Shannon's Mob

Shannon's Mob is an Australian TV series about an Australian intelligence agency. It was the last TV series from Fauna Productions, who were responsible for Skippy the Bush Kangaroo among others.^[1]

Shannon's Mob
Genre	Espionage
Directed by	Ron Way Brian Bell Howard Rubie Ian Bennett
Starring	Robin Ramsay Frank Gallacher
Composer	Eric Jupp
Country of origin	Australia
Original language	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	13
Production
Executive producer	Bob Austin
Producers	Joy Cavill Lee Robinson
Production location	Sydney
Camera setup	John Williams
Running time	60 mins
Production company	Fauna Productions
Original release
Network	Nine Network
Release	27 October 1975 (1975-10-27) – 4 February 1976 (1976-02-04)

Synopsis

FIASCO (The Federal Intelligence and Security Control Organisation) is a top-secret department whose existence was known only to a few and was answerable only to the Prime Minister. Under the control of one time Scotland Yard cop Dave Shannon, the main characters were agents Andrew Blake (Robin Ramsay) and Michael Jamieson (Frank Gallacher) who often worked undercover.

Cast

Main

• Robin Ramsay as Andrew Blake
• Frank Gallacher as Michael Jamieson

Guests

• Alastair Duncan
• Alwyn Kurts as Alan Merritt (1 episode)
• Angela Punch McGregor as Prostitute (1 episode)
• Ben Gabriel as Aklov (1 episode)
• Cecily Polson as Edith Thomas (1 episode)
• Chantal Contouri as Tara (1 episode)
• Chris Haywood as Richard Pollard (1 episode)
• Diana Perryman as Mrs Pellini
• Elke Neidhardt
• Gerard Maguire as Fraser (1 episode)
• Gillian Jones as Carol (1 episode)
• Joanne Samuel as Felicity Maitland (1 episode)
• John Clayton as Joe (1 episode)
• John Fegan as Corby (1 episode)
• Judy Lynne as Sophie Hochman (1 episode)
• Julieanne Newbould as Libby (1 episode)
• Kevin Manser a Harry Davis (1 episode)
• Lorrae Desmond as Cassandra
• Max Phipps as Patrick Ryan (1 episode)
• Max Cullen as Vossif (1 episode)
• Michael Aitkens (1 episode)
• Norman Kaye as Henry Vaughan (1 episode)
• Pat Bishop as Miss Warwick (1 episode)
• Rowena Wallace as Estelle (1 episode)
• Vincent Ball as Ashby (1 episode)

Production

Production of the series took place from October 1973 to May 1974, mostly in and around Sydney.^[2]

Reception

The series did not screen until October 1975. It was not a ratings success and did not sell well overseas. TV critic Don Storey wrote that "not only was Shannon's Mob Fauna's least successful production, it was one of the least remembered series of Australian television's first twenty years."^[3]

In 1976 Robinson said it was unlikely that the series would ever recover its costs.^[4]

List of episodes

1. Without Incident
2. Nothing Else To Lose
3. Trip To Nowhere
4. There Was A Man
5. Stock In Trade
6. Hotspot
7. When Collier Came
8. Mixed Doubles
9. Loser Takes All
10. The Playpen
11. Peace Lovers
12. You've Got To Have Credentials
13. Heart Of Oak