Georgina Jones
Encyclopedia
Miss Georgina Jones was a fictional modish young woman living in the Soho
area of London
in the mid 1960s. Played by Juliet Harmer
(born 1943), she was the main supporting character in the BBC
television adventure series, Adam Adamant Lives!
(1966-7) which starred Gerald Harper
as Adam Adamant.
and Donald Cotton
, with significant creative input by script editor
Tony Williamson
and the BBC's Head of Television Drama, Sydney Newman
. The series was produced by Verity Lambert
. The female lead was originally to have been called Sandy, but the name Georgina Jones (sometimes "George" or "Georgie" to her friends) had been adopted by the time of a 1966 pilot in which the part was played by Ann Holloway. Holloway was replaced in the series itself by Juliet Harmer.
by his enemies in 1902 and had come back to life in 1966. Miss Jones' grandfather, Sam Jones, had met him at Henley Regatta in 1901. She herself claimed that Adamant had been a childhood hero of hers and that she had been a witness to the demolition of his former home in the mid 1950s.
From the very start, when she found him stumbling in the vicinity of Piccadilly Circus
, Miss Jones (whom Adamant rarely addressed by her first name) was Adamant's staunch friend and supporter. These were characteristics that Adamant, who was coming to terms with a very different world to that which he had left over sixty years earlier, did not always appreciate.
, and lived in a flat which, among other things, displayed a large letter "G" above her single bed. Her clothes typified those of "Swinging London
" - a John Lennon-style cap
, striped tops, mini-skirts – and she rode around on a Vespa
motor scooter.
This was all quite baffling to Adamant, with his Edwardian attitudes to women; in fact, when he first met her, he thought that she was a boy. His initial reluctance to use Miss Jones' flat as an overnight refuge and a scene in which he sees her win a beauty contest and then catches her half-undressed after the show illustrated both his prudery (or maybe, in the latter instance, surprise at the contrast between 1960s' lingerie
and Edwardian corsetry) and her lack of inhibition. However, aided and abetted by Miss Jones, Adamant picked up where he had left off at the turn of the century, fighting evil in his own inimitable way.
Miss Jones also had a slightly awkward relationship with Adamant's manservant, a former music hall artist named William E. Simms (Jack May
), who was acquired during an adventure in Blackpool
.
There were 29 episodes of Adam Adamant, of which 17 survive.
Soho
Soho is an area of the City of Westminster and part of the West End of London. Long established as an entertainment district, for much of the 20th century Soho had a reputation for sex shops as well as night life and film industry. Since the early 1980s, the area has undergone considerable...
area of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in the mid 1960s. Played by Juliet Harmer
Juliet Harmer
Juliet Harmer is an English actress who was best known in the role of Georgina Jones in the BBC TV series Adam Adamant Lives! .-Early career:...
(born 1943), she was the main supporting character in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television adventure series, Adam Adamant Lives!
Adam Adamant Lives!
Adam Adamant Lives! is a British television series which ran from 1966 to 1967 on the BBC. Proposing that an adventurer born in 1867 had been revived from hibernation in 1966, the show was a comedy adventure that took a satirical look at life in the 1960s through the eyes of an Edwardian .- Character...
(1966-7) which starred Gerald Harper
Gerald Harper
Gerald Harper is an actor, best known for his work on television, having played the title roles in Adam Adamant Lives! and Hadleigh ....
as Adam Adamant.
Genesis of the character
Adam Adamant was created by Richard HarrisRichard Harris (television writer)
Richard Harris is a prolific British television writer, most active from the early 1960s to the mid-1990s. He writes primarily for the crime and detecitve genres, having contributed episodes of series like The Avengers, The Saint, The Sweeney, Armchair Mystery Theatre, and Target...
and Donald Cotton
Donald Cotton
Donald Cotton was a writer for radio and television during the black and white era. He also wrote numerous musical revues for the stage...
, with significant creative input by script editor
Script editor
A script editor is a member of the production team of scripted television programmes, usually dramas and comedies. The script editor has many responsibilities including finding new script writers, developing storyline and series ideas with writers, ensuring that scripts are suitable for production...
Tony Williamson
Tony Williamson (television writer)
Tony Williamson was a prolific British television writer, most active from the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s. He wrote primarily for the action/adventure and espionage genres...
and the BBC's Head of Television Drama, Sydney Newman
Sydney Newman
Sydney Cecil Newman, OC was a Canadian film and television producer, who played a pioneering role in British television drama from the late 1950s to the late 1960s...
. The series was produced by Verity Lambert
Verity Lambert
Verity Ann Lambert, OBE was an English television and film producer. She is best known as the founding producer of the science-fiction series Doctor Who, a programme which has become a part of British popular culture, and for her association with Thames Television...
. The female lead was originally to have been called Sandy, but the name Georgina Jones (sometimes "George" or "Georgie" to her friends) had been adopted by the time of a 1966 pilot in which the part was played by Ann Holloway. Holloway was replaced in the series itself by Juliet Harmer.
Miss Jones and Adam Adamant
Adam Adamant was an adventurer who, having foiled a plot to assassinate King Edward VII, had been cryopreservedCryopreservation
Cryopreservation is a process where cells or whole tissues are preserved by cooling to low sub-zero temperatures, such as 77 K or −196 °C . At these low temperatures, any biological activity, including the biochemical reactions that would lead to cell death, is effectively stopped...
by his enemies in 1902 and had come back to life in 1966. Miss Jones' grandfather, Sam Jones, had met him at Henley Regatta in 1901. She herself claimed that Adamant had been a childhood hero of hers and that she had been a witness to the demolition of his former home in the mid 1950s.
From the very start, when she found him stumbling in the vicinity of Piccadilly Circus
Piccadilly Circus
Piccadilly Circus is a road junction and public space of London's West End in the City of Westminster, built in 1819 to connect Regent Street with the major shopping street of Piccadilly...
, Miss Jones (whom Adamant rarely addressed by her first name) was Adamant's staunch friend and supporter. These were characteristics that Adamant, who was coming to terms with a very different world to that which he had left over sixty years earlier, did not always appreciate.
Swinging sixties v. Edwardian values
Miss Jones worked in a discothèque, which was subject to a vicious protection racketProtection racket
A protection racket is an extortion scheme whereby a criminal group or individual coerces a victim to pay money, supposedly for protection services against violence or property damage. Racketeers coerce reticent potential victims into buying "protection" by demonstrating what will happen if they...
, and lived in a flat which, among other things, displayed a large letter "G" above her single bed. Her clothes typified those of "Swinging London
Swinging London
Swinging London is a catch-all term applied to the fashion and cultural scene that flourished in London, in the 1960s.It was a youth-oriented phenomenon that emphasised the new and modern. It was a period of optimism and hedonism, and a cultural revolution. One catalyst was the recovery of the...
" - a John Lennon-style cap
John Lennon hat
The Greek fisherman's cap is often associated with seamanship and marine situations. It has become popular amongst the public in general, rather than staying isolated as an occupational hat. One example of it being put in prominence of popular culture was when it was worn by John Lennon...
, striped tops, mini-skirts – and she rode around on a Vespa
Vespa
Vespa is an Italian brand of scooter manufactured by Piaggio. The name means wasp in Italian.The Vespa has evolved from a single model motor scooter manufactured in 1946 by Piaggio & Co. S.p.A...
motor scooter.
This was all quite baffling to Adamant, with his Edwardian attitudes to women; in fact, when he first met her, he thought that she was a boy. His initial reluctance to use Miss Jones' flat as an overnight refuge and a scene in which he sees her win a beauty contest and then catches her half-undressed after the show illustrated both his prudery (or maybe, in the latter instance, surprise at the contrast between 1960s' lingerie
Lingerie
Lingerie are fashionable and possibly alluring undergarments.Lingerie usually incorporates one or more flexible, stretchy materials like Lycra, nylon , polyester, satin, lace, silk and sheer fabric which are not typically used in more functional, basic cotton undergarments.The term in the French...
and Edwardian corsetry) and her lack of inhibition. However, aided and abetted by Miss Jones, Adamant picked up where he had left off at the turn of the century, fighting evil in his own inimitable way.
Miss Jones also had a slightly awkward relationship with Adamant's manservant, a former music hall artist named William E. Simms (Jack May
Jack May
Jack May was an English actor. Born in Henley-on-Thames, he was educated at Forest School, Walthamstow and after war service with the Royal Indian Navy in India was offered a place at RADA, but he instead went to Merton College, Oxford...
), who was acquired during an adventure in Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
.
There were 29 episodes of Adam Adamant, of which 17 survive.