Aurora Borealis

And a very merry Christmas to all those who celebrate it. I received a lovely Yuletide gift by cerberusia in my fandom of the moment, Callan, and I also managed to write a 7K Hornblower fic for my giftee, firebatvillain. Do drop by in the comments and give them some love!

Title: A Face that Fits
Author: Cerberusia
Rating: Explicit
Fandom: Callan (TV)
Pairing: Callan/Meres
Word Count: 4303
Summary: Meres got back from Zurich a week later, with Bristac in tow. Callan wasn't entirely surprised when Meres popped round that evening, to a house whose address he shouldn't know.

Title: Between Duty and Friendship
Author: Firestorm717
Rating: General
Fandom: Hornblower (TV)
Pairing: Horatio/Archie
Word Count: 7240
Summary: After a surprise attack, Horatio and Archie are marooned on an island that is not as deserted as it first seems.

Now that I've gotten back into writing, I'm thinking of signing up for Chocobox 2020 and other popular fandom fests, just to get the creative juices flowing. It's been so long that I've forgotten how much fun it is to get lost in a scene or a particular line of dialogue... or to wait in anticipation for reveals!

Allow me to introduce you to a new fandom of mine - Callan, a British TV series from 1967-72 starring Edward Woodward (The Equalizer, The Wicker Man) in the title role. Callan is a Cold War spy drama in the tradition of Len Deighton's The Ipcress File and John le Carré's The Spy Who Came in From the Cold. Its world is dark and bleak, its characters morally ambiguous, and its stories often end on a downbeat turn. (The first episode of the series is called "The Good Ones Are All Dead"). James Bond this is not; in fact, Callan was conceived as the antithesis to Bond-style escapism. It depicts the seedy side of espionage with its criminal associates and cynical bureaucracy, beneath which agents toil like pawns on a chessboard, as likely to be killed by friend as foe.

So why do I recommend this series? Well, if you're like me, you're partial to darkness and angst ;) But even if that's not your usual cup of tea, I suggest you check out Callan on the strength of its acting alone. Woodward does a masterful job of portraying the morally conflicted assassin, David Callan, both frightening in his anger and heartbreakingly vulnerable in his grief. He is joined by Anthony Valentine (Colditz, Raffles) with whom he shares crackling on-screen chemistry, and Russell Hunter (The Gaffer), a skilled character actor who practically inhabits his role. This top-notch talent is supported by a top-notch script. The plots are complex and clever, featuring lies, subterfuge, and misdirection - all the classic spy storylines - that demand close attention from the audience. Sharp dialogue takes the place of action in most parts, shining the spotlight on character interaction. Many scenes read as if they'd come from a superb stage play.

Finally, for the slash fans, there's a ton of wonderful subtext surrounding the two handsome leads, Callan and Meres, as well as several canonically gay/bisexual side characters.

In conclusion, you'll enjoy Callan if

• You relish historically-based spy dramas with complex plots.


• You like morally ambiguous and conflicted main characters.


• You are a sucker for tragedy, angst, and every deathfic trope.


• You appreciate good-looking men in three-piece suits.

On the other hand, this series may not be for you if

• You prefer slick "James Bond" action, adventure, and romance.


• You need a protagonist that you can always root for.


• You want modern cinematography and video quality.


• You are bothered by some degree of sexism and wish to see a diverse cast.

In the following sections, I provide a detailed description of the setting and characters. Interested readers may watch the entire show on my Youtube playlist, or just check out the recommended episodes below. (Due to the age of the series, some episodes from seasons 1-2 are missing from the BBC archives. I have posted all that are commercially available).

( Overview )
( Main Characters )
( Supporting Characters )
( Recommended Episodes )
( External Links )

Seasons 1-4 + Pilot

Language: English
Runtime: 60 minutes
Network: ITV1 (UK)
Cast: Edward Woodward (David Callan), Russell Hunter (Lonely), Lisa Langdon (Elizabeth March), Anthony Valentine (Toby Meres), William Squire (Hunter), Patrick Mower (James Cross), Geoffrey Chater (Mr. Bishop), Clifford Rose (Dr. Snell)
Links: (IMDB) (TVDB) (Wiki)
Synopsis: David Callan is only good at two things - killing people and collecting model soldiers. He works for a secret intelligence agency called the Section, which specializes in disposing of people through blackmail, frame-ups, and very often death. Callan becomes a liability to his superiors because he cares too much, but while the Section tries to get rid of him, it also needs his expertise and ruthlessness in the field.
Download: mega [dot] nz [slash] #F!neJh3KRI
Decryption Key: EtoshJkVlXvbQg4qNzZydg
Encoding Info: MediaInfo
Note: I ripped and encoded all the episodes released on commercial DVD. Seasons 1-2 come from Callan: The Monochrome Years, except for the pilot and S01E01, which are the new transfers in Callan: This Man Alone. Seasons 3-4 come from the North American releases, Callan: Set 1 and Callan: Set 2, respectively. Edward Woodward's commentary in S04E05 and S04E11 are included as separate audio tracks. The rest of the episodes unfortunately have been lost to time, i.e., they do not exist in the BBC archives. However, the scripts are provided on the documentary DVD, and I have uploaded them here along with other goodies. (Fans should check out the Red File pdf for Callan's backstory).

Edit: Ugh, so apparently, my North American DVDs have some glitches in them. Not sure if it's a problem with my disc or the original transfer. To be safe, I've ordered Callan: The Color Years and will re-rip seasons 3-4. Hold off on downloading them for now.