusalem by ...
. ''
The Aeronauts'' was set in the present day and featured a couple of daring
French Air Force Mirage fighter pilots.
Broadcast
It was perhaps most notorious for the fact that on its last two (conventional) broadcasts, the final episode lost vision through an apparent fault with the film stock;
a considerable disappointment to its viewers after it had been running for many episodes over many weeks. The final few minutes of the last episode were later shown on
Michael Aspel
Michael Terence Aspel (born 12 January 1933) is an English retired television newsreader and host of programmes such as '' Crackerjack'', ''Aspel & Company'', '' Give Us a Clue'', ''This is Your Life'', '' Strange but True?'' and ''Antiques Ro ...
's "request a repeat" show ''
Ask Aspel
''Ask Aspel'' was a British television series produced by the BBC and hosted by Michael Aspel. The format of the show, which first ran from 1970 until 1973, featured a well-known guest who answered questions sent in by viewers, posed by Aspel o ...
''.
Theme tune
The theme song was "Figh
by The Musketeers (written by Alex Masters), which was issued on a Philips single in 1969.
Re-dubbed parody
In 1988,
Andrew O'Connor (actor), Andrew O'Connor,
Kate Copstick
Kate Copstick (born 25 February 1956 in Glasgow) is a Scottish actress, television presenter, writer, critic, director and producer. She studied for a law degree at the University of Glasgow.
Career
As a comedy actor, Copstick appeared on c ...
,
Bernadette Nolan and Terry Randall produced a
spoof version which was broadcast on the Saturday morning children's show ''
On the Waterfront''. The scripts for the new comic soundtrack were written by
Russell T Davies
Stephen Russell Davies (born 27 April 1963), better known as Russell T Davies, is a Welsh screenwriter and television producer whose works include ''Queer as Folk'', '' The Second Coming'', ''Casanova'', the 2005 revival of the BBC One scien ...
, who later went on to become an award-winning dramatist.
This team reunited in 1995 for a one-off episode that was broadcast on Children's BBC for Red Nose Day.
The parody version was followed by a re-run of the original series in the autumn of 1988.
Notes
External links
*
Theme tune lyrics, stills and more
{{DEFAULTSORT:Flashing Blade, The
1960s French television miniseries
French adventure television series
Cultural depictions of Cardinal Mazarin
1967 French television series debuts
1967 French television series endings
Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision Française original programming