The Champions "Desert Journey" #1.25 (1969) (TV)

The Champions in North Africa, 23 March 2017

A small North African country is in turmoil and on the verge of civil war. World opinion is that the former leader's son, known as they Bey and living in exile in Rome, might be able to reunite the country. Whether through coercion, bribery, or straight out kidnapping, The Champions are charged with gathering the Bey and returning him to his home country.

What worked for me:

1. Jeremy Brett – Best known for playing Sherlock Holmes, I was surprised to see Brett turn up in The Champions. He's quite good as the Bey.

2. The Changes to Sharon – There are noticeable changes to Sharon's character in Desert Journey. First, she uses her femininity in a much more obvious manner than in any of the previous episodes. The outfit she wears to the party is scandalous compared to her normal wardrobe. Second, the more natural look she has on the ride across the desert is especially welcome. She never looked better.

3. The First Two-Thirds – The first 2/3 or so of Desert Journey are fantastic. The bombing of the peace the peace conference, the kidnapping of the Bey, the flight and landing at the abandoned air strip, and the journey across the desert. Really good, fun stuff.

What didn't work for me:

1. The Final One-Third – The final minutes of Desert Journey are a real let down. Sharon, Craig, and the Bey make it across the desert and just sort of wait for Richard to show up. He eventually does. This leads to a finale that is so predictable it almost ruins the whole episode.

Overall, it's a decent enough episode that really could have been so much better with a better written 3rd act. Still, a 7/10 seems about right.

7/10