Codename (TV series)

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{{Infobox television

| image =

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| genre = Drama

| creator = Bill Hays
David Sullivan Proudfoot

| developer =

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| director =

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| presenter =

| starring = Clifford Evans
Alexandra Bastedo
Anthony Valentine
Brian Peck

| judges =

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| country = United Kingdom

| language = English

| num_series = 1

| num_episodes = 13

| list_episodes =

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| runtime = 50 minutes

| company =

| channel = BBC2

| first_aired = {{Start date|1970|04|07|df=yes}}

| last_aired = {{End date|1970|06|30|df=yes}}

| related =

}}

Codename was a short-lived British television series produced by the BBC in 1970.

An espionage thriller series, Codename recounted the activities of a secret organisation, MI17, being run from a residential hall at Cambridge University. The programme, lasting for one series of thirteen episodes, was produced by Gerard Glaister and starred Clifford Evans, Alexandra Bastedo, Anthony Valentine and Brian Peck. It was preceded by a one-off pilot play, with a different cast.{{cite news |author= |date=August 7, 1969 |title=New spy thriller tells of top secret cell |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-sentinel-new-spy-thriller-tells/163149412/ |work=Evening Sentinel |access-date=January 16, 2025 |via=Newspapers.com}}

The leads were well known from other series when this series was originally transmitted, Valentine from Callan, Bastedo from The Champions and Evans from The Power Game, and the first episode featured on the cover of the Radio Times. However, unlike its rival Callan on ITV, Codename failed to capture the public imagination, and no further series were made.

No episodes survive in the BBC archive, though there is a recording of the pilot.